Ergonomics Grants

2011-2012 Ergonomic (Ergo) Grants

Ergo Grants 2011 Poster

Questions and Answers

What are Ergo Grants?
Ergo Grants are funds that encourage solving ergonomic issues at the University of Michigan. The program provides seed money to purchase equipment or redesign work processes for projects to be completed by September 2012.

What is the goal of Ergo Grants?
The goal of Ergo Grants is to reduce ergonomic risk factors to prevent or reduce employee discomfort. Ergonomic changes to the work, work tasks, and how people perform their work can help improve comfort, safety, efficiency, productivity and job satisfaction.

What kind of projects will be considered for Ergo Grants?
The Ergo Grants can only fund projects that affect UM faculty and staff. Projects for students and external companies cannot be funded. The grants also cannot fund UM large scale department redesign or non-ergonomics safety issues, such as lead paint removal, wiring/heating/cooling,or infection control measures. Grants are for projects not yet funded by other resources. View photos and stories of previous funded projects.

Qualifying projects must address one or more of the following ergonomic risk factors:

Awkward Postures
Posture is the position the body... Awkward postures include repeated or long term reaching, twisting, bending, kneeling, squatting, working overhead with your hands or arms, or holding fixed positions.
Forceful Exertions
Force is the amount of physical effort required to perform a task, like heavy lifting or controlling equipment or tools. The amount of force depends on the type of grip, the weight of an object, body postures, the types of activity and the duration of the task.
Repetition or Sustained Postures
Repetition and sustained postures are either doing the same motions over and over again or holding the body in one posture for long periods of time. Both place stress on the muscles and tendons. The amount of risk depends on how often the action is repeated, the length of time postures are maintained, the speed of the movement, the number of muscles involved, and the force required.
Contact Stress
Contact stress is pressing the body against a hard or sharp surface. It can put too much pressure on nerves, tendons, and blood vessels. For example, using your hand as a hammer can increase your risk of MSD (musculoskeletal disorders).
Vibration
Vibration occurs while using tools such as sanders, grinders, chippers, routers, drills and saws. Too much vibration can lead to nerve damage. Special padding or anti-vibration gloves can help. If possible, reduce the amount of time you spend working with vibration tools.
Temperature Extremes
Temperature extremes are too high or too low for the worker's health and productivity. It can also influence the amount of risk factors. As an example, the use of thick or loose-fitting gloves to keep hands warm may cause you to grip hand tools more forcefully, resulting in added stress to the wrists and hands. Similarly, a hot environment may decrease endurance and may increase the slipperiness of hand tools due to sweating.

How much funding is provided by Ergo Grants?
Proposals may be funded for up to $5,000 per grant, with departmental cost sharing usually required. Departments need to be able to make the full purchase, and then the Grant funds will be provided when proof of purchase is received.

Does applying guarantee funding?
No, due to the large number of requests received, not all projects can receive funding. The annual Grant budget has been $45,000, while departments have asked for more than $400,000 each year. In order to spread the benefits throughout the university, grants usually vary from one hundred to a few thousand dollars per project. To help those in greatest need, apply only if the department does not have other ways to fund the project.

Who reviews the proposals and can help with questions?
Proposals will be reviewed by the MHealthy Ergonomics Awareness Team, consisting of ergonomic consultants and health and safety personnel from Environment, Health and Safety Offices in Dearborn, Flint, MHealthy, OSEH Ann Arbor and UMHHC Safety Management Services.

For questions about your project please contact your local ergonomics injury prevention representative. Their information can be found at www.mhealthy.umich.edu/programs/ergonomics/how.html

For questions regarding submitting an application please email mhealthyergo@umich.edu or call 734-647-7888.

Be sure to include your supervisor or manager in your project planning. The Ergonomics Team will require their signature, before any grant funds are supplied.

How will the MHealthy Ergonomic Awareness Team evaluate the proposals?
The team will review each application for the following:

The risk of injuries that will be reduced by the project
The likelihood of reducing the risks with the project.
Department cost share
For chair replacement requests
1. The team will consider applications to replace only chairs that meet all of these criteria:
  1. Used at least 4 hours every day by at least one faculty or staff member
  2. Lacks wheels and they are needed, or has wheels but less than 5 legs
  3. Lacks seat height adjustment or the chair needs to spin for seat height adjustment,
  4. The new purchase is not part of a department move or large scale redesign
2. Chairs will only be funded if the cost per chair is over $400 to ensure the product is of good quality and may strain a department's budget. The maximum cost share the grants will offer per chair is $200 and your department will need to fund the balance (typically another $200-$300 per chair).
  Here are examples of the type of office chairs that might be considered for replacement:

What is the timeline?

Applications:	Grant proposals are accepted year round. Applications can be submitted at https://hr.umich.edu/mhealthy/ergo-grants
Reviews:	Applications will be reviewed at least once, maybe twice a year, if funds are available.
Review dates:	November and maybe April
Notifications:	Notifications of committee decisions will follow the reviews, typically in January and May.
Requirements	Winners will be required to provide proof of purchase, a post-survey, and a digital photo showing the project in use.

Who can apply for a grant?
Any UM faculty or staff member can submit an application. A department manager's signature of approval is required for the application to be funded.

What if you applied in the past and were not funded? Can you re-apply, and what are the chances of being funded?
Yes, everyone can re-apply. The chances of being funded depend on the how your project compares with the other requests that the team receives, and the amount of funds available Contact your local ergonomics representative for specific questions: www.mhealthy.umich.edu/programs/ergonomics/how.html

If the grant is approved, what will be required of our department?

A manager's signature of acceptance is required.
Your department purchases and installs the approved equipment
Your department emails all of the required documentation to mhealthyergo@umich.edu
MHealthy completes the approved reimbursement via journal entry.
Your department completes a brief post-survey and provides a digital photo demonstrating the reduced risk with the ergonomic change in use.
MHeatlhy shares information about your success with UM Leadership

How do I apply?
Complete the online application, including the required digital photo simulating the risk of injury.