UW Gazette, February 26, 1997
     
     The Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, based
in UW's faculty of applied health sciences, has changed its
name and is now the Ergonomics and Safety Consulting
Services.
     "ESCS has undergone several changes in the past year,"
adds Anne Moore, senior ergonomics consultant there.
     Since last May, she notes, its home has been in the
lower level of the new wing of Matthews Hall. "The new
space finally brings ESCS back to same building as the
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and CAHR, after a stay
in the Math and Computer building for a year and a half."
     Then in October ESCS got a new director: Dr. Bob
Norman, the dean of AHS and a kinesiology researcher. Says
Moore: "Norman hopes to relate some ESCS's activities to
the department of kinesiology in addition to increasing
ESCS's visibility in both the private and public sectors."
     The name change reflects changes to services offered
by ESCS, she said. "Hygiene services are no longer offered
in an attempt to concentrate on ergonomics and related pro
jects."
     Currently, there are two ergonomics consultants on
staff - Moore and Sharon Cox.
     On a fee-for-service basis, ESCS offers ergonomics
assessments and workplace evaluations for a wide variety of
clients within Ontario, including such large firms as
General Motors of Canada, A.G. Simpson Co., and Budd
Canada, as well as smaller community-based organizations
such as the K-W Rotary Centre and the Waterloo Safe
Communities Foundation.
     ESCS offer several training courses, including office
ergonomics, advanced ergonomics, back care and injury
prevention and repetitive strain injuries. Courses are
taught to plant managers, supervisors, floor workers and
health and safety representatives. An intensive three-day
ergonomics course, says Moore, "is well received by
industrial engineers who need to incorporate the human
element into their workstation designs".
     ESCS has also ventured into product evaluation. Using
links to the kinesiology laboratories, staff at ESCS are
able to use higher level equipment to provide quantitative
assessments beyond those offered by other ergonomics
consulting companies. "In particular, the use of
electromyography for the evaluation of hand tools, computer
mice and workstation design has been a great asset to ESCS,
providing a definite competitive edge."