• RULA
• NIOSH Lifting Equation
• NIOSH Composite Lifting Index
• Strain Index
• Rodgers Muscle Fatigue Assessment
• Anthropometric Data
• Liberty Mutual Materials Handling Guidelines
• University of Michigan 3D Static Strength Analysis
• Other published studies and guidelines

edgar is designed to be user-friendly and provides an objective set of illustrations and descriptions to guide users in their task analysis. edgar is an exclusive benefit of the Center’s Membership Program.

Ergo Cup Winners Announced at Applied Ergonomics Conference 2010

2010 Ergo Cup Winners

Ergonomic Program Improvement Initiatives
Joint Genome Institute
Empowering Employees in Ergonomics

Engineering/Ergonomist-Driven Workplace Solutions
Honda of America MFG Inc. / East Liberty Plant
Flexible Painting Fixtures

Team-driven Workplace Solutions
GE Energy
Closure Blade Installation - The "Lock Driver"

Excellence Awards

Innovation
Ford Motor Company
Hose Connections Acceptability Ratings (HCAR) Process

Simplicity
Spirit AeroSystems
Applied Leverage Tool

Cost Savings – ROI
Ethicon Endo-Surgery
Successful Ergonomic Changes Provide Green Upgrade within Product Instructional Insert Handling Process

ERGO Risk Reduction
GE Energy
Closure Blade Installation - The "Lock Driver"

Presentation
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, S.A. de C.V.
Ergonomics Excellence of a Medical Device Line through Lean Transformation

The internationally recognized Ergo Cup® competition, sponsored by the Ergonomics Center of North Carolina and Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University presented by IIE, provides an exciting opportunity for companies to highlight their successful ergonomic solutions. The general theme across all Ergo Cup categories is innovation. For more information about the Ergo Cup visit the Applied Ergonomics Conference website.

Dennis Paine, Senior Ergonomist, Will Present Topic at the ASSE Safety 2010 Conference

Dennis Paine will be presenting “Ergonomics Programs: Moving Forward” at the ASSE Safety 2010 Conference on Wednesday, June 16, 2010.  The following is a synopsis of the presentation:

If you have been involved in the process of building an ergonomics program, you know that changing culture is not easy.  Gone are the days when an ergonomic program is supported because “it’s the right thing to do.”  An ergonomic program must exist because executive leadership believes that it makes good business sense.  Does your ergonomics program demonstrate to leadership that, as an initiative that depends on valuable company resources, it makes good business sense?  Put yourself in the shoes of your executive leadership.  What is the essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced by your ergonomics program?  What value can you demonstrate?  Are you simply a protector of workers, or a builder of systems?  Are you a contributing force helping them achieve their business objectives, or are you a necessary expense?  How your program is perceived within the organization and how well you can demonstrate value will ultimately determine if your program is sustainable.

In these difficult economic times, ergonomics needs to assert itself as a field that can produce transformational results for a company.  Executive leadership must be given a reason to support ergonomics.  Ergonomics practitioners need to recognize that ergonomics has great strategic value that can help companies achieve goals at all levels of the organization – operational and corporate.  A strong ergonomics programs creates a workplace that is full of vitality, energized employees, and improved production outputs.  It also has the potential to help companies achieve their broader goals of social responsibility and sustainability through the benefits that ergonomics brings to the wellness of its employees and the innovation of its products and processes.  A great shift must take place in the company culture.  One aspect that must change is how the ergonomics program is managed – from a traditional narrow focus on injury prevention and risk management to a focus on performance to overall company goals.  The second aspect that must change is the level of involvement – programs must evolve from an expert-based model to a participatory based model where ergonomics is permeated throughout the organization.  Dennis will teach you how to achieve this shift through a 3-Step process of 1) building your organization’s capabilities; 2) enabling employees to achieve a cohesiveness of organizational resources; and 3) sustaining your program. 

Heather White, Senior Ergonomist, Presented Topic at the Applied Ergonomics Conference

Heather White, Senior Ergonomist, presented the topic "Lean Office: Indentifying Waste in the Office" on Wednesday, March 24, 2010, from 3:30pm-4:15pm at the Applied Ergonomics Conference & Expo 2010.

Tim McGlothlin, Executive Director, Joins the IIE Board

Tim McGlothlin, director of The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina located at North Carolina State University, has joined the IIE Board of Trustees as senior vice president, technical networking. He will serve in this role until March 31, 2011. McGlothlin holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a master’s degree in industrial engineering with a human factors concentration from the University of Tennessee. McGlothlin has served as a leader within IIE’s Applied Ergonomics Community. He chaired the Applied Ergonomics Conference and Expo for several years, and his organization has sponsored the conference’s highly successful Ergo Cup competition since its inception. 

\Jeffrey Hoyle, Senior Ergonomist, Presented Topic at the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo

Jeffrey Hoyle, Senior Ergonomist, presented the topic "Leveraging technology to answer difficult ergonomic questions: Assessing risk and justifying solutions " on Wednesday, April 1, 2009, from 4:00pm-5:00pm at the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo.

Participants learned about technologies they can leverage to perform advanced ergonomic job evaluations. You can use technologies such as the lumbar motion monitor, three dimensional static strength prediction program, heart rate/energy expenditure and electromyography to better understand and quantify the impact on the body. You can then make objective decisions about alternative solutions based on quantifiable data. Applications featured included construction, health care, product design and manufacturing.

Dennis Paine, Senior Ergonomist, Conducted a Workshop at the National Ergnomics Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, NV

Dennis Paine, Senior Ergonomist, conducted the workshop "Building a World Class Health, Safety & Ergonomics Program" on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, from 9:00am-5:00pm at the National Ergonomics Conference & Exposition.

This session described what a world class health, safety and ergonomics program is and why every company should strive to achieve a world class program. Attendees gained simple guidelines and approaches to building the best possible ergonomics program. Topics that were discussed during this workshop included:

• What defines a world class health, safety and ergonomics program?
• The what, why and how of program metrics
• Effective strategies for enabling your employees
• How to ensure your program is sustainable.

Julia Greenwald, Senior Ergonomist, Presented Topic at the National VPPPA Conference in Anaheim, CA

Julia Greenwald, Senior Ergonomist, presented the topic "Moving from a Reactive to a Proactive Ergonomics Program" on Tuesday, August 26, from 2:30pm-3:30pm at the Annual National VPPPA Conference. Many companies are reactive in their approach to ergonomics, focusing on addressing issues after they have already had an injury or near miss. This session will discuss the differences between a reactive and proactive program, as well as the elements, tools, methods and approaches that can be used to add a stronger proactive component to an existing ergonomics program.


Heather White, Senior Ergonomist, Presents Two Topics at the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2008

Heather White, Senior Ergonomist, presented two topics at the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2008, Orlando, FL, March 11-13, 2008. Her first session was "Lean Office: Ergonomics Beyond Proper Workstation Setup" and was held on Tuesday, March 11, from 1:45pm-3:15pm (three 30 minutes sessions). Her second session is "Product Selection: Adjustability Is Not the Only Key" and was held on Thursday, March 13, from 8:00am-8:45am.

Julia Greenwald, Senior Ergonomist, Presents Topic at the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2008

Julia Greenwald, Senior Ergonomist, presented the topic "Ergonomics Programs: Building on the NIOSH Elements" on Wednesday, March 12, from 3:30pm-4:15pm at the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2008.

Julia A. Greenwald, MSE, CPE Has Her Article "Taking Ergonomics Home" Published in fitAtlanta Magazine

Julia Greenwald, Senior Ergonomist, had her article "Taking Ergonomics Home" appear in the premiere issue of fitAtlanta Magazine,a health and fitness publication for the greater Atlanta area. The Center is a Community Partner of the magazine, along with organizations that include the American Heart Association and Grady Health System. To read the article click here.

Ergonomics Products for Sale

The Ergonomic Center is now offering posters, mouse pads, pocket guides, office reference guides, and ErgoTips for sale. You can download a price list or call Stephen McNierney at 919-515-2052 to receive more details.