Definition of Terms:

Administrative controls are procedures and methods, typically instituted by the employer, that significantly reduce daily exposure to WMSD hazards by altering the way in which work is performed. Examples of administrative controls for WMSD hazards include:

• Employee rotation • Redesign of work methods
• Job task enlargement • Alternative tasks
• Adjustment of work pace • Rest breaks (e.g., slower pace)

Exercise programs (e.g., stretching) are not prohibited, but they are not administrative controls under the OSHA standard.

Effectiveness measures are the indicators used to assess whether an ergonomics program and controls are successfully controlling WMSD hazards and reducing the number and severity of WMSDs. Effectiveness measures include both activity and outcome measures.

• Activity measures are indicators used to measure interim accomplishments in building and maintaining an ergonomics program. These measures are used to assess the functioning of the various activities in your program (e.g., number of hazards identified, number of Employee(s) trained).
• Outcome measures are indicators used to quantitatively assess long-term success of the program and interventions that have been put into place (e.g., number of lost workdays, number of hazards controlled, severity of WMSDs).

Engineering controls are physical changes to jobs that control exposure to WMSD hazards. Engineering controls act on the source of the hazard and control employee exposure to the hazard without relying on the employee to take self-protective action or intervention. Examples of engineering controls for WMSD hazards include changing, modifying or redesigning the following:

• Workstations • Equipment
• Tools • Materials
• Facilities • Processes

Ergonomics is the science of fitting jobs to people. Ergonomics encompasses the body of knowledge about physical abilities and limitations as well as other human characteristics

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