About the course
This short course gives laboratory and office staff a practical foundation in ergonomics, helping them work comfortably and prevent injury. It starts with the principles of ergonomics, injury statistics and South Africa’s Ergonomics Regulations, then shows how to identify physical, organisational, environmental and psychosocial risk factors. Participants learn core risk assessment concepts, including fatigue, awkward postures, manual handling, pushing and pulling, and repetitive strain, followed by work-related upper limb disorders and the injury and claim journey. Dedicated modules cover laboratory bench, fume hood and microscope set-up, pipetting, seating, lighting and PPE, as well as office chair, monitor, keyboard, mouse, laptop and glare set-up. The course concludes with stretching, micro-breaks and building a culture of well-being, supported by USA, UK and South African online risk assessment tools.
Course Content
- Foundations of ergonomics and South African law
- Identifying ergonomic risks in the research laboratory
- Ergonomic risk assessment concepts
- Work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs)
- Laboratory workstation ergonomics
- Office workstation ergonomics
- Stretching, exercise and wellness programmes
Certification
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a UCT Faculty of Science Certificate of Completion. To qualify for certification, participants must:
- Attend all scheduled sessions; and
- Achieve a minimum score of 80% in the summative assessment.
- Participants who miss any session or do not achieve the required 80% assessment score will not qualify for certification.
Cost and registration
- External attendees: Enrol directly via The Learning Store.
- UCT permanent staff: Register via SuccessFactors - no cost.
- UCT third-party staff: No cost - request a discount voucher from cemohse@uct.ac.za before enrolling.
- UCT students: Receive a 50% discount - request a discount voucher from cemohse@uct.ac.za before enrolling.
- Group bookings: Groups of 10 or more attendees receive a 25% discount - request a group discount voucher from cemohse@uct.ac.za before enrolling.
More Information
Read more: Basic Laboratory and Office Workstation Ergonomics
Email: cemohse@uct.ac.za
Phone: +27 (0)21 650 4549
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