Frequently asked questions

Please click HERE for a PDF document comparing PErforM and ErgoAnalyst

The ErgoAnalyst software can be accessed via any internet browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox and Chrome) that supports Flash content.

It is recommended that a minimum of Flash 10 is installed.

All data is stored on the dedicated and secure ErgoEnterprises servers in a SQL database with comprehensive backups, security and redundancy measures in place.

Note: as the system is run completely via the ErgoEnterprises Cloud servers as a 'Software as a Service', total security of your internal systems remains intact and no interaction between the ErgoAnalyst system and any internal data occurs.

Simply click on the 'SIGNUP' button on the top right hand side of the www.errgoanalyst.com web site and follow the prompts.

Or

Contact us at info@ergoenterprises.com (or call Dr Gary Dennis on +61 410 629 626) and we can arrange access for you and your company.

The 10 minute worker training video presents the main areas of ErgoAnalyst and enables your staff to participate in the 'ErgoAnalyst - Participative Ergonomics' system.

This video can be viewed within the training page of the ErgoAnalyst software. Just remember to give it time to completely download before you play it. Or, if you are an ErgoAnalyst member you can contact us and we will send you a copy that you can use at any time.

The login area for the ErgoAnalyst software is accessed by going to www.ergoanalyst.com and then clicking on the 'LOGIN' button in the top right side of the menu bar. This will open a new window asking for your ErgoAnalyst Username and Password.

Enter your Username and Password into the relevant boxes, remembering that they are CASE Sensitive. Then click 'Login'.

If you still have problems logging in, email admin@ergoenterprises.com.

If you want to see tasks that:

• are more than 12 months old  ---  make sure you tick the '12+' tick box in the top right area of the software
• have been completed  ---  make sure you tick the blue 'Completed' tick box in the top right area of the software
• have been shared outside your company  ---  make sure you tick the 'Reviewed' tick box in the top right area of the software

You can also choose to view tasks that you have created, are in a specific linked group (such as another division within your company), or are in any linked group (if available); by selecting the appropriate option from the drop down menu bar in the top right section of the ErgoAnalyst software.

The Task List can be sorted by clicking on any of the title bars at the top of each of the seven columns.

For example, clicking on the icon at the top of the priority column (first column) will sort the list in order of its priority level. Click on it again and it will sort it in the reverse order.

Note: by default, the Task List is sorted in alphabetical order according to task name.

Make sure you have viewed the ErgoAnalyst software training video in the members area on the training page.

Whilst in the ErgoAnalyst software, you should select the '01 - How to use ErgoAnalyst' task that is at the top of the task list and then print the associated report by going to the File menu button and selecting 'Print Task Report'. This report has detailed information about exactly what type of information should be included in each area of the ErgoAnalyst software. You should save this report (as a pdf) and refer to it when ever you need to.

On the top right side of each text box is a maximise window icon. Clicking on that icon will maximise the text box on your screen. You can add, edit or paste text into this maximised text box as per normal.

Any text can be cut, copied and pasted from either within ErgoAnalyst or from an external source (for example a Word document) by simply highlighting the appropriate text selecting copy (Ctrl-C) and then pasting it into the appropriate text box (Ctrl-V).

Note: some special characters will not copy properly from some external software sources, resulting in strange characters appearing in the ErgoAnalyst software. Like many cloud base software programs, this occurs because the associated ASCII code for those charters is not recognised by the Flash software upon which the ErgoAnalyst software has been built. If this occurs simply delete the incorrect text (and the spaces around it) and then retype the correct text directly into the ErgoAnalyst text box.

Select the task from the Task List on the identification page and then click on the + button in the Attachments section on the right side of the screen. A box will then appear asking you to choose and upload the appropriate file of your choice.

Once you have completed the upload, remember to click on the 'Reload' button so that the software can reload the task from the database, which will then display the attachment that has just been uploaded in the Attachment List.

Note: a total of 10MB files can be attached to each task, so it is recommended that picture and video files are compressed (high resolution files will not attach). 

A lot of example tasks are used in the face-to-face EA-Facilitator training to ensure that facilitators are assessing the risk correctly. If you think that you would like to attend one of these training sessions please contact us for more information.

Guidance on risk levels for each risk factor and for each body region is also given in the Help box that can be accessed by clicking on the Help option at the bottom of each risk rating box in the assessment screen.

Extensive information on the environmental risk factors (and all other areas of ErgoAnalyst) is provided in the ErgoAnalyst users manual, which can be accessed in the members section of the training page on the website, or as an attachment in the '01 - How to use ErgoAnalyst' task in the ErgoAnalyst software.

A brief description of the environmental risk factors from the users manaul is also given below for convenience.

Heat and humidity :

• that can cause fatigue leading to adoption of poor postures
• that can reduce the functional capacity of muscles

Cold :

• that can increase the internal load on tissues due to increased stiffness of tissues 
• that is a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome

Time pressures :

• that can cause the worker to adopt poor postures or perform the task quickly (higher internal force) in order to get the job done in the available time

Cognitive overload :

• a situation where the mental workload is greater than the mental workload capacity of the person performing the task. In this situation, the person may ignore key factors and may adopt poor postures because they find it hard to take all factors into account

Cognitive underload :

• a situation where the mental workload is significantly less that the mental workload capacity of the person performing the task. This may result in the person becoming bored with the task. In this situation, the person may fail to keep their mind focused on what they are doing and adopt poor postures

Lack of control :

• the work must keep pace with the given work cycle period (for example, the production line) or the worker is otherwise unable to control the characteristics of their work. Thus, poor postures, speed and repetition risk factors can be introduced into the task performance

Stress :

• epidemiological studies have indicated a link between environments with high psychological stress and the incidence of injury

‘Pinch Point’ injuries

• pinch points in the environment are deemed potentially hazardous when the potential likelihood and consequence to strike the worker and/or trap the worker between the object are significant enough to cause injury

When you generate a task report in ErgoAnalyst, you will be asked which control options you want to include in the report. 

If you are not asked to select the control options that you want to include in the report, either:

1. no control options have been entered, or
2. no proposed control option has been completed. To complete a proposed control option you must go to the Action Plan tab in the control page and then click the 'Completed' button (once you have completed the action plan details).

The ErgoAnalyst training videos, paper-based identification, documentation and assessment tools and a variety of other learning aids are all available for ErgoAnalyst members to download in the ErgoAnalyst Training Members area.

To access this area you will need a valid ErgoAnalyst Username and Password, which are the same as the ones you use to login to the ErgoAnalyst software.

When you complete each section of the task analysis (including task description, assessment, proposed control or implemented control), there is a 'Completed' or 'Implemented' button that you need to click on. This will date stamp the current date associated with the date that each section was completed.

Note: the 'Completed' button for the implemented control is in the Action Plan tab.