Description:  The Goldtouch Go! Travel Notebook Stand is a compact travel accessory to support your laptop or tablet device. Weighing just over 1 lb., this stand adds convenience to your travel lifestyle.

Ergonomic Benefits and Features:

• Height adjustable (6 different height adjustments)
• Raises notebook computer screen/tablet to eye level to improve neck posture
• Comes with neoprene travel case to protect product and other items in bag.  The neoprene case can double as a mouse pad.
• Folds flat (less than ½” thick) conveniently for travel
• Sturdy; can accommodate notebook computers up to 17″
• Allows airflow to notebook computer/tablet while in use
• Inexpensive compared to similar folding notebook stands on the market

Potential Limitations

• External keyboard and mouse highly recommended when using this product
• Must be used on a flat surface
• Adds weight to traveler’s bag

Applications:

• Flexible computer workstation
• Office
• Travel
• Mobile computing

Humantech does not endorse any of the products or companies featured in the reviews. All images are property of the vendor and used for illustrative reference only.

Bel-Art Scienceware Ergopet II Memory Adjustable Pipette Controller

Description:

Bel-Art Scienceware has created a powered pipette controller, the Ergopet II Memory Pipettor.  Although a memory pipettor is common for use in laboratories, this product has the ability to extend in height to allow the pipette tip to be lifted between 4″ and 12ʺ while continuing to keep the arm in a neutral posture at the controller.  In the laboratory environment, technicians often struggle to match the proper pipette controller size and container size which can lead to awkward postures.

Ergonomic Benefits and Features:

• The head of the pipette controller rotates up to 90 degrees (left or right) and pipette angle between vertical and 15 degrees. This can help with improving the view of graduations as well as promote neutral wrist postures.
• Both plastic and glass pipettes can be used.
• The design promotes a comfortable power grip and the material is light weight which reduces the required grip force.

Applications:

• Laboratory
• Pipetting

Humantech does not endorse any of the products or companies featured in the reviews. All images are property of the vendor and used for illustrative reference only.

On a trip to Belgium last week, I had the opportunity to tour a large church bell tower, called the belfry of Bruges. An enduring 366-step climb to the top was welcomed by a contrast of cold, windy rain and the most magnificent-sounding bells I have ever heard. The coolest part was being up close to watch the 26 bells ring for an extended period of time.

The bells are part of a system of levers and wires that connect to metal clappers which strike the bells creating the sound. Known as a carillon, the bells are played serially to make a melody or sounded together to play a chord. What I didn’t realize until I began my descent was that the carillon was being manually orchestrated by a carollineur, who was in a room just below the bells. Although most observers were awestruck by his craft of striking the keys (or batons) that mechanically activate the bells, I was drawn to his height-adjustable stool. (Do you see the hand-crank mechanism?)

I laughed to myself at the irony of the use of ergonomic equipment in a 800-year-old tower when even the most modern facilities today often lack this level of ergonomic consideration. Does anyone else have examples of new ergonomic design integrated with historical work environments?

The blog reviews a wide array of products, mentions books related to designing for humans,  and highlights ergonomic-related issues in product design. It also provides valuable references and links for product designers and engineers. Many of the resources can be used to promote proactive ergonomic design from a physical and cognitive perspective.

Simply Dump It (Pivoting Wheelbarrow Handles)

Description:

Simply Dump It is a set of pivoting wheelbarrow handles that can be attached to any standard wheelbarrow handles.  They have a pivot-point design that allows users to keep their wrists in a neutral position while tipping the wheelbarrow to unload materials.  This product would be beneficial for companies who focus on landscaping, agriculture workers, farmers, construction workers, and the avid home gardener or someone who enjoys those DIY projects.

Ergonomic Benefits and Features:

• Power grip design to improve grip force
• Improved stability by eliminating the need to reposition hands while tilting product
• Grips are slightly elevated and the position improves awkward back postures when transporting loads
• Considered ergonomics in the design and used CAD models to simulate the user posture

Potential Limitations:

• Users may still need to use a “winged-out” elbow posture when dumping loads (although wrists stay neutral)
• May take time to get used to
• The handles will not reduce the required push/pull forces, so verify the guidelines against the Liberty Mutual (Snook and Cirello) tables.

Applications:

• Maintenance workers
• Farmers
• Construction Workers
• Landscapers
• Gardeners
• Homeowners

Humantech does not endorse any of the products or companies featured in the reviews. All images are property of the vendor and used for illustrative reference only.

This week I delivered an Applied Industrial Ergonomics seminar in Los Angeles  hosted by Equipois.  Attendees from 10 different companies were able to apply the techniques they learned during class on the workstations at the Equipois  facility.  In addition, they were able to try the Equipois product line and feel the impact of the zeroG mechanical support arm as well as the company’s  new product, the XAr exoskeletal support arm.  This was a great couple of days, an awesome group of attendees, and superb hosts.  Can’t wait to come back in October for the next Los Angeles seminar. There is still room to register for the fall course,  if you’d like to join us!

Here are some of the key points discussed in the interview:

1. Work Reach – Older workers often have a reduced range of motion. You should always be able to “shake hands with work” and bring it into the comfort zone.
2. Lighting – Older workers need two to three times more light than their younger counterparts, so natural, low-glare, high quality lighting is essential.
3. Sound– As we age, certain sounds can become more distracting. Remember the ABCs of sound – absorb, block, control.
4. Sitting versus Standing –  Sitting puts 50% more pressure on our backs than standing.  Sit/stand workstations give employees the option to do both and help them become less static throughout the day.

Kerst also debunks the myth that older employees don’t want to learn new things. When employers engage them and consider their needs in job design, they have a wealth of experience to share and will be more healthy and able to do so.  View the full video.

Every morning when I get to work, the first thing I do isn’t turn on my computer, or get a cup of coffee, but rather adjust the height of my workstation.  Our office has sit/stand workstations so we can vary our postures throughout the day. As a female who spends a lot of time on site in steel-toed shoes, I take every chance I can to wear the cute shoes in my closet.  My shoes vary from flats up to 3” heels, thereby requiring me to adjust the height of my keyboard tray and monitor every day so my hands are always at the right hand working height for typing tasks and my neck is in a neutral posture.

Standing workstations have been proven to have many benefits.  When people stand they are more attentive (this is key after lunch/mid-afternoon when people naturally get tired.) Also, standing allows us to remain in a neutral posture versus the 90 degree bend at the hips when we sit. Finally, research shows that standing burns 500 more calories a day than sitting. How about you?  Do you have to adjust your keyboard and monitor based on your shoes?

All the teams that participated in the contest are to be commended.  The quality of entries was extremely high and we hear from Humantech Vice President and Ergo Cup® judge, Josh Kerst, that it was a very close contest.  But all contests must have winners, so special congratulations the 2012 Ergo Cup® Winners!

• Team-Driven Workplace Solutions – Ethicon for “Ergonomic Risk Reduction Leads Increase of Production Productivity and Saving”
• Team Driven Workplace Solutions with Internal Competition – Bath Iron Works for “Fisette 2000 Tool for Mechanized Grinding”
• Engineering/Ergonomist Driven Workplace Solutions – GE Aviation for “GE90 Swing Arm Storage System”
• Ergonomic Program Improvement Initiative – Honda of America Mfg., Inc. for “Associate Training Facility”

Also, congratulations to the 2012 Ergo Excellence Award winners (The People’s Choice!)

• Simplicity – Cordis Corp for “The Spool Handler: A Simple and Unique Solution to the Handling of Spools.”
• Innovation – GE Aviation for “GE90 Swing Arm Storage System”
• Cost Savings – GE Energy for “Copper Bar Handling Solution”
• Risk Reduction – Bath Iron Works for “Fisette 2000 Tool for Mechanized Grinding”
• Presentation – Ethicon Endo-Surgery for “Running with the Bulls – Technicians Improve Material Flow Process”

Last week, I was delivering a training program in Luxembourg and Germany and was exposed to something new—interpreters to assist me with getting the message of ergonomics to almost 40 industrial engineers.  We have delivered a lot of training courses outside of North America, where language can sometimes be a barrier, but we have only taught individuals who understand English or have used translators.

The difference between a translator and an interpreter is that a translator repeats the trainer after every thought causing the trainer to stop and wait. (As you can imagine, it extends the length of the training significantly.)  However, interpreters use a microphone system and attendees are equipped with headsets. The interpreters are trained to speak while the trainer is speaking. You would think it would be distracting, but it wasn’t, and the training content did not suffer nor did the time. The impact on the quality and speed of the training was huge!

I can’t say enough about how much of an impact this system had on the class (even some of my jokes landed this time!)