• Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States.
• The number of back injuries in US Construction was 50% higher than the average for all other US industries in 1999 (CPWR, 2002).
• Backaches and pain in the shoulders, neck, arms and hands were the most common symptoms reported by construction workers in one study (Cook et. Al., 1996).
• Musculoskeletal injuries can cause temporary or even permanent disability which can affect the worker’s earnings and the contractor’s profits.

All of the items described in the booklet have been used on working construction sites.  Given the nature of construction, some solutions here may not be appropriate for all worksites.  Sometimes solutions discovered for one trade can be modified for other trades. For the complete document, visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-122/.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) Has Designated October as National Ergonomics Month

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) designated October as a time to promote the science, application and profession of human factors and ergonomics.  The science of ergonomics and human factors has contributed to making the world a safer place through projects ranging from improving commercial aviation cockpit displays to improving the usability of health monitoring systems.  The long term vision of National Ergonomics Month includes:

• Introduce ten million adults (about 3% of the US population of 281.4 million) to Human Factors/ Ergonomics (HFE) by 2010.
• Provide beneficial information on HFE to decision making executives.
• Sensitize 1.1 million students to HFE by 2010, so they will become more aware of HFE concerns in their chosen profession as well as become better informed HFE consumers.
• Increase corporate relationships with HFES.
• Promote the professional development of all student members and encourage them to take a more active role in organizations that represent their interests.
  

For more information, visit http://www.hfesnem.org/.

New CDC Report Documents Percentage of People Without Health Insurance

Released June 25, 2007 -

CDC's National Center for Health Statistics is issuing a new report today entitled "Early Release of Health Insurance Estimates Based on Data From the 2006 National Health Interview Survey."

The study examines data collected from interviews in over 100,000 households nationwide. Some of the highlights include:

• In 2006, there were 43.6 million Americans of all ages who did not have health insurance (at the time of the interview), or 14.8 percent of the population.
• Among working-age Americans (those ages 18-64), there were 19.8 percent who did not have health insurance in 2006, a slight increase from 18.9 percent in 2005.
• Approximately 9.3 percent of children under the age of 18 did not have health insurance in 2006, a decrease from 13.9 percent in 1997.
• In 2006, the percentage uninsured at the time of interview among the 20 largest states ranged from 7.7 percent in Michigan to 23.8 percent in Texas.

For the full report, visit www.cdc.gov/nchs.

Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports Injury and Illness Data for 2006

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the summary of workplace injuries and illnesses for 2006.  There were several positive key findings including:

• The number of nonfatal occupational illnesses and injuries was 4.1 million cases in 2006 as compared to 4.2 million cases in 2005.
• The number and incidence rate of injuries declined significantly in 2006 compared to 2005- three to five percent, respectively. 
• Small establishments (1-10 workers) reported to lowest rate for injuries and illnesses combined (1.9 cases per 100 full-time workers).
• The incidence rate for cases involving days away from work and/or job transfer was 2.3 cases per 100 workers, down 0.1 case from 2005. 

Please visit the BLS website for more information: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/osnr0028.pdf or www.bls.gov. 

IIE Annouces Winners for Prestigious Ergo Cup Awards

The nationally recognized Ergo Cup, presented by IIE and sponsored by The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina, provides an opportunity for companies to highlight successful ergonomic activities. 2007 marks the ninth year of this competition. With so many outstanding entries, the award process is evolving to recognize submissions with exceptional features.

The Ergo Cups are the premier awards and will be selected by an invited panel of judges. In addition to the existing Ergo Cup awards, six Ergo Excellence awards will be offered. These awards will highlight key aspects of submissions focusing on each of the six evaluation criteria for the Ergo Cup. The Ergo Excellence awards will be determined using a ballot by all attendees.
List of Winners

Center Ergonomist Jeffrey Hoyle Has Journal Article Published in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology

Spinal loading during manual materials handling in a kneeling posture

Stooped, restricted, kneeling, and other awkward postures adopted during manual materials handling have frequently been associated with low-back pain onset.  However, lift assessment tools have focused on materials handling performed in an upright, or nearly upright standing posture.  Unfortunately, many of the tools designed to analyze standing postures are not easily adapted to jobs requiring restricted postures.  Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate spinal loading during manual materials handing in kneeling postures and determine if those loads can be predicted using simple regression...full article

Splittstoesser, R.E., Yang, G., Knapik, G.G., Hoyle, J.A., Lahoti, P., Vatan Korkmaz, S., Sommerich C.M., Lavender, S.A., and Marras, W.S.  “Spinal loading during manual materials handling in a kneeling posture.”  Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 17: 25-34, 2007.