Ergonomics

The UI Labor Center and the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Receive OSHA Training Grant

The University of Iowa Labor Center and the College of Public Health Department of Occupational and Environmental Health have been awarded a Susan Harwood Training Grant by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  The $170,000 grant will fund a year-long program of "Ergonomics Education for the Construction Industry."   

The education and training program will target industry decision-makers, including union and management representatives, as well as job skill and safety trainers.  It will present the components of an effective ergonomics process and help participants recognize musculoskeletal disorders, identify ergonomics hazards, and develop solutions.   

The directors of the joint project are Dan Holub and Dr. Dan Anton.   
Dan Holub, Director of the UI Labor Center, said the project targets an industry that has not been a focus of OSHA, adding, "Our program is focused on employers that employ fewer than 250 workers because, according to economic census data, they make up 99.8% of the nation's 'construction' establishments."

Dr. John Rosecrance, Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, who originally assisted in the project, has conducted numerous research studies of illnesses and injuries among construction workers over the previous decade. According to Dr. Rosecrance, disorders such as low back injuries are a significant problem for construction workers and lead to enormous personal and financial burdens. Also, disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) have a significantly greater prevalence among construction workers than among occupational groups commonly associated with CTS such as computer users. Dr. Rosecrance said, "This program will demonstrate how ergonomics principles can be applied to reduce injuries and illnesses, improve the quality of work products, enhance production methods, and improve the quality of work-life for the construction worker."

The Labor Center is located in the University of Iowa's Division of Continuing Education. For over 50 years it has provided union officers, stewards, members and workers with a wide range of non-credit educational programs. Faculty in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health conduct research and training on factors in the work environment that affect the health of individuals, groups, or populations. The Departmental places special emphasis on rural environmental health, including agricultural health and safety.

"This project combines the Labor Center's strengths in adult education with the unmatched technical expertise in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health," Holub said. "I believe this combination will offer union construction workers and others in the industry excellent assistance with strategies to eliminate work-related musculoskeletal injuries."

The Susan Harwood Training Grants are named for the former director of the Office of Risk Assessment in OSHA's Health Standards Directorate who died in 1996. During her 17-year tenure with the agency, Harwood helped develop OSHA standards to protect workers exposed to bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction work.

CONTACT: Dan Holub, UI Labor Center (335.4080) Dr. Dan Anton, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health