Ergonomics: A Risk Manager's Guide to Reducing Injuries, Costs, and Liabilities

This concise ergonomics manual provides a comprehensive study that helps risk managers take their organizations beyond compliance toward long-term prevention and control. Citing existing and proposed state ergonomics standards, the authors examine how your business can develop cost-effective ergonomics programs that identify and address ergonomic risks in your workplace. They identify the history and causes of ergonomic and ergonomics-related musculoskeletal disorders and examine the financial impact—including insurance and medical management—on business activities. Using numerous sample programs and forms as guides, this manual provides you with specific recommendations for assessing work sites and worker practices, training employees in safe practices, and implementing easy and cost-effective prevention and control strategies. These measures not only help your company increase its productivity and efficiency but also help your company comply with OSHA standards and identify ergonomic hazards that are frequently cited in OSHA inspections. Each chapter contains chapter objectives, a summary of key points, a chapter test, forms, and checklists that can be used by your company's trainers, managers, or auditors to illustrate the text's principles and applications.