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Most musculoskeletal or movement system disorders (MSD) are the result of a PREVENTABLE imbalance that affects the muscles, tendons, and nerves (the soft tissues) of our movement system. Each day we use our body; physical stress and strain sometimes produces microscopic wear and fatigue to our soft tissues. Normally, this fatigue is fully repaired by…

Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them. Most people have heard of ergonomics and think it is something to do with seating or with the design of car controls and instruments – and it is… but it is so much more….

Nearly every time we meet new people we are asked the question: what do ergonomists do? It is the ergonomist’s role is to study all aspects of the working situation and to fit the job to the human’s attributes. Ergonomists use information about people, for example, their size (height, weight etc.), their ability to handle…

Do you need to know how to use the revised NIOSH Equation to reduce manual lifting and lowering stress? The NIOSH lifting equation tool was developed to assess and evaluate the safety limits two-handed lifting tasks to assist employers in reducing the risk of lifting-related injuries. Designed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the…

On 1 July 2005, the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 came into effect. The reforms to the Act are aimed to make WorkSafe a more constructive, accountable, transparent and effective regulator, and are the cornerstone of legislative and administrative measures to improve occupational health and safety. The Act is the outcome of a major review of…

Ergonomics professionals and human factors specialists are governed by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia Inc (HFESA). Its purpose is to promote the principles and practice of ergonomics throughout the community. This is a great society to join if you’re interested in ergonomics, and want to get connected to occupational health and safety…

Resources listed on this page will be generally useful to people examining ergonomics problems.  People who have responsibility for safety, and for applying ergonomic solutions, will also benefit. Victorian Code of Practice (Manual Handling) 2000: available on the Victorian WorkCover Authority website.  This most practical Code contains a quantity of useful information (including numerical analysis and…

Codes of Practice (safety) are issued by Australian state and federal government agencies to advise employers and employees of acceptable ways of achieving compliance with occupational health and safety legislation. They are usually designed to be used in addition to statutes and regulations but can also be incorporated into legislation. One very useful application is…

  Current Australian workplace legislation and guidance: Australia-wide legislation: the Australasian Legal Information Institute or Lawlex are good.The Federal Register of Legislation site also has State and territorial legislation. Findlaw is a general resource on legal advice, finding lawyers, legislation and case reports. Victorian laws led the way for much of Australia’s OH&S reforming legislation.This site has links to legislation, Codes and related…

  Spot the office pain, and fix it fast The first sign of an injury is often an ache or pain. And at your workstation, there are many aches and pains which can be relieved by simply changing your working posture or work patterns. Here are some of the most common aches and pains, and…