The case for a 21 hour working week

The Guardian reports on a proposal by New Economics Foundation (NEF) is proposing a much shorter working week, with 21 hours as the goal, to address three major crises that confront us in the 21st century. A much shorter working week would help us all to live more sustainable, satisfying lives by sharing out paid and unpaid time more evenly across the population.

NEF is calling for a slow shift across the course of a decade or more swapping wage increments for shorter hours improved flexibility, and better training to offset skills shortages. A higher minimum wage and more progressive taxation could be gradually introduced.

"Ideas about what is normal can sometimes change quite suddenly – as with not smoking in bars and restaurants. The weight of public opinion can swing from antipathy to routine acceptance, usually when there's a combination of new evidence, changing conditions, a sense of crisis and a strong campaign," said Anna Coote, head of social policy for NEF in the Guardian report.

NEF argues the case in its report, 21 Hours. 

Read the full article at The Guardian, 17 February 2010, tinyurl.com/yz3apjy.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dm-set/ / CC BY 2.0

Ergonomics helps older workers at BMW

A recent experiment at a BMW car plant in Germany suggests an ageing workforce is not necessarily a problem. The BMW powertrain plant in Dingolfing, southern Bavaria, faced an increase in worker age from 39 in 2007 to 47 in 2017, risking a productivity decline. Two department managers and the workers’ council came up with a combination of ergonomics, work-time rules and health and nutrition education. 

Christoph Loch and Fabian Sting report that a test production line was set up staffed by workers with an average age of 47. The workers participated in workshops in their own (unpaid) time and came up with 70 load-easing changes: from a wooden floor that dampened pounding and allowed easier turning, to cushioned shoes, tilted screens with bigger lettering, height-adjustable workbenches, tools with lower gripping force, and leather chair cushions instead of plastic. A work rotation was introduced in the middle of the shift.

These changes were cheap to install and reduced fatigue. Logistics and maintenance personnel helped by making adjustments quickly within normal working hours and an ergonomist gave advice. After one year, the line was as productive as lines with people 10 years younger (while delivering perfect quality throughout), at a cost of €40,000. BMW has incorporated the practices in its production system.
 

According to Lock, it is a glimpse of what might be possible. Organisations can unlock innovation by helping people figure it out for themselves. Source: Sunday Times, 14 February, 2010. tinyurl.com/yeu5my4

Proposals to track musculoskeletal disorders opposed by US business lobby

In the US, a proposal by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) related to repetitive-strain injuries is facing stiff opposition from big business. The proposal would require employers to track and report "musculoskeletal disorders" to health officials. But the US Chamber, the biggest pro-business lobby group in Washington, says it believes OSHA is opposing the move.

"There are a lot of scientific questions on whether ergonomic injuries are caused by the workplace or outside the workplace, including lifestyle and genetics," said Marc Freedman at the US chamber. "Unlike every other hazard for which Osha regulates, ergonomics is not limited to the workplace. That makes it extremely problematic."
 

OSHA stated it sought the information because of fears ergonomic injuries had been "significantly underreported" as a reason employees miss work. In some cases, OSHA has received reports that employers have scheduled employees for surgery to address ergonomic injuries on Friday afternoons and had them back at work on Monday so that the cases did not have to be recorded as "days away" from work. Souce: Financial Times, 03 February 2010. tinyurl.com/ydg9t45

http://www.flickr.com/photos/handcoding/ / CC BY 2.0

 

Career by numbers: Ergonomics

What is the typical starting salary of a recently graduated ergonomist? What percentage of ergonomics are male and female? How many students are doing a BSc or MSc in ergonomics in any one year?

Find out in the Guardian 6 February 2010 at tinyurl.com/yf58nfa

Dummy patient helps train medics in Berkshire

A new operating theatre, set up to train medical staff in Berkshire, features one of the most advanced dummy patients so trainees can carry out mock operations. The pupils react to light, and it has breath and heart sounds, allowing any type of emergency to be simulated. The idea is to recreate emergencues that medics don't usually see. 

BBC South's health correspondent David Fenton had a go on the dummy, who has been named Davina. Watch the BBC report at http://tinyurl.com/yzxlxra

Better fitting condoms could cut sexually transmitted diseases

Poorly fitting condoms raise the risks of infection and pregnancy, according to a survey of 436 men reported in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Ill-fitting condoms more than doubled the chances of them splitting or slipping off, and doubled the chance of men taking them off midway through sex. Out of the 436 men, 195 reported that their last sexual encounter involved an ill-fitting condom. A total of 120 of these said that this had reduced their own sexual pleasure, and 57 said it had reduced it for their partner. Problems were far less frequent among men who reported a well-fitted condom.

One solution, according to the US researchers, would be better public health efforts to make sure that men achieved the best fit. Simon Blake, from advisory charity Brook, said that, used correctly, condoms were 98% effective and protected against both unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. 

However, while different sizes and shapes are available in Europe and the US, Gill Gordon, from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and says the size and fit issue must be addressed if condoms are to be used effectively to reduce the number of new HIV infections in Africa, "If we are serious about people being able to use condoms consistently, then we need to listen to their needs," she said. Source: BBC, 16 February, 2010. tinyurl.com/yhzto57