As Workplace Safety Evolves, Will Ergonomics Expertise Matter More Than Ever? Four Industry Leaders Explain Why
Looking ahead ten years, what do you believe will have the greatest impact on the future of ergonomics and its integration into safety programs?
That is the question that will close the panel session Strengthening Safety Programs Through Ergonomics Expertise at the National Safety Council Safety Congress & Expo in Indianapolis, IN, on Monday, September 14. Yet it may also be one of the most important questions safety leaders should be asking today.
Many organizations are investing in new technologies, data-driven tools, and innovative approaches to risk management. At the same time, work is becoming more complex. Operations are evolving, workforce demographics are changing, and organizations are expected to improve safety, quality, productivity, and performance simultaneously.
As workplace safety evolves, a critical question emerges: Will ergonomics expertise matter more than ever?
According to the panelists leading this discussion, the answer is yes.
Why should you care?
Because when ergonomics expertise is not integrated into safety programs, organizations often discover problems after equipment is installed, processes are launched, injuries occur, or productivity suffers. Risks that could have been addressed during design become costly retrofits. Technologies are implemented without clear validation of their effectiveness. Symptoms are treated while underlying system issues remain unchanged. The earlier ergonomics expertise is applied, the greater the opportunity to prevent risk and improve outcomes.
The session brings together four respected ergonomics leaders and Certified Professional Ergonomists (CPEs): James Rethaber, PhD, CPE, Vice President of Technical Operations at Fit For Work; Marisol Barrero, MS, CPE, Founder and Principal Consultant of Ergo Forward; Ram Maikala, PhD, Subject Matter Expert and Program Technical Consultant with the National Safety Council’s MSD Solutions Lab; and Cathy White, CIH, CSP, CPE, Senior EHS Expertise Improvement Manager at Dow. Together, they represent decades of experience applying ergonomics to improve safety, productivity, quality, and operational performance.
As Certified Professional Ergonomists and volunteers supporting the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE), the panelists will discuss how competent ergonomists help organizations identify and address risks that traditional safety approaches may not fully capture.
The discussion begins with a shift many organizations are striving to make: moving from reactive injury management to proactive risk reduction. Rethaber and Maikala will discuss how ergonomics supports long-term strategy by identifying risks before they result in injuries, operational disruptions, or unnecessary costs.
Next, Barrero and White will tackle upstream design integration, demonstrating how ergonomists collaborate with engineering and operations teams to influence decisions before equipment is installed, processes are launched, or capital investments are made—the best time to solve a workplace problem is before it exists.
Technology will also be part of the conversation. As organizations adopt tools such as computer vision, wearables, sensors, and exoskeletons, Maikala and Barrero will discuss how ergonomics professionals evaluate these types of emerging solutions, separate meaningful innovation from hype, and determine whether new technologies really do improve worker outcomes.
Finally, White and Rethaber will examine how human factors and systems thinking help organizations look beyond individual tasks to understand the interaction between people, processes, equipment, and organizational systems. This broader perspective often reveals opportunities to improve not only safety, but also quality, productivity, and overall performance.
The panel will also introduce the BCPE model for developing competent ergonomics expertise, highlighting why professional competency remains essential.
As the discussion concludes, attendees will return to the question that opens the session:
What will have the greatest impact on ergonomics and its integration into safety programs over the next 10 years?
While the answers may vary, one theme will be clear. Technology, data, and innovation will continue to evolve. But organizations that successfully strengthen their safety programs will be those that pair those tools with the experts who understand risk, influence design, and improve systems.
If you’re attending the conference, join in on the discussion on Monday, September 14, at 4:00 p.m. ET. Whether you’re interested in advancing your organization’s ergonomics capabilities, learning more about BCPE certification, or discussing the future of ergonomics and workplace safety, the expert panelists will be available after the session to answer questions and continue the conversation.
And if you can’t attend, don’t worry. This article is just the beginning. As BCPE’s inaugural blog post, it serves as a preview of the discussion. Following the conference, we’ll publish a follow-up recap highlighting key takeaways, insights, and perspectives shared during the session, including what these industry leaders believe will shape the future of ergonomics and workplace safety in the decade ahead.