Ergonomics: Contributing Conditions

Q: How do I look for conditions that may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders?

A: Review and Analysis of Injury and Illness Records

Step 1: Review Injury and Illness Records
An easy and straightforward approach to assessing potential ergonomic-related problems is to conduct a review of various injury and illness records. The records can be different for every company but may include:

• OSHA 300 Log forms
• Workers’ Compensation claims
• Group Health Insurance records
• First Aid Logs
• Absentee and Turnover Records
• Records of employee complaints or grievances.

Step 2: Identify Potential MSD Cases
Using all these information sources, try to identify entries that may indicate the presence of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is a term that refers collectively to a group of injuries and illnesses that affect the musculoskeletal system. While there is no single diagnosis for MSDs, the conditions identified below are commonly included in the range of conditions that potentially constitute MSDs.

• tendinitis
• tenosynovitis
• epicondylitis
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• bursitis
• deQuervain’s disease
• ganglion cyst
• thoracic outlet syndrome
• less precise entries such as sprains, strains, tears, or even just pain

Step 3: Categorize
Once all of the records have been examined, categorize MSD cases by job, department, division, work task, shift, and so on, to determine whether patterns or trends exist. For example, look for instances where:

• one unit (e.g., job, department, or division) has a higher number of MSDs than other units in the company
• one unit has more severe MSDs than other units in the company
• one unit's rate of MSDs has increased each year for several years
• one unit's rate of MSDs is higher than other companies doing the same job
• MSDs increase during a particular shift or time of the year
• MSDs increase when producing a particular product or when performing a particular work task
  

Q: How do you analyze jobs or work tasks?

A: Not all MSDs are related to work activities. Other factors such as personal characteristics and societal factors have also been associated with ergonomic related injuries and illnesses. When analyzing jobs or work tasks that may be associated with MSDS, conditions to consider may include, but are not limited to:

• Awkward Postures, which might include: prolonged work with hands above the head or with the elbows above the shoulders; prolonged work with the neck bent; squatting, kneeling, or lifting; handling objects with back bent or twisted; repeated or sustained bending or twisting of wrists, knees, hips or shoulders; forceful and repeated gripping or pinching.
• Forceful Lifting, Pushing or Pulling, which might include: handling heavy objects; moving bulky or slippery objects; assuming awkward postures while moving objects.
• Prolonged Repetitive Motion, which might include: keying; using tools or knives; packaging, handling, or manipulating objects.
• Contact Stress, which might include: repeated contact with hard or sharp objects, like desk or table edges.
• Vibration, which might include: overuse of power hand tools.

Pre-employment Screening – Protect your Company

Are you protecting your company from the hidden secrets of potential new employees? Did you know…

• Employee theft and dishonesty costs U.S. businesses over $40 billion annually
• Businesses in the U.S. report losses of $36 billion a year due to workplace violence
• 30% of business failures are the result of theft or embezzlement

Employers Group’s preferred pre-employment screening provider, ScreeningOne, can help you protect your company and employees by providing comprehensive, web-based pre-employment screening solutions, including criminal history, DMV, I-9 verification and drug screening.

ScreeningOne’s exceptional service, fast turnaround, legal compliance and accuracy enable companies to make informed decisions regarding potential new hires. Their diverse client base includes companies from Fortune 500 to small family-run businesses. Additionally, EG has negotiated special pricing with ScreeningOne for our members, and no set-up fees!

For more information on pre-employment screening services offered through our preferred partner, ScreeningOne, please contact Katherin Scott at 213.765.3949 or kscott@employersgroup.com.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

As an HR professional, you may have heard the latest buzz words in the staffing space, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). RPO is a form of business process outsourcing (BPO) when an employer outsources or transfers all or part of the staffing process to an external service provider.

A true or total RPO solution involves the outsourcing of the entire recruiting function or process to an external service provider. This provider has the necessary skills, tools, technologies, and activities to serve as their client's virtual “recruiting department.” Employers Group’s preferred recruiting solutions partner, Decision Toolbox, is ahead of the curve and has been delivering RPO services for almost six years.

Since 1992, Decision Toolbox has partnered with hundreds of large and small clients nationwide to fill thousands of positions across virtually all industries, disciplines and levels – at a cost that equates to 7% of salary on average. Now, their new RPO partnership enables you to achieve even greater cost savings, while delivering the highest quality recruitment services to your hiring managers!

Key Points of the DT RPO Model
Decision Toolbox can be your recruiting department or expand your existing recruiting department. Their goal is not to replace your team, but to augment it and help it to scale up and down with the demands of the business.

Quality is always a major concern when outsourcing such a critical function. Decision Toolbox tracks quality through a 12-point customer satisfaction survey sent at the close of EVERY project. Their customer satisfaction has NEVER been below 90%, and Decision Toolbox’s average customer satisfaction rating with RPO clients is 93.4%.

An RPO partnership represents a significant discount over Decision Toolbox’s retail pricing in exchange for an annual volume commitment. The RPO partnership includes license to use DT's proprietary Applicant Tracking System, Recruitment Machine™. Decision Toolbox can also provide onsite project management support, if required.

Open Positions = Less Productivity
Don’t let valuable time pass with unfilled positions. Decision Toolbox can get to work for you in 3-5 days of your initial conversation!

For more information on RPO the Decision Toolbox way, please contact Katherin Scott at Employers Group at 213.765.3949 or kscott@employersgroup.com.

Improving for the New Year

Besides thinking about where and how to spend the upcoming holidays, this is the time of year when HR professionals start thinking about how to improve their operations for the coming annum. In that grain, Employers Group offers a whole series of software packages to help you do just that.

Descriptions Now The fastest way to define jobs and hire effectively

Descriptions Now helps you create job descriptions that attract better candidates, establish consistent performance competencies, improve employee focus and protect your organization in a discrimination lawsuit. Features include:

• Easy wizard process helps to write and maintain job descriptions in a consistent manner.
• More than 3,700 pre-written and customizable job descriptions.
• Automatically creates behavioral-based interview questions.
• Easy-to-use Q&A process assures ADA Compliance.

Member Price: $161.00
Non-Member Price: $179.00

Policies Now A simple way to create customized policies

A simple way to create personnel policies customized to your organization. Policies Now allows you create an entire employee handbook, choosing from 3 language styles and 11 graphic styles in a fraction of the time you would normally spend. Features include:

• Easy wizard and Q&A process customizes your policies and handbook.
• Track policy revisions with easy-to-use editing and updating tools.
• Choose formal, informal or English language styles.
• Publish your policies online or in print.
• Eleven attractive graphic styles are provided or you can create your own.

Member Price: $161.00
Non-Member Price: $179.00

Performance Now An easy way to write effective performance reviews.

Quickly and easily write effective performance reviews. Performance Now enables you to write employee reviews that maximize the potential of your team. You can log events, track goals and provide effective feedback. It practically writes performance reviews for you. Features include:

• Create objective, concise performance review text automatically by pointing and clicking.
• Spot legally sensitive wording with language checker.
• Assign weights to individual goals and elements.
• Choose from review form templates or use simple design features to create your own.

Member Price: $161.00
Non-Member Price: $179.00

People Manager Managing your workforce with confidence.

Manage your workforce with confidence. People Manager transforms the novice into an HR professional who is prepared and organized. Protect your company from litigation and build employee confidence by keeping accurate records. Features include:

• View daily lists of employee-related tasks.
• Centralize employee personnel data.
• Flexible and accurate attendance tracking.
• Choose from 50 commonly used reports.
• Expedite preparing data for EEO, FLSA, IRCA & federal employment law organizations.

Member Price: $161.00
Non-Member Price: $179.00

Ultimate Employer Bundles all these products at a discount.

Everything you need to easily manage your workforce. Ultimate Employer bundles these small business products at a deep discount for your benefit. Whether you are a human resources professional or a small business without any HR systems in place, the Ultimate Employer is everything you need to quickly and easily manage your workforce. Ultimate Employer streamlines all HR-related tasks and responsibilities. From managing crucial employee-related tasks and publishing an employee policy manual, to writing effective job descriptions and maximizing the employee performance review process, Ultimate employer does it all – quickly and easily.

Member Price: $404.95
Non-Member Price: $449.95

These programs and many more products are available through the EG Store at discounted member rates. For more information please visit our website or you may call our Member Service Center at 800.748.8484 to speak with a representative.