Ergonomics

Services


At CIS, we help you implement prevention and risk management strategies that are effective in decreasing workers’ compensation claims costs, associated dollars spent on unproductive time away from work, and claims costs that could be associated with an ADA or fitness for duty employment claim. Ergo services offered include: Ergonomic training programs – equip your internal Safety or Ergo Committee to be the “first responder” for early intervention ergonomic assessments. This is especially effective for office ergonomics. Ergonomic assessments – either specific for an individual or directed toward a problematic work task or job category. Job descriptions – help you quantify and clearly describe the physical requirements of your jobs. Recent changes in Oregon Workers’ Compensation law require that an employer maintains an updated and accurate physical requirement description of the physical demands of the job at time of injury. Injury Prevention – partner with CIS members in a variety of ways to help employer groups raise ergonomic awareness and implement related health and safety work practices. Service offerings could include body mechanics training, “ergo safety days”, ergo policy review/implementation, worksite stretching policies and programs, and fitness related safety programs. Job safety analysis – an in-depth analysis of injury hazards associated with particular job tasks along with a listing of potential control strategies to eliminate and/or decrease the likelihood of human MSD injury. Body mechanics training and/or Department Analysis – present tailored “take charge of your own safety and well-being” sessions at your worksite. Specific department or job task hazard information and real work photos are used to emphasize employee responsibility to work safely and injury free. Department Specific Injury Prevention Programs – Law Enforcement, Public Works, and Public Safety all present unique challenges to employee health, safety, and injury prevention. CIS partners with you to help you develop department specific solutions and supporting policies. Worksite safety stretching programs – flexibility in major muscle groups is paramount to injury prevention, and/or recovery from a soft tissue injury. Employers are able to implement onsite stretching programs using a ‘train the trainer” approach. Return to Work Assistance – consultants may assist in return to work facilitation for a particular worker when so assigned by your CIS Claims Examiner, or may assist you with assigned aspects of developing your overall return to work policies. Ergo Problem Solving – work in collaboration with your worksite Team, local resources, and your CIS dedicated Risk Manager to problem solve injury or health/safety related challenges that are unique to your work place.

Ergo Team Consultants


The CIS Ergo Team is headed up by Jan Noland, who has been with CIS for six years. Jan is a Physical Therapist who has specialized in the blended area of Oregon workers’ compensation, wellness, injury prevention, and ergonomics for the past 25 years. CIS may utilize regional physical and occupational therapist and other occupational medicine providers to help meet the health and safety needs of CIS members.

CIS “Health and Safety” Collaborations


To further enhance the “round the clock” coverage for both CIS member employers and their employees, CIS Ergo Team Consultants work closely with all CIS Consultants and lines of coverage. Ergo Team services are closely linked with: Safety Shorts – CIS integrated electronic bi-monthly safety newsletter sent to Safety Coordinators. CIS Healthy Benefits – Health and safety go hand-in-hand. Read how to obtain additional information regarding ergo links to the CIS Healthy Benefits program. Risk Management – Ergo services are coordinated with other risk management programs and policies. CIS Employee Assistance Program – If you participate in a CIS health plan, you may also have access to EASE – the CIS sponsored EAP. Review the wide variety of supervisor and employee resources available to both Management/ Supervisor groups and to employees and their insured dependents.

Cost Effective Ergonomic Controls


CIS Ergo Consultants look for the most cost effective solutions to eliminate or decrease risk of ergonomic factors. We adhere to a hierarchy of ergo controls and associated budget dollars to include: Worker controls – employees have an obligation to work safely and to do what they can under their personal control to reduce their chance of discomfort or injury. Worker controls are FREE. Ergo assessments provide a large degree of employee education for injury prevention. Administrative or policy controls – employees and supervisors or managers can implement simple changes in how a job task is done to enhance employee safety and minimize risk of injury. Equipment/engineering controls – at times new pieces of equipment might be necessary. In office ergonomics, the typical price for equipment is less than $250. Often the price is $20.00 for an alternative trackball or computer mouse. RARELY do Ergo Team consultants recommend new workstations; and if so, we work within your purchasing policies to obtain the most effective ergonomic solution for your budget. Public Works and/or Public Safety modifications can be more costly as compared to modifications for office jobs. Again, Ergo Team consultants work with you to help you identify and/or justify ergonomic dollars to budget committees.