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Message From the President-Elect
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As spring starts to come in bloom across the country, we start to see new life, birds and animals emerge from the dark and cold days of winter (and it was a rough winter for some of us across the country). At the Applied Ergonomics Conference this year on March 25th to 28th, the ergonomics community saw new life and emerging trends and technologies that we as ergonomists need to be aware of and understand the advantages and disadvantages. Exoskeletons, Wearables, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented/Virtual Reality (A/VR) are just a few of these trends that are quickly becoming part of normal business. This month's newsletter discusses these technologies, new research, and how to manage change and account for generational differences in our workforce.
I am excited to share the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) areas of research focus for the next 10 years. Unveiled in 1996, NORA became a research framework for the nation and for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Now in its third decade (2016-2026), the 32-member Musculoskeletal Health Cross-Sector (MUS) Council, chaired by Dr. Bradley A. Evanoff (Washington University in Saint Louis), and Dr, Ming-Lun LU (NIOSH), and comprised of members from academia, industry, insurance, safety organizations and labor safety and health advocates have developed an agenda and areas where research is needed to reduce the occurrence of injuries/illnesses at work and evaluate workplace interventions. The agenda, council members and additional information can be found on the
NORA website.
The five main objectives identified by NORA and areas of research focus for the next ten years are:
Objective 1:
Defining the incidence and impact of WMSDs.
Objective 2:
Understanding the risk factors for WMSDs.
Objective 3: Describing the underlying mechanism of WMSDs.
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Objective 4: Developing and evaluating interventions to prevent WMSDs and limit disability.
Objective 5: Disseminating and implementing interventions to prevent WMSDs and limit disability.
Collectively these five main objectives and their associated research and outcomes will help our members and the ergonomics profession to address WMSDs and develop effective workplace interventions. Stay tuned for future developments and outcomes.
Please share this newsletter and information about the Society with your friends, colleagues and co-workers. Together we can have a significant impact.
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AEC 2019 Now in the Books
This year's Applied Ergonomics Conference was a big success! More than 900 attendees gathered in New Orleans March 25
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-28
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to participate in a variety of activities, including pre-conference workshops, educational sessions, roundtable discussions, product and equipment demonstrations, information-gathering from more than 50 exhibitors, and ample networking opportunities. It wasn't all business, however, as many participants took a city tour and a dinner jazz cruise on the Mississippi River.
One of the most popular events was the annual Ergo Cup competition, which
rewards outstanding solutions involving engineering, teamwork, or training. A total of 48 teams were judged by ergonomics experts. Winning entrants represented projects from Estée Lauder, Honda, Lockheed Martin, and Sikorsky Aircraft. In addition, five Ergo Excellence awards, chosen by conference attendees, were presented to teams from Cintas, Honda, Toyota, and Wegmans. Look for profiles of these winning ideas in future issues.
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Managing Change After Ergonomics Interventions - Part 3: Accounting for Generational Differences in the Workforce
One theme across this newsletter's series of articles about ergonomics change management is the importance of understanding how change is perceived by employees. As we all know, workplaces are comprised of employees across the age spectrum. Those perceptions often differ from one generation of workers to another.
The way in which different generations adapt to change varies considerably. Management advisor Victor Lipman has observed that those in Generations X and Y often view change as a way to experience new opportunities, while Generation Z is used to workplace change and expects it. This is in sharp contrast to Baby Boomers, who tend to be most cynical about change, as they often equate it to a transition from a stable to an uncertain work environment.
Fortunately, there are many commonalities across people, regardless of age. In her book, Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young & Old Can Find Common Ground, author and research scientist Jennifer Deal found that each generation has similar values (e.g., family), wants respect, expect its leaders to be trustworthy, desires to learn, appreciates feedback, and dislikes change.
So, how does one successfully guide employees through ergonomics change? Leadership development consultant Jack Slavinski offers some key recommendations:
- Maintain awareness of each change situation and act accordingly;
- Be conscious of your own generational biases;
- Appreciate the benefits of a diverse workforce;
- Develop relationships with all those affected; and
- Learn more about and respect generational differences and the circumstances that created them.
How might the next generation of employees (Generation Alpha) respond to change? Time will tell.
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IISE Annual Conference & Expo Early Bird Deadline April 15
Save $170! Join us in Orlando, Florida | May 18-21,2019
Hear from barrier-breaking keynote speakers: USAF's first African American Lt. General (Stayce D. Harris); designer of the foundation of constraint programming languages (Pascal Van Hentenryck); NASA rocket scientist/industrial engineer/author/entrepreneur (Sylvia Acevedo).
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We see it all around us - technology is constantly changing. And fast! With that, we as ergonomics/human factors practitioners need to be able to react to these changes. Are we ready to continue to drive progress in productivity and quality and reduce injuries in the Factory of the Future, Industry 4.0, Society 5.0, and every other future revolution buzz word? Regardless of the terms used, technology is ever evolving, and we need to help bridge the cyber-physical space where technology and humans meet.
So, what trends should you be preparing for and researching? Here are a few to consider:
- Collaborative Robots (Cobots). While automation and the use of robots are not new to the field of ergonomics, the investment in cobots - a less expensive option - is on the rise and is predicted to continue to grow. How can you best ensure the most efficient use of cobots to address specific MSD risks and ensure ergonomics design principles are taken into account as cobots are implemented in your workplace?
- Exoskeletons and other Wearables. As of late, many companies have taken advantage of incorporating the use of wearables to collect and analyze real-time data or serve as a means to minimize work in awkward postures, lower force requirements, and reduce injury risk. How will product offerings change, knowledge of the impact of their use advance, and how best can you utilize them for your specific and varied work-related needs?
- Internet of Things (IoT). More and more things are becoming increasingly connected. This connection can provide a plethora of real-time information to drive informed actions. How can you tap into the potential that is IoT, which factories are/will be implementing to gather data and further assist ergonomists in real-time risk analysis and/or risk mitigation?
- Artificial Intelligence. As Artificial Intelligence and other "smart" technology interaction becomes an everyday expectation, how are you incorporating cognitive ergonomics goals and principles in the User Experience for things people/workers interact with every day?
- Augmented / Virtual Reality. Virtual Reality has become a common tool to enhance injury prevention in design and to train employees. This technology is becoming more realistic and more accessible as well. How are you taking advantage of the advances in the technology and devices, and how are you incorporating its use to further improve design, safe behavior training, and proactive risk analysis at your workplace?
- Human Population Changes. Aside from understanding the impact of these new systems/tools, we also need to account for general changes in humans, to ensure a balance between them and the systems of the future. What are the implications to Industry 4.0 with an ageing working population, a population with obesity as a rising health concern, and/or a population with more generations working alongside each other than ever before?
For each of those topics there is a wide array of research conducted or underway. As practitioners, we need to know what trends to expect and what to investigate further as it relates to our specific needs.
Additionally, while the future will bring us new challenges we still need to consider continuing with the initiatives that have brought us sustainable success in the past, such as prevention in design, participatory ergonomics, and a proactive systems approach to ergonomics processes. If anything, those initiatives will be even more valuable to us as we use them to help navigate through the vast potential of the fast-approaching future.
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AES builds a stronger global community for the applied ergonomics profession. Members of AES have the unique opportunity to influence the greater conversations around applied ergonomics as an important facet of the industrial and systems engineering industry. Join professionals and academics from fields including ergonomics, healthcare, safety, human resources, risk management and more to pioneer innovation and enhance the skills and effectiveness of the greater ergonomics profession.
AES corporate and university partners gain even more, by providing cost-effective access to multiple team members and demonstrating their commitment and leadership within the field.
CNA
AES provides valuable information and training that CNA has leveraged to grow our manufacturing business. All our manufacturing specialists go through IISE's Lean and Six Sigma training to deepen their knowledge and skills in continuous improvement practices. Also, we leverage many highly informative webinars and information provided through the Applied Ergonomics Conference, Applied Ergonomics Society (AES) and website. Ergonomics plays such a large and important role in manufacturing and other segments we underwrite, so we rotate our ergonomic specialists every year in attending the Applied Ergonomic Conference. This allows our team to be part of the latest cutting-edge information available in the ergonomic world.
Brian Roberts, Assistant Vice President, Workers Compensation and Ergonomics, CNA Insurance
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