Module benefits

Ergonomics; the application of this information will make you a valuable resource for any employer, in any work environment, in any country.  Will you be an Ergonomist?  No, not without dedicated education and / or training.  Will employers appreciate your knowledge and understanding?  Absolutely.  You will be able to flag for them potential ergonomic issues and suggest some resolutions to these barriers.  You will also know when to call upon an Ergonomist to ensure the workplace is productive, profitable, well positioned in the market place with lots of potential, and supportive of their personnel.  All good reasons to apply ergonomic principles.

Overview

This module focuses on Ergonomics: a best practice principle in Disability Management.  It provides details of what an Ergonomist does, what competencies they need, their roles and responsibilities and the positive impact they have on workplace issues.  It also illustrates the process that an Ergonomist uses in completing an Ergonomic Assessment and the value of Ergonomic activity.

Module Content 

This module covers the following content:

  • The definition of ergonomics
  • Ergonomics and human factors
  • Ergonomic domains
  • The purpose of introducing ergonomics in the workplace
  • The benefits of ergonomics
  • Best practice principles in ergonomics 
    • The changing workforce
    • Job matching
    • Workplace design 
    • Anthropometric design
    • Inclusive or universal design 
  • How to apply ergonomics in the workplace
  • Workplace physical risk factors and ergonomics 
  • Workplace cognitive / mental health risk factors and ergonomics
  • Other workplace impairments risk factors and ergonomics
  • Sitting – a new ergonomic issue
  • Setting up an ergonomic program
  • Conducting an ergonomic assessment
  • Ergonomic practitioners – who are they?
  • Ergonomic resources

The concepts are explained through case studies. 

Module Design 

The module includes the following components:

Product

Size

Allotted Time for Completion

Reading material with endnotes, websites list, and references

  • 143 pages

  • 32,745 words

  • 4-6 hours

Video presentation 

  • 108 slides 

  • 2 hours

Quiz (must achieve 80%)

23 questions 

  • 1 hour

Total 

7-9 hours

About the instructor

Director of Education and Professional Development

Gail Kovacs

Gail has 43+ years of front-line, management, project and curriculum development experience in health care, disability management and vocational rehabilitation in both the public and private sector and in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and other European countries.Gail is a Director of KMG Health Partners, an international firm providing Disability Management / Vocational Rehabilitation management, audit and training services. The company leads or participates in projects that assist with the development of the profession and with the evolution of client, customer and provider services. KMG trains Occupational Health and Safety, Human Resources and Line Management within employers. KMG also trains other professionals in the field. Gail has extensive activity in supporting large and small organizations with disability management processes. Gail has developed and delivered curriculum and training modules for Foreign Trained Health Professionals in Ontario to assist moving them from practicing as doctors to practicing as Disability Managers. She has also created the Study Guide, workshop and on-line training for the 8 professional domains of the Canadian Certified Vocational Evaluator (CCVE) exam.Recently she completed the development of training for front line construction supervisors in British Columbia to help them enhance their communications skills during stay in work and recover at work processes. This was in collaboration with WorkSafe B.C.Gail is a Registered Rehabilitation Professional (RRP) and a Certified Vocational Rehabilitation Professional (CVRP). She is a Past President of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada (VRA Canada) and of the Canadian Assessment, Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Society (CAVEWAS). She has also been on the Board of Directors for the College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals (CVRP). She was a Trustee and Vice Chair of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA) in the UK and has supported standards development with the VRA, UK Rehab Council and British Standards Institution.Gail has a certificate in Human Resources Development and professionally practices as an Ergonomist. She is also a Canadian Certified Rehabilitation Counsellor (CCRC), a Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP), and a Consensus Based Disability Management Auditor (CBDMA). She has been awarded the Fellowship of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada, the Award of Excellence from CAVEWAS, and a lifetime membership with the VRA UK all in recognition of her professional achievements in Vocational Rehabilitation and for her dedication and commitment to professional development and to client and customer services.