Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111
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Learn how to design ergonomically
The Health & Safety Laboratory is running a 5-day course on Ergonomics on 9th - 13th July 2018 and 11th - 15th February 2019, which is aimed at reducing the 35 million days lost to British industry each year as a result of accidents and ill health caused by work activities. A large number of these accidents are due to a lack of thought and planning concerning the use of our everyday systems.
The course will provide the ergonomics theory and techniques used to maximise the design of the tools, tasks and workplaces for improved comfort, safety and performance of the workforce. The techniques will cover both the physical and psychosocial aspects of a workplace design, following relevant Health & Safety Executive guidance and approaches to assess and reduce risks.
The course will cover:
* Ergonomics principles, methods and techniques
* Human Beings - physical and psychological factors
* Applied Anthropometry
* Workplace Design and DSE
* Manual Handling risks, assessments and controls
* Upper Limb Disorders - risks, assessments and controls
* Stress Management
* Influencing behaviour
* User investigation methods, such as interviews, questionnaires and focus groups
* Task Analysis
* Controls and Displays
* Environmental Factors - Lighting, Floors and footwear, Noise
Suited to all who have an interest in workplace ergonomics and wish to understand more about possible interventions that could be made to assess and improve worker comfort, safety and performance, the course requires no previous ergonomics or MSD experience.
Course presenters will include:
* Matthew Birtles - Matt has been a practising ergonomist for 13 years. His work at HSL has spanned various industries and topics, such as welding and foundry work, fairground ride safety and other leisure industry projects, food production, railway and train cabin design, furniture manufacturing, construction health & safety and ergonomics in healthcare. He also co-authored and presents, material on MSD training for HSE inspectors, and manual handing and the material for this Ergonomics course for the public. Matt has particular interest in the prevention of musculoskeletal injury and the design of fit for purpose ergonomic solutions to workplace problems.
* Liz Brueck - Liz is a physicist with considerable experience in noise measurement and instrumentation, and hearing protection (including level dependent protectors). She represents HSE on the standard committees for electroacoustic equipment and hearing protectors, and represents the UK on the ISO working group for the acoustic testing of hearing protectors.
* Victoria Whitehouse - Victorial is a psychologist with experience conducting literature reviews in behavioural change and worker engagement, as well as developing and testing a toolkit looking to provide construction SME's with the tools and techniques necessary to improve their health, safety and business performance. Victoria has also developed and delivered a comprehensive training course on behavioural change, and developed two further training courses on work-related violence and wellbeing.
* Jane Hopkinson - Jane is a psychologist working in HSL's Social & Organisational Factors section. Jane's particular area of expertise is in risk communication, knowledge, attitude and behavior-changing techniques and the management of work-related stress and how these can be applied with regard to health & safety. Jane has been responsible for developing and delivering HSL training courses on the topics of behaviour change, wellbeing and work related stress.
The course will be run at the HSL laboratory in the spa town of Buxton. Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District and has good links to mainline train stations and Manchester International Airport.
Details of hotels in the Buxton area can be found at:
For further dates and additional information email:
or contact the Training & Conferences Unit at HSL directly on:
T: +44 (0)203 028 3704
31st May 2018