Ergonomics is the applied science of equipment design and configuration that seeks to maximize productivity and reduce risks by adapting the work environment to meet the physical needs of the worker.

A healthy, safe and comfortable workplace enhances an employee’s job satisfaction and efficiency.

Ergonomic Assessments

An ergonomic assessment is an evaluation of the biomechanics of the work environment that includes recommendations for engineering and/or administrative modifications to the workplace. Ergonomically designed workplaces can help employees avoid pain and injuries that may arise from repetitive tasks.

An Ergonomic Assessment is a proactive mechanism to identify physical and/or organizational issues of a specific job and determine recommendations for reducing or eliminating risk factors. West Coast Kinesiology’s Ergonomic Assessments involve calculating risks to your employees in their work environment and identifying and suggesting direction for change. When combined with a Physical Demands Analysis, an Ergonomic Assessment provides you with a full understanding of the degree of risk in your workplace as well as the information on how to control and limit risk levels in order to minimize injuries, illness and accidents.

The benefits of Ergonomic Assessments are clear:

• Provide practical solutions to improve productivity, optimize performance and prevent workplace injuries.
• Reduce employer costs through decreased absenteeism, lost time injuries and WCB rates.
• Improve employee retention, resulting in reduced training costs.

Utilizing a variety of the latest methods, the highly skilled Ergonomists (kinesiologists) of West Coast Kinesiology provide timely, comprehensive reports to help you find the most cost effective solutions for your business. Methods of standardized testing include the following:

• Biomechanical Strength Models: Low back, shoulder, and whole body
• Rogers / Kodak Muscle Fatigue Analysis
• NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation, single and multi-task
• Liberty Mutual "Snook and Ciriello" Evaluation for Lifting/Lowering
• Liberty Mutual "Snook and Ciriello" Evaluation for Pushing/Pulling
• Liberty Mutual "Snook and Ciriello" Evaluation for Carrying
• American Automobile Manufacturing Association Metabolic/Physiological assessment method
• Enhanced Garg Metabolic/Physiological Energy Expenditure Prediction Method
• RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment)
• The Strain Index
• ACGIH Hand Activity Level
• Liberty Mutual "Snook and Ciriello" Evaluation for Pinch and Power Grips

Sounds interesting? Contact West Coast Kinesiology for more information. (604) 467-4675

Physical Demands Analysis

A Physical Demands Analysis (PDA) examines the physical factors and demands of a job and details all the components of that job. Each assessment is based on objective and measurable information about a specific job’s requirements. On site analyses are conducted by fully trained Ergonomists and enable both the employers and workers to better understand the physical components and risk factors associated with their positions.

An effective Physical Demands Analysis can:

• Create or update accurate job descriptions
• Establish a screening system for new hires to ensure safety and improve productivity
• Identify issues and potential problems in an existing job or before a new design/system is implemented
• Assist health professionals by providing a standard of comparison when used in conjunction with a Functional Abilities Evaluation
• Assist with claims management and facilitate the Return to Work process for an injured employee

A Physical Demands Analysis is often completed prior to a Functional Capacity Evaluation or the implementation of a Return to Work program to provide a baseline measurement of the target demands for an employee. A West Coast Kinesiology Ltd. PDA offers a better understanding of the physical requirements of a job and results in clearer pathways to help prevent or reduce the incidence of on-the-job injury.

Contact West Coast Kinesiology Ltd. to find out more. (604) 467-4675

Job Shadowing

A physician’s recommendations for a Return to Work Program often include Job Shadowing by a Kinesiologist / Ergonomist. West Coast Kinesiology Ltd. has fully qualified Kinesiologists / Ergonomists, trained as Work Capacity Evaluators, on staff to perform this function when necessary.

The goal of the Kinesiologist / Ergonomist is to liaise between the employee and the physician, ensuring compliance with the physician’s recommendations, as well as to educate and assist the employee to gradually increase daily activities. After the initial assessment, the Kinesiologist / Ergonomist monitors the employee at the job site on a weekly basis, reporting on the increasing pattern of demands as prescribed.

Safe, Productive and Controlled Return to Work Programs – Contact West Coast Kinesiology Ltd. to find out more!!


Pre-Placement / Post Offer Screening

More and more companies are realizing that a Pre-Placement Screening is vital to their hiring process.

A Pre-Placement Screening serves 4 essential purposes.

1. Ensures a prospective employee can do the proposed job safely
2. Provides baseline medical data in which workplace exposures can be monitored
3. Ensures that nothing in the workplace will interfere with the prospective employee’s current state of health
4. Identifies conditions which may have a negative impact on the company’s long term disability premiums

West Coast Kinesiology Pre-Placement / Post Offer Screenings are customized to the nature of your business, and commonly include Functional Capacity Evaluation.

Our evaluation protocols generate reports that are accurate and objective. All Screening results are stored electronically for future reference if / when required.

Investing in Pre-Placement Screenings now can lead to substantial savings in future costs in STD, LTD and WCB claims. Contact West Coast Kinesiology Ltd. to find out more!

Functional Capacity Evaluations

A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is an objective measure to determine an individual’s capacity and ability. West Coast Kinesiology’s highly skilled Ergonomists utilize a systematic approach to assess flexibility, strength, coordination, cardiovascular condition and body mechanics. We use the Matheson protocol, and this FCE represents the highest level of evaluation practice in the industry. This is the premiere Functional Capacity Evaluation training available today. It meets the reliability and validity requirements of the Practice Hierarchy of Industrial Rehabilitation, which sets the standard by which all functional capacity evaluations are judged.

The FCE protocol has been carefully built around evaluation tools which are widely accepted in the field, have been court-tested, have published peer-reviewed reliability and validity studies.

It is usually performed against a specific job or set of job tasks. In other words, we will analyze the detailed job description (PDA) and then design the FCE protocol according to what the specific job demands are. This will allow the worker and employer to know  if the client is capable of performing the job, or if there are identified restrictions to their current abilities. It also allows for making recommendations to rectify any restrictions, whether through physical rehabilitation, or through administrative controls such as ceilings on lifting duties, restrictions of work heights, and rotation of task frequency or shift hours.

West Coast Kinesiology Ltd. offers 2 types of Functional Capacity Evaluations:

Baseline – an objective assessment of an employee’s abilities to perform a variety of tasks related to the work environment.

Job Specific – an evaluation of an employee’s abilities to function within the parameters of a specific job as based on the critical demands outlined in a Physical Demands Analysis. This FCE includes work simulation activities as an integral part of the evaluation. For an example of a Job Specific FCE, please click here.

Our comprehensive evaluations establish the physical level of work your employee can perform and is useful in determining job placement as well as in the Return to Work process after injury or illness.

Contact West Coast Kinesiology ltd. to find out more about FCE’s and your business!

Injury Prevention Seminars

Seminars aimed at educating an unlimited number of employees regarding injury prevention topics of choice.

Ergonomic Program Workshops

Workshops designed at training managers, supervisors and/or employee representatives on how to educate employees on various ergonomic topics related to injury prevention.

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