Injury Prevention

Ergo Engineer Introduces Ergonomics Program Rating System

Jim McLean, ergonomics engineer for Siemens Energy and Automation in Bellefontaine, Ohio, recommends a scoring system for evaluating the effectiveness of ergonomic programs. McLean introduced his system at a session during the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo in March 2002 in Cleveland.

He identified seven essential elements for an ergonomics program: a written program; management leadership and direct participation; employee participation and action; medical management; job hazard analysis; hazard reduction and control; and training.

However, the mere existence of those seven elements does not qualify a program as effective. For each element, he recommended using a scoring system of Level 1 through Level 5, with a total maximum score of 35 points, which would be indicative of a world-class ergonomics program in all facets that other facilities and employers would want to replicate. A total score of around 28 would be a superior program; around 21 a basic program; around 14 a developing program; and around 7 a poor program. Any individual element that receives a score of less than 3 should be targeted for immediate improvement, he said.

For example, at the development program level, medical management occurs only for serious injuries, job analyses are rare not routine, and training is limited to a few ergonomic specialists. On the other hand, higher-functioning programs account for direct and indirect costs of injuries, thrive on early reporting of symptoms, conduct job hazard analyses on all at-risk jobs, review all new jobs for ergonomic implications, and provide general and job-specific ergonomics training to all employees.