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| MSD risk factor awareness training session |
Background
Although generic ergonomics training materials have been commercially produced, none of these materials discuss specific ergonomic issues related to mining. As part of the ergonomics process implementation by Bridger Coal Co., NIOSH developed an ergonomics awareness course that was presented to all Bridger employees. As information about this course became known, requests from the mining industry have led to the course being offered several times at both national and local mining conferences and at other mine sites. The popularity of this course has demonstrated a need in the mining industry for courses that not only help companies identify risk factor exposures, but also to control and reduce exposures to these risk factors.
Three separate training courses will be developed and placed on the NIOSH mining Web page: "MSD Risk Factor Awareness," "Building Better Jobs”, and "Designing for Maintainability." The first course is an introductory course with an emphasis on describing work-related musculoskeletal disorders and identifying risk factors associated with the development of MSD's. The second course provides information on how to improve jobs by reducing exposures to risk factors. The final course promotes the design of equipment and workplaces to permit maintenance activities without exposing workers to risk factors during these activities.
Each course will be developed at two levels, the employee level and the trainer level. The employee-level courses will be formatted as Power Point presentations that include interactive exercises and demonstrations and will be designed to be given as classroom training. The trainer-level course will be formatted so it can be accessible on the Internet and be taken as a stand-alone learning experience. The material covered in the train-the-trainer course will prepare a trainer to present the employee-level course. An instructor's kit will be available for downloading to assist trainers when presenting the employee-level course. Each kit will contain an electronic copy of the Power Point presentation, training evaluations for employees, a narrative manual to accompany the presentation, and background information about ergonomics.
Potential Outcome
The primary benefit of this task will be to reduce MSD incidence rates as the mining industry increases its knowledge about MSD risk factors and ways to improve jobs and so reduce exposures to these risk factors. As alternate methods for delivering the courses become available, more trainers will be qualified to offer the courses to their employees. Information about the courses will be available on the NIOSH mining Website, and courses will continue to given by NIOSH staff at conferences and workshops throughout many mining sectors. Impact of this research is expected to be felt during 2006-2010.