Occupational Safety & Ergonomics

Not many tools and machines are designed to accommodate the human form, human thought patterns or human lifestyle. As a result, job-related stress and injury resulting from work machinery, operations, and systems are endemic. Depending on whether we're producing goods or services, there are some unique problems as well as others that are common to many sectors.

The specialization in Occupational Safety/Ergonomics prepares you for a career recognizing, evaluating, and controlling the hazards that result from a poor fit between the worker and the workplace. You'll develop an understanding of the relevant human anatomy, physiology, and psychology, as well as how we study patterns of injury and illness in order to develop evidence-based guidelines. Knowledge about manufacturing technology and a good work organization helps us to design feasible solutions.

With this knowledge, you'll be able to create processes that optimize employee safety, skill utilization and learning, and well-being. The solutions are within reach but challenging: create jobs, processes, and work environments that mesh with how people are meant to live. Are you up to the challenge?

Prospective students with an engineering background may enroll in the Masters in Industrial Engineering (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering) and then apply for a NIOSH-supported traineeship in Occupational Safety & Ergonomics. The master's degree in Industrial Engineering focuses on the design and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment, and energy, with an emphasis on automation in manufacturing. Alternatively, a student may enroll in the Masters in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (BMEBT).