Ergonomic Control Strategies & Worksite Design

This course provides an applied framework for translating ergonomic assessment findings into practical workplace controls and worksite design solutions. Building on prior knowledge of industrial ergonomic assessment and the hierarchy of controls, participants learn how to move from identifying an exposure to determining how the work system can be changed to reduce that exposure.

Participants examine ergonomic control strategies at the engineering and administrative levels, with emphasis on addressing the source of exposure rather than relying primarily on worker behavior. The course explores how workstation geometry, material location and presentation, tools and equipment, production processes, task sequencing, staffing, and work organization can be modified to better align work demands with worker capabilities.

Worksite design principles are applied to common industrial challenges involving working heights, reach distances, clearance, access, material handling, and tool use. Participants learn to incorporate anthropometric principles and worker variability when evaluating potential solutions, recognizing that a work area designed around a single or average worker may not adequately accommodate the broader working population.

The course also addresses the practical realities of ergonomic intervention. Participants consider feasibility, cost, operational requirements, production needs, worker input, and potential unintended consequences when comparing solutions. Emphasis is placed on developing recommendations that are specific enough to implement while allowing collaboration with engineering, operations, safety, workers, vendors, and other stakeholders responsible for the final design.

Participants learn to use an iterative approach to ergonomic improvement by developing potential solutions, testing or piloting changes when appropriate, obtaining worker and stakeholder feedback, and evaluating whether the intervention actually reduced the targeted exposure without creating new concerns.

Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on designing the work to better fit the worker rather than asking the worker to compensate for poorly designed work. The goal is to move beyond identifying ergonomic problems and recommending general improvements to developing practical, systems-level solutions that can be implemented and evaluated in real workplace environments.

Target Audience:

Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Athletic Trainers, Occupational Health Nurses, Safety Professionals, Human Resources Professionals, Line Leaders, Supervisors, Safety Team Members, and other licensed rehabilitation professionals involved in work rehabilitation, functional restoration, and return-to-work decision-making.

Instructional Level:

Intermediate

Prerequisites:

Foundational knowledge of workplace injury mechanisms and WMSDs, Job Demands Analysis, and industrial ergonomic risk assessment is recommended. This course builds on the identification and assessment of ergonomic exposure and focuses on the development and implementation of workplace controls rather than reteaching ergonomic assessment methodology.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Translate ergonomic assessment findings into targeted engineering and administrative control strategies.
• Apply worksite design principles to workstation geometry, working heights, reach, clearance, material presentation, tools, and equipment.
• Apply anthropometric principles and worker variability when developing ergonomic design solutions.
• Compare potential ergonomic controls based on exposure reduction, feasibility, operational requirements, worker needs, and potential unintended consequences.
• Develop practical ergonomic solutions that address the source of exposure rather than relying primarily on worker behavior.
• Incorporate worker and stakeholder input into the development, selection, and implementation of ergonomic controls.
• Develop a process for piloting, evaluating, and refining ergonomic interventions to determine whether targeted exposure has been reduced.

Educational Methods:

Didactic instruction, industrial workplace examples, worksite design scenarios, ergonomic control-selection exercises, case-based analysis, and applied solution-development activities.

Continuing Education Units / Contact Hours:

1.5 hours. Full Attendance Required.

Sponsors:

This program is not sponsored by any commercial entity. No commercial support has influenced course content.

Disclosure Statement:

All faculty and planners have disclosed relevant financial and non-financial relationships. Any potential conflicts of interest have been reviewed and mitigated in accordance with continuing education standards.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

Refunds are available in accordance with Matheson's cancellation and refund policy. Please refer to our Cancellation Policy for full details.