Category: Musculoskeletal Disorders

In a world increasingly driven by technological advancements and complex systems, human factors specialists have become more integral. These professionals play a crucial role in ensuring that the design of products, systems, and environments takes into account human capabilities, limitations, and behaviors. By integrating principles of psychology, biometrics and engineering human factors specialists strive to…

Aviation is a complex and highly regulated industry that demands unwavering attention to safety, with safety relying heavily on maintenance.   Behind the scenes, a multitude of individuals work tirelessly to ensure that every flight operates smoothly. CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority), regulates the aviation industry in Australia; they license pilots & engineers, register aircraft…

As ergonomists and safety specialists, we are frequently asked if we can provide ‘how to lift’ training to minimise the risks of injury from manual tasks within the workplace. Although injuries from these tasks are common, we believe ‘how to lift’ training, by itself, is not the right approach to managing hazardous manual tasks. So…

Managing risks in the workplace is an important duty of any business owner or employer. A safety specialist can assist a business to identify hazards and determine how to eliminate or control risks within a workplace or public facility. Various frameworks and tools are often used to assist safety specialist identity and manage risks adequately.   Risk…

The failure of a consumer item can have severe consequences for the user. To avoid product failure and prevent injury or death due to the use of a consumer product, the product must go through a rigorous design and verification process. Human factors must be considered at every stage of the design process, from concept through…

With millions of Australians now working from home – and many possibly permanently after the peak of COVID-19 – there is a considerable risk of people experiencing discomfort and developing musculoskeletal disorders due to poorly set up home workspaces and a lack of movement. While passing soreness, discomfort, and even brief pain from working at…

Virtual meetings have become a lifeline during COVID-19 and an essential tool for connecting with other humans besides the people living in your household. Whether you are using Zoom, Microsoft Teams or one of the many virtual meeting platforms to connect with your work teams, it is important that your meetings continue to deliver the…

Contemporary lifestyle habits commonly find us looking down for large portions of the day – whether it be reading the paper, using apps on our phones, writing notes, referring to notes whilst typing, or even falling asleep on the train (even if there is a comfortable shoulder or not-so-comfortable window to lean on). Prolonged periods…

Feeling old? You’re probably sitting too much In keeping with our theme of older workers, did you know that sitting for 10 hours a day with less than 40 mins of exercise can age your cells by up to 8 years? A study recently completed at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine…

Recently, we talked about 6 things that could be causing your back and neck pain. In the second part of this series (based on this article. Rachael Sheat, the author, has kindly granted permission for use of her work), we identify some things you can do to prevent or ease back and neck pain. Get…