New CSA Ergonomics Standard

A new CSA Ergonomics Standard -CSA Standard Z1004: Workplace Ergonomics- has just been posted for public review at: https://review.csa.ca/opr/opr_list.asp.

CSA Standards are developed with representation from many groups, which in this case includes business, labour, provincial and federal bodies as well as ergonomists and academics. The Centre Director, Dr. Richard Wells is a part of the Committee.

The committee has been meeting for approximately 2 years. The public review allows comments to be submitted over the next 60 days. The committee will consider them for the next version. The Committee would value your input to make the Standard as valuable a document as possible.

Please note that the document is under the Health and Safety group of standards (CSA Z1000) and so it is not an ergonomics text, but rather an application of ideas and principles to improve an organization’s health and safety performance.

The Committee wished to incorporate a range of information and tools within the Standards’ guidance materials. This would enable workplaces to use it “out of the box” without needing to obtain other resources. The way the Annex A is referred to in the standard to a large extent affects what information and tools to put into it. For example, some wording under discussion is that only ‘validated tools methods checklists and standards’ should go in the Annex. This is still an item of discussion… which is why the specific content is not included.

Rather than slow things down, the Standard was released with this section pending. Your comments on this part of the Standard are welcomed too.