Who should attend?

• Health and Safety Practitioners
• Construction and Project Managers
• Supervisors and Line Managers
• Human Resources and Facilities Managers
• SHE Representatives and Committee Members
• Built Environment Professionals
• Employers and Employees exposed to ergonomic risks

 Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the principles and scope of ergonomics and ergonomic risk management
• Interpret and apply the Ergonomics Regulations, 2019
• Identify physical, cognitive, and organizational ergonomic risks in the workplace
• Conduct and review ergonomic risk assessments in line with regulatory requirements
• Apply the hierarchy of controls to manage ergonomic risks
• Understand duties and responsibilities of employers, employees, designers, and suppliers
• Implement ergonomic risk management programmes and medical surveillance requirements

Course Outline

Introduction to Ergonomics

1. Definition and principles of ergonomics
2. Human-centred design and system performance
3. The ergonomics process: studying the user and the task
4. Benefits of ergonomics in the workplace

Overview of Ergonomics Regulations

1. Rationale for the promulgation of the regulations
2. Scope of application (Regulation 2)
3. Key definitions and terminology
4. Relationship with the Occupational Health and Safety Act

Types of Ergonomics

1. Physical ergonomics
2. Cognitive ergonomics
3. Organizational ergonomics
4. Interaction between the three domains

Ergonomic Risk Factors in the Workplace

1. Common ergonomic risk factors
2. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and their evolution
3. Office and workstation-related ergonomic risks
4. Impact of poor ergonomics on health, productivity, and safety

 Duties and Responsibilities

1. Employer duties (information, instruction, and training – Regulation 3)
2. Employee and mandatory responsibilities (Regulation 4)
3. Duties of designers, manufacturers, importers, and suppliers (Regulation 5)

Ergonomic Risk Assessment (Regulation 6)

1. Purpose and timing of ergonomic risk assessments
2. Competent person requirements
3. Steps in conducting an ergonomic risk assessment
4. Consultation with health and safety representatives
5. Review and revision of ergonomic risk assessments

Ergonomic Risk Control Measures (Regulation 7)

1. Preventive vs reactive controls
2. Hierarchy of controls applied to ergonomic risks
3. Elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative controls, and PPE
4. Monitoring and maintenance of controls

Medical Surveillance and Record Keeping

1. Ergonomic medical surveillance (Regulation 8)
2. Detection of adverse health effects
3. Elements of ergonomic medical surveillance
4. Maintenance of controls (Regulation 9)
5. Record keeping requirements (Regulation 10)

Physical Ergonomics

1. Anatomy, biomechanics, and posture
2. Manual handling and lifting practices
3. Workstation and equipment design
4. Practical control methods for physical ergonomic risks

Cognitive Ergonomics

1. Mental workload and human error
2. System vs person approach to error
3. Cognitive processes and decision-making
4. Benefits of good cognitive ergonomic design

Organizational Ergonomics

1. Participatory ergonomics
2. Work systems, structures, and processes
3. Organizational balance model
4. Integration of ergonomics into organizational culture

Implementing an Ergonomic Risk Management Programme

1. Planning and scaling ergonomic improvements
2. Measuring performance and progress
3. Continuous improvement in ergonomics
4. Practical workplace application and case discussions