Medicina Laboral de Venezuela C.A. has a specialist level four studies in ergonomics trained at a foreign university for studies of ergonomics in workplaces. In Venezuela there are no universities imparting this specialty for now.

To perform ergonomic studies, the specialist applies participatory techniques as required by the NT-04-2023. The ergonomist performing ergonomic studies presents possible solutions that the committee should discuss safety and health at work for later implementation. Based on the concept of ergonomics on which our legal framework is based (the study of work activity for better comfort in the workplace), the ergonomist can resolve conflict situations in the context of physical ergonomics psychosocial risk factors and dilemmas in health settings (such as heat or thermal stress).

It is also necessary that the contracting company know this information:

In countries with more experience in ergonomics, it has been shown that ergonomic evaluations are not enough to effect change in large workplaces. While most employees have a workplace, the greater the chance of musculoskeletal diseases or mental. So there have been solutions to this problem: the United States has raised the ergonomics programs (in the style of the ISO 9001 and NT-04-2023) for changes gradually. In Spain it has been proposed to emphasize the participatory ergonomics and implement ergonomics programs, one of which has been very successful and is called ERGOPAR. For any of the two alternatives is our specialist in ergonomics experience.

Ergonomics is the study of the work activity, this means, what it does, how it does it, how many times does, what does a worker ...... in order to be able to understand the work and so approximations to issue and possible solutions, which after being discussed with the Committee on Safety and health at Work, can be implemented to achieve a more comfortable work and to ensure the bio-psycho-social health. As for the techniques used by our team include:

-Direct observation, individual interviews, group interviews and the questionnaire DEPARIS or Italian worker model, Borg scale, basic principles of biomechanics and ergoftalmología.

-Determination of the metabolic burden, according to COVENIN 2254:1995 and ISO 8996 and 9886, study of postural load by own observation and some methods for their quantification (not replace direct observation of the specialist) such as REBA, ROSA and OWAS.

-Study lifting load by NIOSH equation, letters HSE Britain for weight lifting and other techniques as appropriate.

-Study of push and pull through the application of ISO 11228-2 (updating tables Snook and Ciriello).

-Study load lifting health personnel by MAPO method (ISO Technical Report 12296).

-Comprehensive study by MODSI, ANAC and / or LEST method according to circumstances.

-Study of repetitive movements of upper limbs by ISO 11228-3 (OCRA method).

-Environmental Ergonomics, through the study of acoustic, visual, thermal comfort and air quality.

-Study of mental workload, by ISTAS21 method and more specific cases.

-Study cases of stalls with computer use, by COVENIN 2742:1998 standard, some ISO standards on this issue and ROSA method of cleaning job study.

-Study seats for special cases: under 18 years, pregnant ladies, people with disabilities and others.

-Study of organizational conditions (psychosocial ergonomics).

It should be clear that not all of these items should and can be studied in depth at first look that gives the ergonomics team, because the study would be long, costly and a number of problems would be detected that may initially contracting company not had considered intervene. The contracting company must define its department of safety and health at work and your committee, what are the initial requirements and communicate them to the team Medicina Laboral de Venezuela C.A. for a better result after services rendered. Ideally, a conversation with our team leader, either in our installations or via email or skype. All our studies are performed to ensure the active participation of workers as required by the Venezuelan legal standard.

If your company has occupational physicians, occupational nurses, engineers, architects or other professional in a related field of occupational health you want deeper into this matter, we can offer courses and certificate programs through our training center: the IUNETE Foundation.