In this episode, Ron Porter, a pioneer in ergonomics with nearly 50 years of experience, shares insights from his groundbreaking career. Having trained and certified thousands in the field, Ron continues to set trends and shape how ergonomics is applied in workplaces today. His journey began as a left-handed child curious about how people interact with their environments, which eventually led him to physical therapy and a lifelong focus on optimizing the human body for work. He highlights that ergonomics is about much more than reducing injuries; it’s about improving productivity, minimizing errors, and ensuring that every worker has the tools and support they need to perform at their best.
Ron also explores the evolving challenges of the modern workplace, from supporting aging employees to addressing the impact of technology on movement. He emphasizes the importance of listening to workers, involving all stakeholders in solutions, and fostering authenticity over authority in workplace ergonomics. By prioritizing the needs of individuals and recognizing the value of every worker, Ron demonstrates how thoughtful ergonomic practices can enhance safety, efficiency, and overall well-being, ultimately benefiting both employees and organizations alike.
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Key Points From This Episode:
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[00:00] Ron Porter’s lifelong impact on ergonomics.
A pioneer with nearly 50 years in the field, Ron Porter explains how his left-handed childhood sparked an interest in ergonomics and how his physical therapy background has informed the training and certification of thousands of professionals.
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[06:07] How ergonomics drives productivity and profit.
Ron explains that while many companies see ergonomics mainly as a way to reduce workers’ comp claims, its real value lies in boosting productivity. Using the example of providing the right tools for left-handed workers, he shows how proper design reduces errors, increases output, and directly improves the bottom line.
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[11:40] The evolution of the field of ergonomics.
Traditional ergonomics has changed into something that is easy to implement and to educate others on. At the start of his career, Ron was typically brought in by someone in safety or someone in employee health, not someone who was making the final decision. Today, there is a much higher level of awareness of the field, making it easier for practitioners to facilitate results.
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[17:50] Results Ron has seen from his work as a physical therapist.
Ron has worked with many companies providing direct delivery. Safety professionals will often reach out seeking solutions, including warm-up programs and more. In the first year, reductions were significant.Â
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[20:36] Supporting an ageing workforce through ergonomics.
Ron argues for the value of older workers in the workplace, noting they tend to be more safety-conscious despite reduced strength. As he points out, we are all ageing workers if we are fortunate, and ergonomics helps us protect and maintain our bodies as we mature.
[24:11] The impact of technology on our bodies and our health.
As we age, declining eyesight can make balance a daily challenge. Ron notes that technology, while beneficial, is a double-edged sword; its widespread use across all ages often reduces physical movement, further affecting our health.
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[30:48] Listening to workers to find lasting solutions.
Ron credits many of his career successes to truly listening to workers and treating each person as a valued asset. He advocates moving from authority to authenticity and involving all stakeholders to secure meaningful buy-in.
Quotes:
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“I encourage employers to focus on ergonomics for the ageing workforce, but as we always say, it should be applied to every worker because ultimately, we’re all going to be ageing workers if we’re lucky.” — Ron Porter [0:22:08]
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“Our bodies are designed to move, and technology is designed to prevent us from doing that a lot of times.” — Ron Porter [0:28:05]
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“A lot of the solutions of ergonomics you will hear if you listen to the worker.” — Ron Porter [0:31:48]
“I’m definitely an ageing worker, and as I become what I like to [call] more mature, instead of older, I recognize the importance of people investing in maintenance for their bodies. And what I have seen in particular is that those of us that are in that age range, 50, 55 and above, and a lot of people working into their 70s and maybe even into their 80s, [are] actually easier to educate about ergonomics than the younger workers are.” — Ron Porter [0:20:38]
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“When I try to interact with employees or clients making decisions, we like to give them the opportunity to make a choice in the solutions. If you don’t involve everybody that’s a stakeholder in this in the process, ultimately, there’s going to be somebody that’s going to stick a pin in your balloon and you are not going to achieve the results that you really could achieve with ergonomics, because you and I both know that it does work!” — Ron Porter [0:34:30]
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Links & Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Ron Porter on LinkedIn
Ron Porter email
The Back School
Dr. Matt Jeffs on LinkedIn
TuMeke Ergonomics
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