Ergonomics & Human Factors

Not all risks can be engineered out of the work environment.  Even with the best plans, procedures and systems in place, individuals at work still take short cuts and make mistakes. Some times risk taking behavior, for whatever reason, is intentional. 
In other cases risks may be taken due to a lack of understanding about a particular hazard, associated controls or inadequate training, to individual workers. Such risk taking can result in injury, ill-health and fatalities. To the organization, some of the many costs can include; time loss, machinery damage, litigation, and prosecution. If unchecked, these costs can escalate. 

 

Removing injuries & illnesses causes, for ergonomic hazards, through taking steps to eliminate or materially reduce worker exposure to conditions that lead to cumulative trauma disorders and related injuries and illnesses.
OS&H policy issued an ergonomics standard to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) developed by workers whose jobs involve repetitive motions, force, awkward postures, contact stress and vibration. 

 

This seminar will: 

•    Provide an understanding as to why workers take risks, covering the many factors that influence behavior. 
•    Highlight the strengths and weaknesses of traditional behavior modification strategies for correcting ‘unsafe’ behavior.
•    Highlight why such approaches may have limited impact.  
•    Builde on behavior modification approaches, adopting a five step, holistic approach to behavior change and concludes with strategies to help reduce the likelihood of risk taking behavior. 
•    Demonstrate how behavior change and worker engagement can be incorporated into the wider health and safety management system to ensure an integrated and therefore more effective approach to risk management. 
•    Tackle head on, both the immediate and underlying causes of risk.

 

The course will cover:

•    Course Introduction.
•    Why people take risks at work?
•    The consequences of risk taking for individuals and the organization.
•    Factors that influence safe behavior.
•    Strategies to encourage safer behavior / less risk taking.
•    Effective risk communication.
•    Worker engagement.
•    Injury meets the definition of an MSD incident. 
•    Rule required by employers in MSD.
•    Safety culture & safety climate - use & follow up of the Safety Climate Tool.
•    Implementing change effectively.
•    Integrating behavior change with the health & safety management system.
•    Maintaining change

 

Delegates are not subject to any formal assessment. Informal assessment will be undertaken throughout the one day through group exercises & trainer questioning.

 

Delegates may have limited or no prior knowledge of behavior change initiatives.