The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE, Des Plaines, Ill.) will host Leadership in Ergonomics: Developing Ergonomic Behavior, an audio conference call on October 18, 2006, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT to discuss the role leadership plays in improving and developing sustainable ergonomic behavior in the workplace to help reduce injuries such as soft tissue sprains associated with repetitive motions of workers’ fingers, hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, legs or from body positions and movements that entail subtle strain.
Ergonomics refers to the science dedicated to designing workstations, tasks, tools, machine and equipment controls, lighting, temperature and work methods to fit workers’ capabilities and limitations. The science of ergonomics utilizes anthropometry, physiology, engineering and their interrelationships.
The conference call will focus on strategic leadership methods and techniques for motivating and developing ergonomic behavior (or best possible use of workspace to prevent injury) throughout a company for higher-level, sustaining safety performance and culture. Ergonomic-related injuries, such as soft tissue sprains and strains, remain a significant problem in many organizations.
Companies have found that, while they have reduced ergonomic injuries through a variety of tasks and workstation-specific interventions, the performance of these tasks has reached a plateau. A systematic leadership approach is critical to breaking through this plateau.
ASSE professional member Robert Pater will discuss the issue of how implementing strategic leadership in ergonomics can result in broader positive impact on overall safety, health and morale within a company. Pater will also cover ergonomic challenges--recognizing employee barriers to ergonomic change, executive ergonomic persuasion--recognizing and overcoming executive obstacles to active ergonomic leadership, moving beyond standard preventative approaches, leadership keys and training essentials to boost ergonomic behavior.
Pater is the managing director of Strategic Safety Associates, and is the creator of the MoveSMART system for prevention of soft tissue injuries, slips/trips/falls and hand injuries that is in place in companies in more than 60 countries, in every continent.
He has a master's degree in Industrial Psychology (focus on Human Factors) and an undergraduate degree in organizational development. Pater is the author of "Leading From Within", published in five languages, and has written several articles on safety leadership, attention control and injury prevention.
Registrants will have access to the audio conference, a PowerPoint presentation, resource materials, articles and a compact disk recording of the call, after the call. To register for the call contact ASSE Customer Service at 847-699-2929 or visit the ASSE website.
Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization and has more than 30,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members who manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor and education.
Source: American Society of Safety Engineers
