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Ergonomics & Biomechanics (PSY 552)

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History 4th Century BC

Hippocrates – Father of Medicine Studied lead poisoning among miners and

metallurgists

1st Century BC Pliny, a Roman historian, wrote of the dangers of

cinnabar

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History (cont) 2nd Century AD

Galen wrote about various occupational diseases.

15th Century AD Ulrich Ellenborg published a treatise on toxic

fumes and vapors and their control

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History (cont) 16th Century

Phillipus Aureolous Theophratus Bombastus von Hohenheim (AKA Paracelsus

16th Century Agricola wrote De Re Metallica

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History (cont) 18th Century AD

Ramazzini published De Morbis Artificum Diatriba

England – an epidemiological study revealed a condition called Devonshire Colic

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History (cont) 18th Century AD

Percival Pott – recognized

19th Century Industrial revolution Health & Morals of Apprentices Act Factory Acts in England Child labor laws in Massachusetts (1848) Federal Safety Appliance Act

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History (cont) 19th Century

Germany created a social security system that included:

British workers’ compensation act (1897)

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History (cont) 20th Century

States in USA begin to implement workers’ compensation programs Federal workers’ compensation (1908) New Jersey, Wisconsin (1911)

US Social Security Act (1935)

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History (cont) 20th Century

Occupational Safety & Health Act (1970) Creates two new government agencies

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OSHA Focused primarily on acute and airborne

safety hazards.

In the mid 1980s back injuries accounted for 30% of workplace injuries

In 1993, cumulative trauma disorders accounted for 62% of new workplace injuries.

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OSHA (cont) Ergonomics became a focus in the 1990’s

Has attempted several times to implement ergonomic standards.

Recent standards implemented by President Clinton were repealed by President Bush.

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OSHA (cont) OSHA’s new program (see

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/) relies on a 4-pronged approach: Guidelines Enforcement Outreach & assistance National Advisory Committee

Individual states have ergonomic standards (e.g., CA, WA).

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NIOSH Has published research based lifting

guidelines, among other things, to reduce back injuries.

The new limit is 51 lbs in the under the best conditions (1993).

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Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) Today Are difficult to define

Are affected by a variety of factors Mechanical Physiological Psychological Contextual

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Mechanical

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Physiological

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Psychological

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Contextual

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Scope of MSDs Difficult to define the scope because:

What is known

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Workers’ Compensation Master-Servant Relationship

Master-Stranger Relationship