1. 1 Ergonomics & Biomechanics (PSY 552)

2. 2 History  4 th Century BC Hippocrates – Father of Medicine  Studied lead poisoning among miners and metallurgists  1 st Century BC Pliny, a Roman historian, wrote of the dangers of cinnabar

3. 3 History (cont)  2 nd Century AD Galen wrote about various occupational diseases.  15 th Century AD Ulrich Ellenborg published a treatise on toxic fumes and vapors and their control

4. 4 History (cont)  16 th Century Phillipus Aureolous Theophratus Bombastus von Hohenheim (AKA Paracelsus  16 th Century Agricola wrote De Re Metallica

5. 5 History (cont)  18 th Century AD Ramazzini published De Morbis Artificum Diatriba England – an epidemiological study revealed a condition called Devonshire Colic

6. 6 History (cont)  18 th Century AD Percival Pott – recognized  19 th Century Industrial revolution Health & Morals of Apprentices Act Factory Acts in England Child labor laws in Massachusetts (1848) Federal Safety Appliance Act

7. 7 History (cont)  19 th Century Germany created a social security system that included:  British workers’ compensation act (1897)

8. 8 History (cont)  20 th Century States in USA begin to implement workers’ compensation programs  Federal workers’ compensation (1908)  New Jersey, Wisconsin (1911)  US Social Security Act (1935)

9. 9 History (cont)  20 th Century Occupational Safety & Health Act (1970)  Creates two new government agencies

10. 10 OSHA  Focused primarily on acute and airborne safety hazards.  In the mid 1980s back injuries accounted for 30% of workplace injuries  In 1993, cumulative trauma disorders accounted for 62% of new workplace injuries.

11. 11 OSHA (cont)  Ergonomics became a focus in the 1990’s  Has attempted several times to implement ergonomic standards.  Recent standards implemented by President Clinton were repealed by President Bush.

12. 12 OSHA (cont)  OSHA’s new program ( see http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/) relies on a 4- pronged approach: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/ Guidelines Enforcement Outreach & assistance National Advisory Committee  Individual states have ergonomic standards (e.g., CA, WA).

13. 13 NIOSH  Has published research based lifting guidelines, among other things, to reduce back injuries.  The new limit is 51 lbs in the under the best conditions (1993).

14. 14 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) Today  Are difficult to define  Are affected by a variety of factors Mechanical Physiological Psychological Contextual

15. 15 Mechanical

16. 16 Physiological

17. 17 Psychological

18. 18 Contextual

19. 19 Scope of MSDs  Difficult to define the scope because:  What is known

20. 20 Workers’ Compensation  Master-Servant Relationship  Master-Stranger Relationship