Ergonomics is the science of adapting the work environment to fit the employee. It focuses on designing workstations, tools and tasks for safety, efficiency and comfort. Efficient ergonomic designs and work practices reduce occupational injuries, discomfort, fatigue, and improve productivity and employee job satisfaction. 

 

 

 

BackSafe®: This back injury prevention training course identifies the major causes of back injuries, pre-work stretching exercises to reduce stress, and effective injury prevention lifting techniques. It involves hands-on training in an interactive format.

 

Ergo-CAT: Ergo-CAT is an online ergonomic assessment/training tool designed to help reduce the risk that you develop any repetitive motion injuries while using your computer. In August of 2007, the University of California contracted with Remedy Interactive (RI) to implement RI’s interactive online injury prevention program throughout the UC system.   Risk Services in the Office of the President and the UC Merced Office of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) have implemented this program here as Ergonomic Computer Assisted Training, or Ergo-CAT. The goal of Ergo-CAT is to prevent repetitive motion injuries associated with ergonomic risks of computer usage and, thus, conserve human and fiscal resources.   It is an augmentation to the existing ergonomic program run by EH&S whereby over 70 employees have received one-on-one workstation evaluations. Ergo-CAT will increase the efficiency with which resources can be prioritized for those evaluations. 

 

Laboratory ergonomics (in development): Many tasks performed in research laboraotires place workers at risk of muscle and tendon strains. Activities such as using pipettes, microscopes, microtomes and centrifuges can put stress on your body. EH&S currently is implementing an ergonomic pipette lending program so that lab researchers can try differently designed pipettes. EH&S will be expanding this program to address a breadth of laboratory ergonomic issues.

 

SittingSafe®: This injury prevention training course focuses on reducing repetitive motion stresses common to prolonged computer work. Stretching exercises, chair and keyboard adjustment, plus other tips are presented in a hands-on interactive format.