The 2018 National Ergonomics Conference & ErgoExpo is right around the corner. The show is being held August 21-24, 2017 at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas.
Over the past 20+ years, The National Ergonomics Conference & ErgoExpo has become one of the premier ergonomics-focused events in the world, with recent focus on safety and workplace ergonomics. Which means that anyone who is looking to improve their industrial safety and ergonomics should consider attending this event or tuning into the ErgoExpo webinars.
The Darcor team is looking forward to attending and checking out some of the speakers and sessions scheduled at the ErgoExpo this year.
In our opinion, here are the top 5 must-see sessions at ErgoExpo 2018:
Drive the Improvement Process: Three Industrial and Material Handling Case Studies – Kent Hatcher MS, CPE Director of Consulting Humantech
The industrial workspace varies — from manual material handling environments to non-standard field locations to distribution centers. A common challenge most companies face, regardless of the industry, is sustaining an effective ergonomics process across multiple facilities. Learn best practices from companies with world-class ergonomics processes for implementing an efficient job improvement process using both qualitative and quantitative tools.
Room: Versailles 3-4
Session Number: MH1
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Techniques for Quantifying Ergonomic Product Performance – Amanda Ho, AEP and Lauren Silka, CEAS, Project Managers, United States Ergonomics
Discover practical methods for assessing product performance, ensuring that designs meet the intended users’ requirements by optimizing performance, fit and comfort while minimizing the risks of fatigue and injury. You’ll see a demonstration of the application of ergonomic performance specifications to quantify and compare products, and hear about objective and subjective measurement techniques. Ms. Ho and Ms. Silka will include case studies on a range of consumer products, as well as industrial and non-industrial tools and equipment.
Room: Champagne 2
Session Number: MH5
Thursday, August 23, 2018 – 8:15 AM – 9:15 AM
Introduction to the Revised Strain Index – Heather White MS, CPE, Senior Ergonomist, The Ergonomics Center – North Carolina State University
The recently published Revised Strain Index (RSI) replaces the Strain Index (1995) as a distal upper extremity ergonomics analysis tool. With the goal of reducing the occurrence of MSDs in the hands and wrists, the revised tool examines intensity of exertion, frequency of exertion, hand/wrist posture, duration of task per day, and duration per exertion. The RSI uses continuous multipliers (rather than categorical multipliers) and replaces the original’s “duty cycle” multiplier with the new “duration per exertion” multiplier. Like its predecessor, the RSI is an essential inclusion in an ergonomics professional’s tool box. You’ll learn about the inputs and outputs of this analysis tool, featuring numerous case studies.
Room: Versailles 1-2
Session Number: MH7
Thursday, August 23, 2018 – 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Emerging Approaches for Evaluating and Managing Muscle Fatigue – Murray Gibson, PE, CPE, Founder & Consultant, Saturn Ergonomics Consulting
Explore the newest technologies for analyzing and managing localized muscle fatigue. These multi-task models enable ergonomists to evaluate forces of different magnitude in a single calculation. Using these evaluation approaches, it is possible for ergonomists to measure and record the forces observed, without the need to calculate a weighted average or evaluate the “worst case.”
Room: Champagne 2
Session Number: MH8
Thursday, August 23, 2018 – 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Smartphone-Based Ergonomic Risk Assessment – SangHyun Lee, Associate Professor, University of Michigan
Many manual workers are involved in physically demanding activities, dealing with awkward body postures and repetitive manual handling tasks that result in ergonomic injuries, such as MSDs. Such ergonomic risks not only endanger workers’ longevity in the industry but also result in higher insurance costs. Hear about a smartphone-based automated risk assessment system that addresses these issues by processing video images of workers taken at site. This system can reduce the burden of manual observation and provide an opportunity to train workers to develop ergonomically safe working postures so they can stay in the industry for a longer time.
Room: Champagne 3-4
Session Number: MH9
Friday, August 24, 2018 – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
The Darcor team has a particular interest in improving ergonomics in industrial environments. Check out our recent blog posts:
- The Hidden Ergonomic Risks of Manual Material Handling Carts
- Healthcare Ergonomics – Caring Enough to Prevent Injury to Those Who Care for Us
- Industrial Ergonomic Best Practices in Cart Design
- Current MMH Evaluations may Underestimate Risk from Push and Pull Forces
- Industrial Ergonomics Regulations around the World
See you at ErgoExpo 2018! Visit Darcor’s Booth to Learn about Casters & Ergonomics
The ErgoExpo gives us all the opportunity to gain insights into ergonomic best practices and the latest ergonomic trends. As companies are shifting focus to ergonomics more and more, allocating budget for these critical projects becomes paramount.
That’s why Darcor developed the Economics of Ergonomics Guide. It covers a variety of crucial areas that all organizations involved in manual material handling should be well-versed on to ensure reduced risk of workplace overexertion injuries and related costs including:
- Why overexertion injuries are a critical concern for organizations with manual material handling programs
- The real costs of overexertion injuries
- Causes of workplace overexertion injuries
- How to assess and reduce risk
- Evaluating the safe level of forces for cart movement
- Testing carts and casters including initial cart design, periodic re-evaluation and cart maintenance programs
Download The Economics of Ergonomics in the Manual Material Handling Industry Guide
While you are in Las Vegas, stop by to visit the Darcor team at booth #351. We can show you how casters can make major improvements in workplace ergonomics.
We look forward to seeing you at ErgoExpo 2018!
