Ergo-Motion Consulting » Information

Anti-fatigue mats

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:44:37 +0000

Anti-fatigue mats are designed to reduce fatigue that is caused by standing for long periods on hard surface (e.g.,. cement floors).

Anti-fatigue mats are often used to decrease foot weariness for workers who stand in one position for long periods. However, providing a mat may not solve the entire problem. Discomfort, tiredness, and sore feet after long hours of standing are the combined effect of several factors, namely the design of the work, the workers’ footwear, and the flooring material. According to scientific data, standing for long periods of time is particularly stressful and fatiguing. Regardless of the quality of shoes and quality of the floor covering, standing itself can cause tiredness after an entire working day.

When considering the use of anti-fatigue mats, there are other factors that should be considered at the same time, such as allowing changes in working/standing position, footwear, and flooring.

Changes in working/standing position: Work should be organized so that the worker has some choice about his/her working position and an opportunity to change position frequently. A workplace that includes an optional seat (chair, sit/stand stool) and some kind of footrest increases the variety of body positions and encourages frequent changes between them.

Footwear: Footwear is a factor which, if properly chosen, may further reduce the harmful effects of prolonged standing. There is no doubt that the choice of footwear is an important consideration for people who work on their feet. Shoes should ensure adequate arch and heel support and cushioning while providing comfort to the wearer.

Flooring: The type of flooring used in the workplace has an equally important influence on comfort, especially on tender feet. Hard, unyielding floors, like concrete, are the least comfortable surface to work on. Walking on a hard floor is similar to the impact of a hammer pounding the heel at every step. Wood, cork, carpeting, or rubber – anything that provides some elasticity – is gentler on workers’ feet. More than that, softer floor coverings reduce fatigue and improve safety by reducing slips and falls on slippery floors.

There are two options to alleviate foot discomfort where resilient floors are not practical. One is footwear with thick insulating soles and shock-absorbing insoles.

Anti-fatigue matting is the other option. Anti-fatigue mats absorb the shock due to walking and this cushioning effect reduces foot fatigue. However, the use of matting requires caution because mats can lead to tripping and falling accidents when installed improperly.

In summary, the use of anti-fatigue mats does not eliminate sore feet by itself, but, when combined with proper work design and quality footwear, it should improve working conditions.

Ergo-Motion supplies and installs anti-fatigue mats that can be custom manufactured to fit your space, have beveled edges to reduce tripping hazards, and are industry specific. We have anti-static, fire retardant, chemical resistant, food safe, anti-slip, auto-clavable, and cold insulated anti-fatigue matting, and we will work with you to find a solution to meet your needs.

For more information, please contact Ergo-Motion.

Vancouver Island Ergonomic Assessment

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:36:21 +0000

Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between people and the working environment. Ergo-Motion incorporates the use of physical engineering principles, biomechanics, physiology and psychology to make motions, job functions and work safer and more efficient. Over the years, Ergo-Motion has worked with many employers to solve workplace problems with equipment, scheduling, repetitive strain injuries and other health and safety issues. We help employers meet the regulatory requirements of Worksafe BC for risk assessment and management.

Our services range from providing recommendations for an office chair to a comprehensive job analysis such as the redesign of a production line.

Phone: 1-877-841-3508
Fax: 1-866-923-5619
Email: vancouver@ergo-motion.com

Why Ergonomic Assessment

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:22:03 +0000

Ergonomic assessment is a scientific and practical analysis to find out how to improve working environment conducive and fit for people to work. Most people have been relegated to their work stations without much of physical activity in the advent of technological progress.

To improve work productivity as well as prevent disorders resulting from poorly designed workstation, a comprehensive ergonomic assessment is helpful both to the employer and the employee.

Jobs such as those in information technology and outsourcing require people to work for long hours at their desks, oftentimes, adapting poor posture. This can cause in many of health problems known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).

Musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common occupational complaints in places like the US, UK, Canada, China, India and many other countries that have employees leading a sedentary (deskbound) type of work.

Ergonomics Canada magazine

admin — Sat, 22 May 2010 21:04:00 +0000

Ergonomics Canada magazine is an annual publication aimed at providing practical information to the public on various aspects of ergonomics. It is published by the Association of Canadian Ergonomists.

Click the image below to access the 2009 edition.

Click the image below to access the 2008 edition.

Totally Environmental White Paper

admin — Sat, 22 May 2010 03:05:15 +0000

As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we use 100% recycled paper when printing is required. The paper we use is produced in Canada and has the following features:

Certified EcoLogo, the multi-attribute environmental labelling mark of Environment Canada.
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions with the use of renewable biogas energy.
Reuses deinking waste in the manufacturing process, which would otherwise have ended in a landfill.
Made of a recycled pulp that reduces by 15% the manufacturing residues.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:30:32 +0000

WorksafeBC video on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Are you experiencing symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? We can help! Please contact us to find out more!

Research Alert – Volume 1, Issue 4

admin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:08:10 +0000

Research Alerts is a service provided to you by the Institute for Work & Health, CRE-MSD, CREOD and CREIDO to help you keep abreast of new occupational health and safety research literature. Please note that these articles have not been reviewed by Institute scientists to assess the quality of the studies. Research Alerts should not be considered an endorsement of the findings. Readers are cautioned not to act on the results of single studies, but rather to seek bodies of evidence.

Click here to download your pdf copy.

Ergonomic Assessments in Vancouver

admin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:41:51 +0000

An ergonomic assessment is a biomechanical evaluation of the work environment that includes recommendations for engineering and/or administrative modifications to the workplace. Ergonomically designed workplaces can help employees avoid pain and injuries that may arise from repetitive tasks.

For more information, please call us at 778-373-1940.

For more information on our office ergonomic assessments, click here.

For more information on our industrail ergonomic assessments, click here.

The Cost of Discomfort in the Office Workplace

admin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:40:57 +0000

As the work piles up, stress also goes up. This stress is further compounded by physical discomfort in the office workplace, resulting in productivity loss and high risk exposure.

According to studies:

an employee will lose a minimum of 33% performance per hour due to physical discomfort
a computer user experiencing discomfort pulls “off task” 5 minutes out of every 15 minutes due to stress

The physical stress of workplace discomfort robs organizations of billions of dollars annually due to:

inefficiencies & work loss
higher error rates
increased workers’ compensation claims
rising health insurance costs

It is therefore, essential to focus on interventions that improve comfort and therefore productivity in the office. Please contact us for innovative ergonomics solutions to increase comfort.

Dollarmakers

admin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:48:55 +0000

Congratulations on completing the Dollarmakers Bootcamp on August 8th, 2009. You are here to redeem your complimentary office ergonomics webinar. These typically run each Monday morning at 9am PST.

To register, please follow the below steps:

Check the course schedule and pick a date that works for you: http://www.ergo-motion.com/courses/course-calendar/
Do not register through the link provided
Instead, email info@ergo-motion the following information:

Name
Address
Email address
Phone number
Preferred webinar date and time (sign up for one at least 4 days in advance)

You will receive a confirmation email with access instructions within 2 business days.