RIT Offers Comprehensive Occupational Safety and Ergonomics Training

The Occupational Safety and Ergonomics Excellence Program at Rochester Institute of Technology will host an occupational safety and ergonomics workshop 1-5 p.m. April 5 at the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies on RIT’s campus. The program is one of the region’s top sources of training in the field of ergonomics—the science of fitting workplace conditions and demands to worker capabilities to maximize productivity and to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and risk of injury.

The training session will assist participants in analyzing current ergonomic and health and safety issues and provide instruction on proper workstation design, hazardous material handling and health and safety compliance. The program is open to all individuals who lead, facilitate or manage the safety and ergonomics efforts in their facilities.

“This program can assist companies in identifying and addressing risk factors before they inhibit productivity and efficiency,” notes Tracy Freas, staff engineer at RIT and one of the workshop trainers. “According to the National Safety Council, any injury resulting in a day lost from work costs the employer an average of $34,000.”

The workshop is being offered at a reduced cost of $75 per person through the support of a grant from the Hazard Abatement Board of the New York State Department of Labor. For more information about the program, contact Freas at (585) 475-5807. To register, call Sue Hickey at (585) 475-7704 or visit www.training.rit.edu/programs.aspx.