Rehabilitation Ergonomics - Fundamentals and Assessment Tools for Occupational Ergonomics - page 487

22.8 Rehabilitation Ergonomics in Prevention

While rehabilitation ergonomists first became involved with work injury in the return to work arena,
there has been a cross-over into prevention of musculoskeletal injuries. This derives from cases where
employers formed a positive relationship with a rehabilitation ergonomist who has learned the
culture, jobs and methods of a worksite through bringing employees back to work. They work in preven-
tion because they have been requested to do so by satisfied employers and employee groups.
In addition, the ergonomic resolutions created by modifying work for a returning worker often are
appropriate permanent modifications for the entire work group. The process of reducing stressors for
an individual worker is similar to reducing stressors for a group of workers.
Rehabilitation ergonomists determined that there is a dual role of return to work and prevention. 1-6
Government guidelines or injury prevention also acknowledge the relationship with return to work and
describe roles for healthcare professionals who can work on both sides. 7-10 Research into return to work
outcomes and ergonomic practice describe the role of the rehabilitation professional as working in the
prevention mode in industry. 34,41,43,45
Rehabilitation ergonomists specialize in the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries by utilizing ergo-
nomic principles of worksite redesign, tool selection

modification, 46 work method design, ergonomic
education, fitness and early intervention. They perform as part of a larger prevention team, often includ-
ing engineer ergonomists, safety departments, production managers and other medical professional
involved in prevention.
Ergonomic training and education are a foundation for the prevention practice of the rehabilitation
ergonomist. By referencing other chapters in this text, one can find principles of prevention used
universally.

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22.9 Challenges for the Future

Rehabilitation ergonomics is in its early stages. It has been developed to meet specific needs. Rehabilita-
tion professionals were invited into the return to work process by insurance systems and employers
looking for better methods to return injured workers to work. Early intervention bridged the gap
between return to work and prevention of injury. Job modifications began with individual patients
and advanced into wider use in musculoskeletal injury prevention because of utility.
Scientific studies use rehabilitation ergonomists as part of the team, but refer to them by their pro-
fession (e.g., physical therapists, occupational therapists), rather than their specialty. The studies show
positive results of team effort working in several related strategies. It is difficult to point to any
member of the team (e.g., safety officer, engineer, physician, nurse, case manager) as the reason for
success. Thus, the role for rehabilitation ergonomists is as part of a larger team.
The future challenge for rehabilitation ergonomists is similar to that of all ergonomists and specialists
in work injury management and prevention. It is to define its role and set goals in the following areas:

. Create educational opportunities for rehabilitation professionals that create knowledge and
practice parameters in ergonomics.
. Create educational opportunities in concert with related professions for effective use of specialties,
which have the same goals.
. Delineate its role in the return to work process and design accompanying studies to validate
efficacy, cost effectiveness, worker satisfaction and employer satisfaction.
. Delineate its role in the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries, specifically combining ergonomics,
education and fitness and design accompanying studies to validate efficacy, cost effectiveness,
worker satisfaction and employer satisfaction.
. Create models for its role in teams of professionals, both in prevention and return to work.
. Design and implement research that evaluates and categorizes the most effective interventions and
those which need improvement.