Ergonomic Consultation

Ergonomics can be simply defined as improving the “fit” between the worker, the work environment and the work being performed. Identifying injury risks in the workplace related to design, operations, worker anthropometry, work habits, environment, workflow or other related factors is the first step to reducing the costly musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) prevalent in today’s workplaces.

We currently provide the following services:

Employers strive to maintain a safe, healthy and productive workforce. The health ergonomic services we provide at Physical Therapy Associates of Schenectady and Berkshire Physical Therapy and Wellness can assist your business to optimize worker productivity and comfort while minimizing the potential risk factors that lead to musculoskeletal injury.

Injury Avoidance and Management is key to controlling costs associated with work-related injuries. Identification of early warning signs and management of early symptoms can reduce the severity of musculoskeletal issues to insure they do not go on to become significant injuries.

Our injury avoidance programs are designed to educate workers in ways they can prevent specific injuries and reduce cumulative trauma to their bodies during work-related activities. In addition to ergonomic services, our physical therapists help manage musculoskeletal injuries to keep employees working, reduce restrictions and lost work time, and insure the earliest possible return to work following injury or illness.

Since businesses and employees are unique to their work tasks and potential injuries, an injury prevention program is unique as well. Customized education programs allow us to target the most common injuries and get employees actively involved in the injury prevention process. In addition, we can provide screenings and work conditioning programs for new employees to insure their physical abilities match the job tasks.

A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a comprehensive evaluation that provides an objective measure of an individual's safe maximal physical capacity to perform work. The detailed examination and evaluation process is designed to measure the individual’s current level of function, like a snapshot in time, within the context of the physical demands of employment. An FCE measures the ability of an individual to perform functional or work-related tasks and predicts the potential to sustain these tasks over a defined period of time. The physical capabilities achieved during the FCE are compared to the physical demands of a job or other functional activity and are used to make "Return to Work" / activity decisions, disability determinations or to generate a rehabilitation plan.

What is the information from an FCE used for?

FCE recommendations are valuable to assist the physician or other referring sources (insurers, employers, case managers, attorneys) in a more objective determination of:

  •  An individual's ability to perform the essential physical tasks of their job or alternative job options
  • Return-to-Work feasibility
  • Appropriate job modification or job placement
  • Disability considerations
  •  Individual's potential for rehabilitation
  • Appropriate ergonomic Intervention
  • Case management and closure

Our team of physical therapists specialized in ergonomics can provide recommendations to both employers and employees to reduce strain, improve work posture, modify tools and equipment, create rotation schedules, and improve productivity and worker’s comfort. A Physical Therapy Associates consultation can become a valuable part of employee health and safety teams to help promote a proactive approach to reducing work-related injuries.

Rosemarie Agresta Trigger, PT, CSHE

Rosemarie earned her degree in Physical Therapy from Upstate Medical Center in 1979. She became a Certified Specialist in Health Ergonomics (CSHE) in 2005 and has extensive expertise in the areas of industrial consultation, health ergonomics, job analysis, injury prevention and management, functional capacity evaluation, job matching. Rosemarie is also a certified Functional Capacity Evaluation provider for ErgoScience and DSI Work Solutions, and a provider for WorkSTEPS Objective Employment Testing protocols. In addition to industrial consultation, her clinical expertise includes orthopedics, manual physical therapy, hand therapy, foot biomechanics, athletic injury management and general rehabilitation. She is a Certified Professional Trainer (CProT) through NCSME. Rosemarie has developed onsite injury prevention and ergonomics programs for companies including GE Energy, GE Transportation (Energy Storage), SI Group, US Postal Service, Momentive, Lydall and others. She presents ergonomics and injury management training programs to businesses and is involved in all aspects of return to work management. Rosemarie manages the Ergonomics Team of Physical Therapy Associates of Schenectady, P.C.

Certifications and Continuing Education Programs (Ergonomics and Injury Management-related only; not in chronological order)

  • Certified Specialist in Health Ergonomics 3/18/2005; recertification 2010
  • WorkSteps Objective Employment Testing Protocols provider certification 3/2012
  • DSI Work Solutions Certification (Job Function Test Design, Job Function Matching, Functional Assessment 6/9/2009
  • Certified ErgoScience PWPE provider (Functional Capacity Evaluation) 2/3/1998
  • Certified Professional Trainer (CProT) 1/20/2001
  • Advanced Ergonomics, Humantech 12/9/2015
  • GE 3 day Principles of Ergonomics Course (trainer certification) 10/5-9/2015
  • Economics of Ergonomics, Auburn Engineers 3/2014
  • Humantech 2014 (Job Rotation, Five Steps to Improving Office Ergo, ErgoPoints)
  • Humantech 2013 (Ergo for Delivery & Distribution, Just Fix It, Sit vs Stand, Ergo Maturity Curve)
  • Humantech 2012 (Industrial Ergo Solutions, Six Ways to Leverage Tech Ergo, Ergo for Flexible WF)
  • Kinesiology Taping 10/2012 7 CEUs
  • Design for Ergonomic Guidelines 7/2012
  • Ergonomic Solutions: Fact or Fad, Humantech 6/2011
  • Ergonomics Training for Engineers, Don Day 5/16-20, 2011
  • DSI Work Solutions Ergonomic Webinar Series, 12 CEUs 3/2010 (Topics including: Ergonomics, The Aging Worker, Onsite Injury Management, Early Intervention in Industry, ADA, Office Ergonomics)
  • Functional Assessment and Exercise for the Aging Adult 7CEUs 8/27/10
  • Rotator Cuff Syndrome, 6 CEUs 7/7/2008
  • Management of the Elbow Complex, 2 CEUs 8/2016
  • Current Treatment for Lumbar Spine 2 CEUs 8/2016
  • Wrist Instability, 2 CEUs 8/2016
  • Office Ergonomics, 2 CEUs, 6/2016
  • Work Injury Prevention (H109) Ergo Rehab 6 CEUs 6/2008
  • Worker Rehab: The Shoulder (H108) ErgoRehab 9 CEUs 5/2008
  • Principles and Applications of Ergonomics (GE 3 day course) 4/2006
  • Health Ergonomics Program Development 2/2004
  • Health Ergonomics Application 2/2004
  • Fundamentals of Health Ergonomics 11/21/2003
  • Backs for the Future 5/15/2003
  • Work Injury Management 11/7/2002
  • Ergonomics Training Course (GE 3 day course, Don Day) 5/16-18/2000
  • Ergonomic and Injury Management Course Boston, MA 12/3-5/1999
  • Work Injury Management 11/5/1999
  • Work Injury Management Convention, Dallas, TX 2/29-3/3/1996
  • Advanced Concepts in Industrial Rehabilitation, Pittsburgh, PA 10/12-15, 1995
  • Low Back Dilemna 5/25/1995
  • Lumbar Functional Stabilization 10/16-17, 1993
  • Isotechnologies Seminar Computerized LiftStations, Raleigh, NC 10/8-9, 1993
  • Ergonomic Analysis of the Workplace, Orlando, FL 10/16-20/1992
  • East Coast Back Symposium, Boston, MA 10/3-4/1992
  • Physical Capacity Evaluation – Blankenship Approach, Boston, MA 4/3-5/1992
  • How to Establish a Work Hardening Program, Toronto, Canada 6/1991
  • Upper Extremity Cumulative Trauma Disorder Management, 3/1992
  • Atlanta Back School/Isernhagen Work Hardening Program, Chicago, Ill 9/19-23/1990
  • Back Injury Prevention 10/23/1987
  • Low Back Pain Syndrome 11/1-2/1984
  • APTA National Convention (Stover Snook/NIOSH), San Antonio, TX 6/28-7/2/198