Field tests of a participatory ergonomics toolkit for Total Worker Health.
Growing interest in Total Worker Health®(TWH) programs to advance worker safety, health and well-being motivated development of a toolkit to guide their implementation. Iterative design of a program toolkit occurred in which participatory ergonomics (PE) served as the primary basis to plan integrated TWH interventions in four diverse organizations. The toolkit provided start-up guides for committee formation and training, and a structured PE process for generating integrated TWH interventions. Process data from program facilitators and participants throughout program implementation were used for iterative toolkit design. Program success depended on organizational commitment to regular design team meetings with a trained facilitator, the availability of subject matter experts on ergonomics and health to support the design process, and retraining whenever committee turnover occurred. A two committee structure (employee Design Team, management Steering Committee) provided advantages over a single, multilevel committee structure, and enhanced the planning, communication, and teamwork skills of participants.
University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Ave, Kitson 200, Lowell, MA, 01854, United States. Electronic address: Suzanne_Nobrega@uml.edu.
Suzanne
S
Nobrega
University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Ave, Kitson 200, Lowell, MA, 01854, United States. Electronic address: Laura_Kernan@uml.edu.
Laura
L
Kernan
University of Massachusetts Lowell, One University Ave, Kitson 200, Lowell, MA, 01854, United States. Electronic address: alakbarova@outlook.com.
Bora
B
Plaku-Alakbarova
Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, 71 Frankland Rd, Hopkinton, MA, 01748, United States. Electronic address: Michelle.Robertson@libertymutual.com.
Michelle
M
Robertson
University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States. Electronic address: Warren@uchc.edu.
Nicholas
N
Warren
University of Connecticut Storrs, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, United States. Electronic address: Robert.Henning@uconn.edu.
Robert
R
Henning
D003142:Communication; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D016272:Occupational Health; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D017132:Workplace
Participatory ergonomics; Toolkit; Total Worker Health