Occupational Ergonomics

Develop a healthier connection between worker and work with this practical introduction

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 34% of all workdays lost each year are the result of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). These disorders result from a mismatch between a worker, their working conditions, and the task they perform. Improperly designed tasks or equipment, insufficient downtime between shifts or tasks, or even simple sitting position can all produce WMSDs. The key insights into preventing these disorders are produced by ergonomics, the scientific study of human bodies as they relate to objects, systems, and environments, especially work environments.

Occupational Ergonomics: A Practical Approach aims to supply an ergonomic toolkit for creating healthier relationships between workers’ bodies and their work. Beginning with a set of foundational ergonomic principles, it then details multiple assessment techniques in ways easily adapted to specific workplace situations. This balance of theory and practice has made Occupational Ergonomics an essential reference concerning human beings and the work they do.

Readers of the second edition will also find:

• Up-to-date ergonomic research reflecting the latest clinical and workplace data
• Entirely new chapters on Work Physiology, Total Worker Health, Return on Investment, and more
• Major revisions to chapters on Elements of an Ergonomic Program, Workstation Design, Work-Related MSDs, How to Conduct an Assessments, and Office Ergonomics
• Detailed and updated case studies applying ergonomic assessment techniques to common workplace scenarios

Occupational Ergonomics is a must for workplace safety managers, safety coordinators, ergonomics program coordinators, facilities managers, and any professionals concerned with the work environment, and worker health and safety.

Theresa Stack is an Occupational Safety and Heath Consultant and Instructor for the Montana Department of Labor and Industries. She is a Certified Professional Ergonomist and a Certified Safety Professional with over twenty-seven years of professional hands-on experience at the publishing of this text. Theresa also supports universities, providing instruction and conducting scientific research with a primary focus on ergonomics, objective workplace evaluation, OSHA compliance and hand tool design. Prior to joining the DLI, she provided consultation program management support as the Department of the Navy’s Senior Occupational Ergonomist for fifteen years and spent nine years as a tenured professor. Theresa continues to instruct for various universities and provide subject matter expert consultation for their shared company Solutions 4 Work LLC.

Lee T. Ostrom is Professor Emeritus and was previously Center Executive Officer at Idaho Falls Center and full Professor in the College of Engineering. His doctorate is in industrial engineering from Texas Tech University in 1988. He worked eleven years for the Idaho National Laboratory in the Human Factors Group and came to the University of Idaho full-time in 2000. He has over forty years of experience in egonomics, human factors, and safety and health. He has authored or co-authored four books and numerous book chapters and articles.