Category: The Bottom Line

Providing adjustable office workstations to improve employee well-being and performance shouldn’t end there. For just a few dollars more, an organization can maximize its investment by offering one key element. Certified ergonomist Blake McGowan shares the results of a study from the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in this month’s broadcast. Two key findings… read more

More and more companies have implemented sit-stand workstations to improve employee health. Recent research from the University of California  found no evidence to support that claim.  Humantech certified ergonomist Blake McGowan summarizes the findings in this month’s Bottom Line video. The findings include: An increase in overall sitting time, including occupational and leisure, has a… read more

Recent research from the University of Waterloo in Canada found three critical barriers and three key facilitators to the successful deployment and maintenance of an ergonomics process. Humantech board-certified ergonomist Blake McGowan explains in this month’s video. The three barriers to success are: Lack of management commitment, support, and involvement Lack of organizational training and… read more

A common question asked about material handling tasks is “How effective are mechanical or vacuum list assists at reducing low back disorders?” Certified ergonomist Blake McGowan shares the research findings on the impact of lift assists on reducing spinal loading in this month’s Bottom Line video. The findings are: Spinal loads are reduced significantly, both… read more

In this month’s installment of The Bottom Line series, Certified Ergonomist and Research Consultant Blake McGowan shares the findings of a report on the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors on corporate finances. Data shows that ESG and safety management is material to business performance.  The findings are: 4% of all credit rating… read more

Humantech certified ergonomist Blake McGowan shares the results of a study that quantified the impact of wearing an upper-extremity exoskeleton on low back forces in this month’s video. In summary, wearing an upper-extremity exoskeleton: increases muscle forces of  the low back by approximately 50%. increases joint compression and shear forces by approximately 33% and 20%,… read more

Humantech ergonomist Blake McGowan shares the findings of two systematic reviews that examined the impact job rotation has on musculoskeletal injuries in this month’s  video. The results of the first ever randomized control trial found that job rotation: was ineffective at reducing physical workload. did not reduce the signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders. did… read more

Humantech ergonomist Blake McGowan summarizes the findings of a study that determined the key occupational health & safety metrics important to human capital management in the video below. The four key ways to invest in ergonomics to improve human capital management and corporate financial performance include: The more employee training that is provided, the better… read more

Humantech ergonomics researcher Binh Ngo explains the results of his study on lifting heights  and low back pain in this special installment of The Bottom Line. For more, watch the edition, “Lifting Height and Low Back Pain: What’s the Effect?”. Binh P. T. Ngo, Amin Yazdani, Nicolette Carlan, Richard Wells. (2017). Lifting Height as the Dominant… read more

Certified ergonomist Blake McGowan summarizes the findings of a recent study that measured the effects of lifting materials from various heights on low back loading and the risk of developing low back pain in this month’s Bottom Line video. The findings are below: Lifting from the floor produced up to twice the amount of spinal loading … read more