The Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the FPE Impact Grants for 2025-2026. FPE Impact Grants are intended as seed funding for small (pilot) projects that could potentially lead to more extensive funding opportunities from other sources in the future. The aim is to support professional ergonomics projects around the world that demonstrate the impact that ergonomics can have on productivity, safety, and well-being. A total of ten proposals were received from Ghana, India, Thailand, US, and Vietnam. The selection committee decided to provide funding to two excellent proposals deemed to have the highest potential impact on the practice of ergonomics worldwide.
The first FPE Impact Grant went to a project entitled: “Development of an Ergonomic Risk Assessment Tool for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Orthopedic Surgeons in India” proposed by Dr Deepak Sharan, Consultant in Orthopedic Surgery, Rehabilitation, Ergonomics, and Occupational Health, RECOUP Health, Bengaluru, India.
Orthopedic surgery in India (Photo credit: Dr. Sharan| Copyright: © Dr. Deepak Sharan, 2025)
Orthopedic surgeons often face ergonomically demanding conditions involving prolonged static, awkward postures, repetitive tasks, skilled and precise movements with complex devices, high physical exertion and workload levels, psychosocial stress and burnout. They perform dynamic, complex, and variable tasks in multiple work locations. These risk factors contribute significantly to developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). Existing risk assessment tools fail to appropriately evaluate the nature of the task, the variable postures involved and the duration of exposure that can predict the risk of an orthopedic surgeon developing WRMSD. The objectives of this study are:
- To validate a new ergonomic assessment tool called the Time-based Assessment Computerized Strategy (TACOS) in orthopedic surgeons in India.
- To identify the risk factors for the development of WRMSD, including personal (e.g., anthropometric characteristics, physical health, workstyle, medical comorbidities, lifestyle), ergonomic, psychosocial, and environmental risk factors.
- To describe the clinical features, distribution, and severity of the WRMSD.
- To investigate the associations among orthopedic surgeons’ subspeciality areas, tasks, risk factors, and WRMSDS.
The second FPE Impact Grant was awarded to Matthew Kwaw of Prime Occupational Health and Safety for the proposal entitled “Vigilance on the Frontline: Ergonomics Training for Healthcare Workers in Ghana, Africa.”
Healthcare workers in Ghana are vital yet vulnerable. At Bemuah Royal Hospital in Accra, ergonomic-related illnesses affect 69% to 94% of staff, with lower back pain prevalent due to physical demands, inadequate training, and resource scarcity. The magnitude of the problem mirrors a global crisis in developing countries, where limited funds hinder ergonomic interventions, leaving healthcare workers, unsung heroes battling musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue, unsupported. These caregivers, essential to Ghana’s 30 million people, deserve better. Objectives of the study are:
- Risk Identification: Train 50 healthcare workers to identify three key ergonomic hazards (e.g., improper lifting, prolonged standing).
- Body Mechanics: Teach safe lifting and posture techniques to reduce lower back strain by 20%.
- Self-Care: Equip workers with self-care practices (e.g., stretching) to cut fatigue by 15%.
- Low-Cost Solutions: Implement two affordable ergonomic fixes (e.g., using local materials) tailored to resource-limited settings.
- Hazard Reporting: Boost confidence to report hazards, targeting a 20% increase in reports.
- Feedback System: Establish a feedback loop, aiming for 80% participant satisfaction to refine training.
These measurable goals address WMSDs, enhance safety, and empower workers, aligning with local needs and global ergonomic priorities.
Both projects have a 12-month period of performance and will provide interim and final reports. Findings will be published in professional journals with reference to the Foundation’s financial support.
For more information about the proposal submission process for future Impact Grant Awards, please contact Drs. Waldemar Karwowski (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Harvey Cohen (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Your donations support Impact Grants. Each of these high visibility projects raises awareness of professional practice in ergonomics in developing areas and has a direct impact on productivity, safety, and well-being of workers in many industries. Please make a donation to FPE to enable us to continue to support significant projects like these.