Ergonomics Assessment Tools for MSD Risk: Best Practices for Colorado Employers

Comparative analysis of various ergonomics assessment tools allows safety professionals to choose the right tools for their organizations’ key job demands. Colorado’s Division of Workers’ Compensation Medical Treatment Guidelines provides an invaluable added layer that all employers doing business in Colorado should know and understand.  

After attending this lunch & learn, you will be able to:

1. Refresh your understanding of five key Risk Factors for Ergonomics Evaluation and how to choose the best tools for assessment;

2. Challenge common myths about how Risk Factors are defined using comparative research; and

3. Gain an understanding of how Colorado’s Rule 17 Medical Treatment Guidelines define risk factors for cumulative trauma conditions.

Dona Leonard, OT, MS, CEAS II

Dona is an occupational therapist and ergonomist with nearly 20 years’ experience with clients spanning small, local businesses to large, as well as multinational employers. As Owner of NEWork Enterprises™, she provides a unique advantage to today’s employers in managing their employees’ safety and well-being. Physical Demands Assessments assist occupational medicine providers with determining medical causation. Ergonomics evaluations provide both the injured worker and their employer with a path forward toward a safer work environment and increased productivity. Training and educational seminar audiences have included the Colorado Bar Association, BBB/Pinnacol Policyholder groups, Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation, Rocky Mountain Electrical League (RMEL), and The Center for Workers’ Compensation Training. Participation as an Advisory Committee member, assisted with the CDLE Revision of Exhibit 7, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome-Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (2017.)