Additional Information

OSHA Resources

• Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC). Decides contests of citations or penalties resulting from OSHA inspections of American work places. It is an independent federal agency.
  
  
• State Occupational Safety and Health Plans. Note: Many states have approved job safety and health plans; inclusion on this list does not imply that a given state's plan contains an ergonomics component.
  
  
• Use of height adjustable beds help reduce back injuries during patient care. OSHA Standard Interpretation, (2000, June 15).
  
  
• Ergonomic Programs that Work. OSHA Video. Provides information on evaluating ergonomic programs.
  
  

OSHA Publications

• Gaines, Matt. "Caring for Caregivers" [7 MB PDF^*, 52 pages]. Job Safety & Health Quarterly 13.2(2002, Winter): 25-27.
  
  
• "Ergonomic Updates." Job Safety & Health Quarterly 13.4(2002, Summer).
  
  
• "Protecting Workers from Ergonomic Injuries." Job Safety & Health Quarterly 13.3(2002, Spring).
  
  
• Working Safely with Video Display Terminals. OSHA Publication 3092, (1997). Also available as a 498 KB PDF, 33 pages. Discusses common ergonomic issues related to use of video display terminals.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Resources

• Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders. Workplace Safety and Health Topic.
  
  
• Health Hazard Evaluations. Conducts investigations of possible health hazards in the workplace.
  
  
• NIOSH maintains a toll-free telephone number (1-800-CDC-INFO) that includes an automated voice-mail system, provides recorded and fax information, or allows you to speak with a technical information specialist.
  
  
• Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents. Publication No. 2006-117, (2006, February). Highlights the benefits of a safe resident lifting program. Intended for nursing home owners, administrators, nurse managers, safety and health professionals and workers who are interested in establishing this program, the guide also presents a business case for investing in lifting equipment and training.
  
  
• Cumulative Trauma Disorders in the Workplace Bibliography. Publication No. 95-119, (1995, September).
  
  
• Preventing Knee Injuries and Disorders in Carpet Layers. Publication No. 90-104, (1990, May). Requests assistance in preventing knee injuries and disorders among carpet layers.
  
  
• A NIOSH Look at Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Worker Health by Industry and Occupation [597 KB PDF, 109 pages]. (2001, January). Discusses musculoskeletal disorders, anxiety disorders, dermatitis, and hernia.
  
  
• Musculoskeletal Disorders: NIOSH Research Projects [75 KB PDF, 15 pages]. (1997, January). Discusses the association between osteoarthritis and heavy physical loading. 
  
  
• Elements of Ergonomics Programs: A Primer Based on Workplace Evaluations of Musculoskeletal Disorders. Publication No. 97-117, (1997, March). Describes the basic elements of a workplace program aimed at preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Includes a "toolbox," which is a collection of techniques, methods, reference materials, and sources for other information that can help in program development.
  
  
• The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). Includes information on NIOSH's priority research areas, including musculoskeletal disorders.
  
  
• Selected Topics in Surface Electromyography for Use in the Occupational Setting: Expert Perspective. Publication No. 91-100, (1992, March). Discusses: anatomic and physiologic basis for surface electromyography, recording techniques, instrumentation, output forms: data analysis and applications, functional muscle: effects on electromyographic output, applications of electromyography in ergonomics.
  
  
• Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Farm Workers. Publication No. 2001-111, (2001). Describes how to make or order inexpensive new tools or to modify existing ones to reduce the risk of backaches and pains in the arms, shoulders, and hands of farm workers.
  
  
• Musculoskeletal Disorders and Workplace Factors - A Critical Review of Epidemiologic Evidence for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Neck, Upper Extremity, and Low Back. Publication No. 97-141, (1997, July).
  
  
• Applications Manual For the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation. Publication No. 94-110, (1994, January). Contains a complete description of all terms in the lifting equation with several sample calculations.
  
  
• Ergonomic Guidelines for Manual Material Handling. Publication No. 2007-131, (2007, April).
  
  
• Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Construction Workers. Publication No. 2007-122, (2007, August). Reviews low cost ways to prevent common musculoskeletal disorders in the construction industry.

Other Government Resources

• Human factors/ergonomics. Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Offers a variety of publications that address occupational safety and health in Great Britain.
  
  
• Ergonomics. Oregon OSHA.
  
  
• Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), Division of Workers' Compensation. Includes links to ergonomics-related information on the following subjects:
  • Manual Material Handling - An Ergonomic Approach [2 MB PDF, 8 pages]. (2009). A 2 MB PDF, 8 pages (Spanish version) is also available.
  • Workstation Adjustments For Comfort and Safety [844 KB PDF, 17 pages]. (2005, October).
  • Ergonomic Solutions: Baggage Handling [1 MB PDF, 11 pages]. (2005, October). Provided in English and Spanish side-by-side.
    
    
• Ergonomics. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
  • Evaluation Tools
    
    
• ErgoEASER. US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Health, Safety and Security (HSS). Downloadable software to aid in identifying, evaluating, and preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Other Standards/Guidelines/Ordinances

• State Occupational Safety and Health Programs and Ergonomics. OSHA.
  
  
• WorkSafe Australia
  
  
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
  
  
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
  
  
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE). United Kingdom.
  
  
• Ergonomics. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
  
  
• Canada Labour Code. Canada Gazette, Vol. 141(25), (2007, December 12). Regulations require Canadian employers to identify and assess ergonomics-related hazards and then develop preventive measures and employee education programs. 

Educational Institution Resources

• The Ohio State University Institute for Ergonomics
  
  
• University of Southern Florida (USF) Analysis Tools for Ergonomists
  
  • Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) Employee Assessment Worksheet [120 KB PDF, 1 page]. (2004).
    
    
• University of Virginia (UVA)/Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Ergonomics

Other Documents and Resources

• OSHA Alliance Program Participant Developed Products. Products developed by OSHA’s Alliance Program participants related to ergonomics.
  
  
• Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA)
• Rising, David W., DMD and  Bradford C. Bennett, et. al. "Reports of body pain in a dental student population." 136.1(2005): 81-86.
• Valachi, Bethany, MS, PT, CEAS and Keith Valachi, DDS. "Preventing musculoskeletal disorders in clinical dentistry." 134.12(2003): 1604-1612.
• Valachi, Bethany, MS, PT, CEAS and Keith Valachi, DDS. "Mechanisms leading to musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry." 134.10(2003): 1344-1350.
  
  
• Panel on Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council. Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace: Low Back and Upper Extremities. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 2001. Discusses the importance of reducing low back and upper extremity ergonomic injuries.
  
  
• Video Display Terminal Guidelines [177 KB PDF, 38 pages]. New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), (1992). These guidelines are designed to help managers provide VDT operators with well-designed workstations and appropriate training.
  
  
• Steering Committee for the Workshop on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries: The Research Base, Committee on Human Factors, National Research Council. Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Review of the Evidence. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1998. Examination of scientific literature regarding musculoskeletal disorders of the low back, neck, and upper extremities.
  
  
• Steering Committee for the Workshop on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries: The Research Base, National Research Council. Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Report, Workshop Summary, and Workshop Papers. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1999. Includes a steering committee report, workshop information, and a review of interventions.
  
  
• WAC 296-62-051, Ergonomics [695 KB PDF, 18 pages]. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), (2000). Washington state adopted this workplace ergonomics rule to establish requirements for employers to identify workplace hazards that cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and to reduce employee exposure below hazardous levels or to the extent feasible. (Note: The rule was repealed in December 2003).
  
  
• Worker Protection: Private Sector Ergonomics Yield Positive Results. US General Accounting Office (GAO) Report GAO/HEHS-97-163, (1997, August). Study regarding effective ergonomics programs.

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