Course Description
In this course, participants will learn about the nature of work that is typical of office-based workplaces and how this work can have profound effects on employees’ musculoskeletal systems. The course will move into exploring the use of advanced hazard identification tools to assess corresponding office jobs and from there will review a process for using a participatory workplace approach to identify the root causes of hazards and the solutions that can mitigate them. Drawing on information from the instructor’s eighteen years of first-hand experience and the latest Canadian Standards Association’s Guideline on Office Ergonomics, participants will learn about the most successful, cost-effective methods of keeping employees safe by proactively controlling the hazards associated with office work.
Course Outline
Each week has a one-hour online live session with the instructor. There is a total of four hours of live sessions in this course. Students who are absent for a live session will have access to a recording.
- Week 1: Introduction to Office Ergonomics / The Ergonomics Process
- Week 2: Application of Ergonomics / Requirements of the Workspace
- Week 3: Requirements of the Workspace (continued) / How to Apply an Office Ergonomics Assessment Form
- Week 4: Interventions to Eliminate the Root Causes of Hazards
What You Will Learn
- The different types of work, from a musculoskeletal point of view, which can be found in industrial workplaces and how that can influence the type of injuries that occur.
- How to use advanced hazard identification tools to identify variables that affect the safety of employees’ jobs.
- Learn about and gain practice using a participatory approach to identify root causes of hazards that place employees at risk of injury and solutions to eliminate the root causes.
- The most applicable equipment and technology to use in the correct situations to help avoid unnecessary product purchases or modifications while controlling risks of musculoskeletal injuries quickly and efficiently.
- How to identify areas within your workplace where there is room for organizational improvement and what changes need to take place for improvement to occur.
Notes
By enrolling in this course, you will be automatically enrolled in the Certificate in Ergonomics Program Management.
The Faculty of OLCD recommends an intermediate level of English language proficiency for the most effective learning and participation in our online and face-to-face courses. A list of the minimum recommended scores on some common English tests can be found on our website. If you have questions about your English language proficiency and ability to succeed in this course, please contact openlearning@dal.ca.
Prerequisites
Recommended For
Those responsible for occupational health & safety within office spaces, manufacturing operations, processing industries, business service sectors, transportation industries, and health-care facilities including:- health & safety co-ordinators
- OH&S nurses
- physiotherapists
- occupational therapists
- industrial hygienists
- engineers
- managers
- supervisors
Applies Towards the Following Certificates
- Certificate in Ergonomic Program Management : Required
David Chiasson, M.Sc., CPE works for Ergonomic Systems Associates Inc. (ESA). ESA is Atlantic Canada’s leading human performance consulting company specializing in Ergonomics. David has over eighteen years of experience helping corporations and government departments improve their performance. He has done this by helping companies identify design issues that lead to poor performance and injury while working with them to develop and implement practical and effective solutions that improve the design, set-up, and organization of work systems, spaces, equipment, and tasks. David has a Master of Science degree with a specialization in Ergonomics, is a member of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists (ACE), and is a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist as awarded by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE).