Webinar: Post COVID-19 Business Operation – A new normal in Safety & Health Management in Business Operation
ILO World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2020
Original and exclusive think pieces on the OSH response to the Covid-19 pandemic from the global OSH community
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2020 – Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives
Dear IEA family,
In recognition of the great challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to governments, employers, workers, and entire societies, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has announced that 28 April 2020 will be designated as the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2020 – Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives.
IEA contributed directly to this initiative by highlighting HF/E issues associated with safety and health at work.
The website for the event provides details on the observance and contains links to the following “think pieces,” including two articles written by IEA Executive Committee members:
- Good jobs to minimize the impact of Covid-19 on health inequity by Lode Godderis – Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Belgium
- Work at the Sharp End: Human factors/ergonomics for protecting healthcare workers and patients by Sara Albolino, IEA Vice President and Secretary-General and Kathleen Mosier, IEA President
- Work from home: Human factors/ergonomics considerations for teleworking by Michelle M. Robertson, Chair, IEA Communications and Public Relations Committee, and Kathleen Mosier, IEA President
- Covid-19: How do OSH professionals impact public-policy? by Chris Laszcz-Davis, President, The Environmental Quality Association
- The new world battleground with Covid-19: Challenges, partnerships, impact and business by Lode Godderis – Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Belgium
A PowerPoint presentation of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2020 is available here.
Warm wishes,
Kathleen
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Dr. Kathleen L. Mosier
Emeritus Professor of Psychology
San Francisco State University
Founder & Principal Scientist
TeamScape LLC
President
International Ergonomics Association
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Latest post
Ergonomics Risk Assessment Training for Ergonomics Trained Person Postponed
Important Announcement!
Out of an abundance of caution and in order to maintain the health and safety of participants, the Ergonomics Risk Assessment Training for Ergonomics Trained Person which was scheduled to take place on 8th April 2020 to 9th April 2020, has been postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The training management team is working to secure dates to reschedule the training at the same venue in Putrajaya later in July 2020. We will keep you posted on training dates for July 2020.
Kenyataan Media ROS: Arahan Khas Berhubung Penularan Wabak COVID-19
National Human Factors and Ergonomics Seminar 2019
Category: Public Ergonomics Seminar
Date: 22nd-23rd October 2019
Venue: UPM Serdang, Selangor
As an annual event, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Malaysia organized National Human Factors and Ergonomics Seminar on 22-23 October 2019 which took place at Auditorium Rashdan Baba, Universiti Putra Malaysa with the theme “Ergonomics Beyond Efficiency”.
There were 10 speakers in total which from Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Dr. Ng Yee Guan, the President of HFEM did the opening speech and share with the crowd the direction of HFEM in Malaysia.
The seminar was continued with the presentation by the Past President of HFEM, Prof. Dr. Shamsul Bahri Md Tamrin with the titled Ergonomics Assessment: The Current Methodology, Future Competency as Assessor and International Certification. He explained in detail the direction of ergonomics competency in Malaysia and compare with the Ergonomics competency in the neighboring countries. He also mentioned that Department of Occupational Safety and Health moving towards Ergonomics as a OSH competency in Malaysia and there will be Industrial Code of Practices on Ergonomics in the near future.
Mr Fauzi Yahaya, Senior Director in Mimos Berhad, also past president of HFEM took the stage with presentation titled “Ergonomics in the 4 IR Era”. He shared the role of ergonomics in IR 4.0 and how the shift is happening in technologies in the 4th IR era which is related with ergonomics. It seems that MNC is having a rapid IR 4.0 technological implementation whereas SMEs adoption is still way behind. He concluded his session with a message of regardless of the advancement in technologies, human factors including attitude and conscience plays a critical role towards betterment of well beings.
The seminar then continued with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wattana Jalayondeja from Mahidol University which discuss about the break reminder for the office workers. His team’s contribution was in the development of software for reminding office workers to frequently took break and perform exercise to battle the prolong sitting which is currently know as one of major problem in organization.
Topic on fatigue management was presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr Yassierli from our neighboring country, Indonesia. His highlight was, his journey from year 1995 until now in the field of fatigue management and how it has progressed to fatigue indicators, fatigue intervention, mental fatigue and now focus on daily fit to work from the aspect of physical and mental. At the end, he put forward the current challenges in fatigue management which need to be addressed as listed below:
- How to monitor fatigue at work
- How to develop an effective fit-for-duty assessment tool
- How to increase fit-for-duty & awareness at work
Then, the last 2 sessions were delivered by Malaysian government and agency official which were Ir. Haji Omar Mat Piah, Director General, DOSH and Dr. Edrin Nazri Abdul Rasib, SOCSO. Director General of DOSH shared the role of DOSH in ergonomics implementation and also further confirmed that ICOP on Ergonomics will be implemented in 2 years’ time and as for the regulation of Ergonomics will take more time since it involved parliament’s approval.
Dr. Edrin gave the last speech for the first day about the compensation claims on Musculoskeletal Disorders in Malaysia.
In the second day, the speakers line up were Prof. Dr. Debkumar Chakrabarti (India), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lilis Surienty (USM, Malaysia), Prof. Dr Ravindra Goonetilleke (Hong Kong), Ir. Mohd Hafzi Md Isa (MIROS, Malaysia) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stephen Poon (APUTI, Malaysia).
Prof. Dr. Debkumar highlighted the importance of simple ergonomics design to ease daily life and also the PhD program in Ergonomics in India. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lilis Surienty shared her experiences in conducting research in shiftwork and the dilemmas in shiftwork implementation in Malaysia. She called for more research addressing shiftwork issues in Malaysia.
Prof. Dr Ravindra Goonetilleke made a remarkable note and challenges the current research in Ergonomics which still discussing the limitation of human and musculoskeletal disorders which has been discussed since 1760 by Bernardino Ramazzini. He pointed out that the Ergonomics direction should be increasing the performance and focus on the developing the strength, capabilities and capacities.
Ir. Mohd Hafzi Md Isa presented how human factors and influenced driving safety. The speaker for the seminar was Dr. Stephen Poon who gave his insight about user experience design and the IR 4.0.
Overall, it was a great event organized by HFEM with a lot information sharing and eye opening to the participants and kudos to all the organizing team.
T.Hari Krishnan
Latest post
Intervarsity Short Video Competition
Deadline for submitting YouTube video competition to Inter Varsity Short Video Competition has now been extended until 15th May 2018.
- Theme(s): Noise, chemical & ergonomics only
- Duration of video: 3 to 5 minutes
- Entrance Fee: Free of charge (FOC)
- Top three video will be uploaded in DOSH website
- Registration: https://goo.gl/forms/hWC6fYe5wo7JLmHi1
- Video submission: Email (file attachment/dropbox/google drive link) to secretary@hfem.org
Any inquiry : –
1) Dr Shaharuddin (shaha@upm.edu.my)
2) Dr Ng Yee Guan (shah86zam@gmail.com)
Latest post
Training: ETP Advanced ERA (July 2019)
ERGONOMICS TRAINED PERSON (LEVEL 2) under DOSH ERA GUIDELINES 2017
This course is the sequence of initial ergonomics risk assessment guideline 2017 developed by DOSH. This course will give participants the insight of reporting ergonomics risk assessment based on each of the significant risk factors including environmental ergonomics risks.
The advanced method will cover general method used to assess risk factors related to postural risk and manual handling issues. Participants will be trained by using various video samples, including intratester reliability test in order to achieve the same level of understanding.
Training will cover the overall understanding of the ergonomics guidelines with emphasize on advanced ergonomics risk assessment and suggested method in preparing a report. Participants will be trained to be the trained person in conducting and reporting the outcome for DOSH under Section 15 of OSH Act 1994
At the end of the training, participants will be able to be a trained person in posture and manual handling risk factors assessor and able to produce a complete report for every method taught in every session.
DURATION PROGRAM: 2 DAYS/PACKAGE
Latest post
Ergonomics events 2018
Initial ERA Training
Date:
1) 27th-28th February 2018
2) 25th-26th April 2018
3) 26th-27th June 2018 [Postpone]
4)13th-14th August 2018
5) 17th-18th October 2018
FEE: RM1,100.00/PAX
(HFEM ACTIVE MEMBER, RM 990.00/PAX)
Advanced ERA Training
Date:
1) 6th-8th March 2018
2) 2nd-4th May 2018
3) 4th-5th September 2018
FEE:RM1,100.00/PAX
(HFEM ACTIVE MEMBER, RM 990.00/PAX)
Last update: 03/08/2018, 4.07pm
February 2018
Seminar: Introduction to Ergonomics Risk Assessment at Workplace
Date: 20th February 2018
April 2018
Seminar: Ergonomics for Safety and Health Practitioners
Date: 18th April 2018
June 2018
Seminar: Introduction to Environmental Ergonomics Risk Factors at Workplace
Date: 1st June 2018
July 2018
Seminar: Ergonomics for Healthcare Sector
Date: 5th July 2018 [Postpone]
Seminar: Introduction to Ergonomics Risk Assessment at the Workplace
Date: 27th July 2018
Register
August 2018
Seminar: Ergonomics for Agricultural Sector
Date: 9th August 2018 [Postpone]
Seminar: Introduction to Office Ergonomics [in-house]
Date: 29th August 2018
September 2018
Seminar: Ergonomics for Manufacturing Sector [in-house]
Date: 12th September 2018
Seminar: Motorcycle Ergonomics
Date: 13th September 2018
Register
Seminar: Ergonomics for Manufacturing Sector [in-house]
Date: 18th September 2018
Seminar: Ergonomics for Manufacturing Sector [in-house]
Date: 19th September 2018
Seminar: Ergonomics for Healthcare Sector [in-house]
Date: 27th September 2018
October 2018
Seminar: Ergonomics for Manufacturing Sector [in-house]
Date: 2nd October 2018
Course: Human Factors in Road Safety
Date: 24th October 2018
Register
Seminar: Ergonomics for Agricultural Sector [in-house]
Date: 31th October 2018
Seminar: Human Factors in Road Safety
Date: 31st October 2018
November 2018
Seminar: Introduction to Hazard Identification on the Road
Date: 1st November 2018
Seminar: Motorcycle Ergonomics
Date: 9th November 2018
Last update:15/09/2018, 6.41pm
Latest post
HFEM Annual Grand Meeting 2017
Ergonomics on two-wheels: Where are we heading? – Part 2
Continue from Part 1.
So, where were we?
Yes, if I am not terribly mistaken, we were previously discussing on the ergonomics adjustability service which is provided by our very own local bicycle vendors in Malaysia. As mentioned, a particular bicycle vendor in KL actually provided their customer with the after sales service in customizing their newly purchased bicycle to ‘fit’ best their very own anthropometry. The plan was…yes, the plan *cough* was; for me to actually visits this particular vendor with the interest (not really investigation per se) on identifying the method in which they utilize to ‘fit’ the human operator (cyclist) on the workstation (bicycle).
It is interesting to note that my postgraduate research was kinda similar to this particular service. In my study, I’d develop a mathematical modelling in order to ‘fit’ human operator on motorcycle i.e. the human operator does not need to be present in order for the ‘fit’ to be identified. Whereas, from the information and photographic evidences provided by my colleague (whose dearest husband purchased a bicycle at the particular store and made the necessary adjustments), for the ergonomics adjustability service to be determined, it was observed that the human operator was actually needed to be present during the entire process. From the photo, he was observed to be seated on the bicycle and certain body angle were determined.
Interesting isn’t?
However, yes, however indeed, due to some unavoidable circumstances, really, it was unavoidable; I am still yet to visit the particular bicycle vendor. I’ll soon reschedule to make a proper visit. In the meantime, I would like to share just a little bit of info in regards to bicycling or motorcycling working posture. Although in a glance, we can say that the working postures for bicycling and motorcycling are almost identical, nevertheless, upon close examination, or you just happen to have the opportunity to ride on both modes of transportations; the workstation layout plays a major role with respect to the resulting muscle activity which is needed to practice and hold the bicycling/motorcycling working posture.
The full results of the investigation on the muscular activity with respect to motorcycling posture will hopefully be presented during the 8th International Conference in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering 2017 (ICME ’17) in Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman (yeay). But, do not be alarmed, we will continue the discussion in regards to the effects of workstation layout on the human operator’s muscle activity in the upcoming newsletter.
Dr. Muhammad Izzat Nor Ma’arof
Senior Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering Department,
Faculty of Engineering and Quantity Surveying,
Persiaran Perdana BBN, Putra Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
INTI International University.