Outreach Program Development

1. Outreach Program Development David C. Alexander, PE, CPE President Auburn Engineers, Inc. Auburn, AL 334-826-8600 www.ergopage.com

2. Outreach Program Development • Implement effective ergonomics programs at bases and installations, worldwide. • It’s important to do. • It’s possible to do. • It’s economic to do.

4. Ergonomic Practice (Technical skills) Job analysis Solving problems Preventing problems Ergonomics Programs (Managerial skills) Planning Coordination Evaluation Outreach Program Development Is a Management Issue

5. How Do You Facilitate Dozens of Site Ergonomics Programs? • Many locations • Geographically dispersed • Widely varying support • Varied skills and experience • Different missions and assignments • Different priorities for safety, health & ergonomics • Meager measurement systems • Turnover of personnel and leadership • Limited resources - Funding and personnel • No regulations or legal mandate

6. Take a Page From the Private Sector Playbook

7. Take a Page From the Private Sector Playbook • Understand Your Goals • Readiness of personnel to perform mission • Reduce injuries to personnel • Reduce costs of operations

8. Gain Control Injuries & Costs Breakthroughs to Reduce Level Excessive and Unstable (Out of Control) Sustain Target 2-3 Years Take a Page From the Private Sector Playbook • Understand Your Goals • Understand the Overall Process to Control Ergonomic Injuries and Illnesses

9. Take a Page From the Private Sector Playbook • Understand Your Goals • Understand the Process • Develop a Maturity Ladder • Progressive steps • Well defined • Visible progress

10. From a Business Client Who Build an Ergonomics Maturity Ladder • Objective: • Develop and implement a systematic, one-company approach for ergonomics, • building on current business ergonomics initiatives, • which maximizes our limited resources, and • accelerates our rate of improvement.

11. An Ergonomics Maturity Ladder A Way Of Life - Use skills on- and off-the-job. Program is well-developed and continues to grow. Would be difficult to eradicate. The Way We Work - Ergonomics is common at work and involves less correction and more prevention. Outside audits are welcome. Program is sustainable. Mature - Well developed program. Few injuries; cost reductions exceed program costs. Often has champion. Evolving - Doing more than required. Injuries under control; initial cost savings. Compliant - Minimum expectations met. Injuries continue but less common. Non-Compliant - Minimum expectations unmet. High costs. “Out of control”.

12. Program Elements • Surveillance • Corrective Actions • Prevention • Medical Management • Training & Education • Project Evaluation • Program Evaluation

13. Climbing the Ergonomics Maturity LadderFrom “Ergo-What” to “A Way of Life” ELEMENT Surveillance Corrective Actions Prevention Medical Management Training & Education Project Evaluation Program Evaluation Ergo-What A Way of Life Surveillance • All Injuries Reported • LWD Cases Investigated • Review trends • Survey for hazards • Survey for risk factors • Discomfort surveys • Injuries inconsistently reported Immature Mature

14. Climbing the Ergonomics Maturity LadderFrom “Ergo-What” to “A Way of Life” ELEMENT Surveillance Corrective Actions Prevention Medical Management Training & Education Project Evaluation Program Evaluation Ergo-What A Way of Life • Simple assessment tools • Identify root cause of serious injuries • Use expert • Use of ergo teams • Database of solutions • Resolved “on the spot” • Resolved by natural team • Inconsistent investigation • Occasional problem solving Corrective Actions Immature Mature

15. Climbing the Ergonomics Maturity LadderFrom “Ergo-What” to “A Way of Life” ELEMENT Surveillance Corrective Actions Prevention Medical Management Training & Education Project Evaluation Program Evaluation Ergo-What A Way of Life • Existing problems not repeated • Most obvious hazards controlled • Have purchasing guidelines • Experts typically involved in new designs • Job analysis for all new jobs & equipment • Engineers fully trained • Ergonomics expected • No preventive problem solving Prevention Immature Mature

16. Climbing the Ergonomics Maturity LadderFrom “Ergo-What” to “A Way of Life” ELEMENT Surveillance Corrective Actions Prevention Medical Management Training & Education Project Evaluation Program Evaluation Ergo-What A Way of Life • All injuries reported • Consistent medical protocols used • Active RTW program • Medical is part of ergo team • Correct coding • Real time case management • Few lost time cases • Little recognition of ergonomics injuries Medical Management Immature Mature

17. Climbing the Ergonomics Maturity LadderFrom “Ergo-What” to “A Way of Life” ELEMENT Surveillance Corrective Actions Prevention Medical Management Training & Education Project Evaluation Program Evaluation Ergo-What A Way of Life • Training for all S&H professionals • Compliance requirements well understood • Ergo teams trained • Wide-spread awareness training • All professionals trained • Engineers • Medical • Managers • Etc. • Wide-spread problem solving training • Inconsistent training for ergonomics Training & Education Immature Mature

18. Climbing the Ergonomics Maturity LadderFrom “Ergo-What” to “A Way of Life” ELEMENT Surveillance Corrective Actions Prevention Medical Management Training & Education Project Evaluation Program Evaluation Ergo-What A Way of Life • Use before & after evaluations • Follow ups after implementation • Review all projects • Cost benefit evaluations • Track results • Share interventions with others • Few projects completed • Evaluation not expected Project Evaluation Immature Mature

19. Climbing the Ergonomics Maturity LadderFrom “Ergo-What” to “A Way of Life” ELEMENT Surveillance Corrective Actions Prevention Medical Management Training & Education Project Evaluation Program Evaluation Ergo-What A Way of Life • Checklist of compliance actions monitored • Injury data monitored • Injuries and dollars monitored • Program audited annually • VPP-type evaluation • Others invited to review • Use systems safety approach • Few No program, no evaluation Program Evaluation Immature Mature

20. Take a Page From the Private Sector Playbook • Understand Your Goals • Understand the Process • Develop a Maturity Ladder • Make the steps relatively easy to build on • Provide specific elements for program maturity • Make the steps cumulative in their effectiveness

21. Take a Page From the Private Sector Playbook • Understand Your Goals • Understand the Process • Develop a Maturity Ladder • Make the steps relatively easy to build on • Provide specific elements for program maturity • Make the steps cumulative in their effectiveness • Assess status at local sites • By audit • By self-assessment • Require minimum compliance levels

22. Take a Page From the Private Sector Playbook • Understand Your Goals • Understand the Process • Develop a Maturity Ladder • Make the steps relatively easy to build on • Provide specific elements for program maturity • Make the steps cumulative in their effectiveness • Assess status at local sites • By audit • By self-assessment • Require minimum compliance levels • Recognize and reward progress • Resources go to develop expertise (the leaders not the laggers)

23. Additional Good Practices for Large Organizations • Share information on program plans, etc. • Share solutions - widely • Use common platforms for problem solving, analysis, health care (develop it one time!) • Use common tools (types of analysis, design guidelines, analysis tools); possibly web-based • Internet linked to share information and archive information • Have mixed group training - mix it up within your organizations • Frequent meetings for review and support (regional, group, phone) • Web linked problem solving data bases (share special analyses and solutions; share status of projects) • Use each other to create energy, share energy (this will be a tough assignment, and you will need support for it) • Divide and conquer - split up the work and share the benefits • Tackle some easy parts first - create confidence and build energy

24. Value and Costs of Ergonomics Programs A Way Of Life The Way We Work Mature Evolving Compliant Non-Compliant Value Low High

25. Some Final Thoughts • What is ergonomics? • It’s people at work . . . • . . . working safely and effectively! • Does ergonomics have value? • Yes. It can control injuries and costs. It can also enhance performance.

26. Outreach Program Development • Implement effective ergonomics programs at bases and installations, worldwide. • It’s important to do. • It’s possible to do. • It’s economic to do.