ISE professors named to Amazon, National Safety Council advisory council
Published: Aug 26, 2022 10:30 AM
By Carla Nelson
In 2021, Amazon and the National Safety Council launched a partnership and nationwide effort to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in industry, and two Auburn University engineering professors have been named to the advisory council to support the initiative.
Sean Gallagher, the Hal N. and Peggy S. Pennington Professor in the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Richard Sesek, the Tim Cook Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, were named to the advisory council as safety experts. Both are professors in Auburn University’s Center for Occupational Safety, Ergonomics and Injury Prevention.
“It shouldn’t hurt to go to work, but for the millions of employees worldwide impacted by MSDs – the most common workplace injury – the chronic pain experienced from these ailments persists long after clocking out. That’s precisely why we launched the MSD Solutions Lab, a groundbreaking initiative of the National Safety Council, with the goal of preventing these injuries before they start,” said Corinne Towler, director, MSD Solutions Lab, National Safety Council. “In collaboration with an ever-expanding community of safety leaders, committed organizations of all sizes and academic experts, we’re already starting to move the needle in reducing global MSD risk and creating safer outcomes for workers, so they can live their fullest lives.”
Funded by a five-year, $12 million corporate gift from Amazon, the program will address ergonomic injuries by engaging stakeholders, conducting research, inventing new technology, innovating solutions and scaling the results, so all workplaces may benefit.
“The idea is that Amazon wants to push for getting more ergonomic involvement with helping companies conduct ergonomic assessments,” Sesek said. “It’s aimed not just at their own needs but helping others through partnerships with industry and academia.”
Gallagher added that Amazon’s and NSC’s goal is to have a variety of businesses make a commitment to reduce musculoskeletal disorders.
“They’re focusing on demonstrating that businesses have reduced their risk at the end of this process,” he said.
The advisory council meets regularly to discuss the initiative. Representatives from companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Nike and Tesla are represented, as well as additional universities such as Virginia Tech University, Ohio State University and Texas A&M University.
By the end of 2022, the program plans to complete the launch of initiatives that include:
- The MSD Pledge: A commitment companies and organizations of all sizes can make to further efforts and develop meaningful best practices in MSD prevention.
- MSD 2025 Pioneering Research: Conduct research utilizing next-generation artificial intelligence, natural language processing and machine learning tools to explore current and future MSD innovations and trends.
- Inaugural Hackathon Challenge: To encourage innovation and interest in MSD prevention, the program will host hackathon events to allow students, industry experts and others to tackle MSD prevention in a profound and impactful way.
- Small Business and University Grants: For small businesses, universities and students to fund research and innovation that help companies of all sizes achieve impact and lead to new possibilities in technology or prevention processes.
“At Amazon, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our employees,” Heather MacDougall, vice president of worldwide workplace health and safety at Amazon said in a statement regarding the effort. “MSD-related injuries are the leading cause of workplace injuries across all industries. We are committed to reducing the risks associated with MSDs as we strive to be safer every day for our employees, customers, and the communities we serve.”
Media Contact: , carla@auburn.edu, 334-844-1404
Sean Gallagher, the Hal N. and Peggy S. Pennington Professor in the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Richard Sesek, the Tim Cook Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, were named to the advisory council as safety experts. Both are professors in Auburn University’s Center for Occupational Safety, Ergonomics and Injury Prevention.
