Ergonomics, Equality, & Advocacy: Unveiling
Dr. Laura Punnett's Quest for Safe Workspaces
Dr. Laura Punnett has championed for safe workplaces for everyone for most of her career.
“I didn’t want to be a bench scientist, I wanted to engage with science that engaged with the social issues I cared about,” she says in our interview, with a conviction in her voice.
The societal standards of a particular time often determine the funding interests of that period. During the women’s movement in America during the 1980s, the norms started to change and money flowed into different research groups. As a result, a generation of researchers emerged with a focus on women and other marginalised groups that had been overlooked. That’s where Prof. Punnett started out.
In our interview with her, we talk about her current work and her journey to getting here.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Garment Workers, & Emotional Labor
Dr. Punnett takes us through a rearview mirror as she talks about how she first started off in the industry. “I didn’t even know what carpal tunnel syndrome meant. I had to go look it up in our library encyclopaedia”, she quips. Little did she know that this venture would lead her to an in-depth exploration of ergonomic issues in the garment industry, specifically focusing on the often-overlooked women’s workforce.
This nostalgic part of the conversation reveals a well-known but still disconcerting truth - women’s labor is often undervalued, both in terms of skill and compensation.
Bringing us back to the present day, she talks about a recent harrowing headline in hospitals. Violence against hospital staff has increased, particularly towards women. In the interview, we talk further about what employers can do to help mitigate it, not just in the healthcare industry, but everywhere.
Participatory Ergonomics ensures that the workers on the ground are going to benefit from the program. Without it, there is often a lack of appreciation for understanding the factors that might affect the workers’ well-being. For e.g., a boss who is so focused on speed that a worker might physically lift a heavy weight vs. use a crane. Ensuring that the lived experiences of employees are taken into account guarantees success in workplace safety programs.
Intriguingly, Dr. Punnett says that participatory worker improvement programs are relevant across a spectrum of industries. Ergonomic hazards are present in manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and office settings, amongst others.
To dive into the world of participatory ergonomics, listen to the full episode here.
You can also listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Participatory Ergonomics and using science as a means of social change
Ergonomics, Equality, & Advocacy: Unveiling Dr. Laura Punnett's Quest for Safe Workspaces
Dr. Laura Punnett has championed for safe workplaces for everyone for most of her career.
“I didn’t want to be a bench scientist, I wanted to engage with science that engaged with the social issues I cared about,” she says in our interview, with a conviction in her voice.
The societal standards of a particular time often determine the funding interests of that period. During the women’s movement in America during the 1980s, the norms started to change and money flowed into different research groups. As a result, a generation of researchers emerged with a focus on women and other marginalised groups that had been overlooked. That’s where Prof. Punnett started out.
In our interview with her, we talk about her current work and her journey to getting here.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Garment Workers, & Emotional Labor
With over two decades of experience in teaching and researching work-related musculoskeletal disorders, Prof. Szeto sheds light on the intricate relationship between modern technology & physical well-being.
Our workstations tend to keep us fixed in certain positions for long periods of time. For e.g., some jobs require sitting and staring at a screen for hours which results in a hunched position. Others, like surgeons, require standing with ones hands suspended halfway between up and down, or what Prof. Szeto refers to as the “chicken-wing posture”.
We come away from both such workstations with muscle aches and pains which gradually compile into more serious musculoskeletal disorders.
As a physiotherapist, Prof. Szeto realised that while she could alleviate patients' pain through treatment, it was a short lived solution. The pain would return if their work habits were not improved. This realisation drove her to study and research ergonomics in hopes of educating patients on how to improve their work setups and maintain good posture.
But, how do you intervene if the person you’re trying to help doesn’t know they need it?
At PREMUS, WDPI, & MYOPAIN, Dr. Laura Punnett is giving a workshop titled Participatory Ergonomics in the Prevention and Management of WRMSD: Engaging Workers in a Facilitated Design Process in collaboration with Dr. Serena Rice and Dr. Mette Jensen Stochkendahl.
Registrations are now open for workshop-only takers!