Are your ergonomics assessments overlooking the body part workers depend on most? Whole-body assessment methods excel at identifying obvious lifting and postural risks, but they can obscure the cumulative strain of repetitive hand-intensive work. Learn why hand injuries uniquely affect every aspect of daily life and how targeted assessment methods help identify and prioritize hidden upper-extremity risks.
The bigger the movement, the easier it is to see—but not necessarily the more important it is to fix.
Learning objectives:
1. Differentiate between ergonomic risk factors that are effectively captured by whole-body assessment methods and those that require body region specific evaluation.
2. Assess workplace scenarios to determine when targeted upper-extremity assessment methods should be incorporated into an MSD risk management process.
3. Prioritize hand-intensive tasks for intervention by recognizing workplace conditions where traditional whole-body assessments may underestimate upper-extremity risk.
Rachel Zoky, CPE, Product Manager for VelocityEHS Ergonomics Solutions, is responsible for discovering solutions that create value for customers while achieving business objectives. By partnering closely with engineering, customers, and key stakeholders, she leads product discovery, defines strategic priorities, and empowers her product team to solve meaningful customer problems. She has been with the company for almost a decade.
Rachel received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University. She has achieved recognition as a Certified Professional Ergonomist and is the acting Membership Chair for the American Society of Safety Professionals Ergonomics Practice Specialty.
