Sheridan Course Outlines

Land Acknowledgement

First Nations peoples have lived on this part of Turtle Island for millennia, stewarding the land, the water and all that contributes to life in this region. Today, the culture and presence of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples enrich the lands and people of this territory.

Over two centuries ago, the Mississauga people welcomed settlers to this territory, providing sustenance and engaging in trade and commerce. Between 1781 to 1820, eight treaties were signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation who opened their territory to settlement. Today, Sheridan campuses are located on Treaty 14, also known as the Head of the Lake Purchase of 1806 and Treaty 22 and 23 of 1820.

Treaty history is foundational, and it is our collective responsibility to honour the land, as we honour and respect those who have gone before us, those who are here and those who have yet to come. We are grateful for the opportunity to be learning, working and thriving on this land, and we commit to learn the truth and be active in the process of reconciliation.

Section I: Administrative Information

Total hours: 42.0
Credit Value: 3.0
Credit Value Notes: N/A
Effective: Winter 2026
Prerequisites: (SCIE12941 PHYG20025)
Corequisites: N/A
Equivalents: N/A
Pre/Co/Equiv Notes: N/A

Program(s): BHSK Kinesiology & Health Prom
Program Coordinator(s): Tanya Holloway, Kerry Hately
Course Leader or Contact: Joanne Hodder
Version: 20260105_00
Status: Approved (APPR)

Section I Notes: Classes are 3 hours per week over 14 weeks A minimum grade of 60% (C) is required in order to pass this course

Section II: Course Details

Detailed Description
Students develop knowledge and practical skills in ergonomics as it relates to workplace efficiency and injury prevention. Students focus on basic ergonomic principles to assess a variety of workplaces, and how to implement the related workplace interventions used to prevent and reduce injury. In addition, students will learn how to use ergonomic interventions to improve worker health, comfort and productivity. Students explore topics on muscular and nervous system injuries and how to evaluate risk of injury to these systems in the workplace, how to design ergonomically correct workstations, principles of heavy work and load handling, correct human-machine interaction workplace design, worker fatigue, stress and boredom, and how factors in the work environment effects on workers. Students apply the theoretical concepts discussed in the course so that proper technologies and/or work environment can be matched with the workers ergonomic needs in order to reduce risk of injury, improve health status, improve worker comfort, and maximize productivity in the workplace.

Program Context

BHSK Kinesiology & Health Prom	Program Coordinator(s): Tanya Holloway, Kerry Hately
This required second year course builds on learning from introductory courses and focuses on fundamental knowledge and practical skills to apply biomechanical and physiology concepts in the workplace. Successful completion of this course prepares students for subsequent courses.

Course Critical Performance and Learning Outcomes

	Critical Performance:
	By the end of this course, students will have demonstrated the ability to apply the fundamental principles of ergonomics to workers in the workplace.

Learning Outcomes:

To achieve the critical performance, students will have demonstrated the ability to:

Evaluate muscular, neurological and cardiopulmonary aspects of work efficiency in the workplace.
Design an ergonomically correct workstation.
Apply principles of heavy work and load handling in the workplace.
Design ergonomically correct human-machine interaction in the work environment.
Evaluate mental activity, fatigue, stress and boredom in the workplace.
Summarize the effects of working hours, eating habits and shift work on workers.
Evaluate the effects of workplace environmental factors (i.e, light, noise, vibration, temperature & colour) on workers health and well being.

Evaluation Plan
Students demonstrate their learning in the following ways:

Evaluation Plan: IN-CLASS

	Midterm Exam	35.0%
	Final Exam	45.0%
	In-class Assignment ( 5 x 2%)	10.0%
	Quiz # 1	2.5%
	Quiz # 2	2.5%
	Quiz # 3	2.5%
	Quiz # 4	2.5%
	Total	100.0%

Evaluation Notes and Academic Missed Work Procedure:

TEST AND ASSIGNMENT PROTOCOL  
 
To encourage behaviours that will help students to be successful in the workplace and to ensure that students receive credit for their individual work, the following rules apply to every course offered within the Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies.  
            
Students are responsible for staying abreast of test dates and times, as well as due dates and any special instructions for submitting assignments and projects as supplied to the class by the professor.
Students must write all tests at the specified times. Missed tests, in-class activities, assignments and presentations are awarded a mark of zero.  If an extension or make-up opportunity is approved by the professor as outlined below, the mark of zero may be revised by subsequent performance.  The penalty for late submission of written assignments is a loss of 10% per day for up to five business days (excluding weekends and statutory holidays), after which, a grade of zero is assigned. Business days include any day that the college is open for business, whether the student has scheduled classes that day or not.  
Students who miss a test or in-class activity or assignment or fail to submit an assignment on time due to exceptional circumstances are required to notify their professor in advance of the class whenever possible.  A make-up test may be supplied for students who provide an acceptable explanation of their absence and/or acceptable documentation explaining their absence (e.g., a medical certificate). All make-up tests are to be written at a time and place agreed to by the professor and the student upon the student's return. Alternately, students may be given an opportunity to earn the associated marks by having a subsequent test count for the additional marks. Exceptional circumstances may result in a modification of due dates for assignments.
Unless otherwise specified, assignments and projects must be submitted at the beginning of class. 
Students must complete every assignment as an individual effort unless, the professor specifies otherwise.
Since there may be instances of grade appeal or questions regarding the timely completion of assignments and/or extent of individual effort, etc., students are strongly advised to keep, and make available to their professor, if requested, a copy of all assignments and working notes until the course grade has been finalized.  
There will be no re-submission of work unless this has been previously agreed to or suggested by the professor. 
Students must submit all assignments in courses with practical lab and field components in order to pass the course.

Provincial Context
The course meets the following Ministry of Colleges and Universities requirements:

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
PLAR Contact (if course is PLAR-eligible) - Office of the Registrar

Not Eligible for PLAR

Section III: Topical Outline

Some details of this outline may change as a result of circumstances such as weather cancellations, College and student activities, and class timetabling.
Instruction Mode: In-Class
Professor: Joanne Hodder
Resource(s):
Course material costs can be found through the Sheridan Bookstore

	Type	Description
Required	Textbook	Ergonomics and Injury Prevention, Potvin, J., Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Courseware, current

Applicable student group(s): BHSc (Kinesiology and Health Promotion)
Course Details:

Module 1: Introduction

1.1 Definitions

1.3 Injury Mechanisms

1.5 Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)

1.6 The Role Ergonomics/Human Factors in workplace injury

Module 2: Biomechanics of Injury

2.1 Work Demands and Work Capacity

2.2 Mechanical Tolerance of Tissues

2.3 Stress-Strain Properties

2.6 Viscoelastic Properties

2.7 Fatigue

2.9 Occupational Injuries

2.10 Occupational Back Injuries

2.11 Upper Extremity Injuries

2.12 Hand and Wrist Injuries

Module 3: Risk Analysis with Physical Criterion

3.1 Physical tolerance limits within the workplace

3.2 Taking measurements for risk analysis in the workplace

3.3 Assessing injury risk using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) equations

In-class activity #1 (2%)

Quiz #1 (2.5%)

3.4 Assessing injury risk using the Snook Tables

3.5 Biomechanical Analysis – 3D Static Strength Prediction Program tool

In-class activity #2 (2%)

Quiz #2 (2.5%)

Module 4: Risk Analysis with Physiological Criterion

4.1 Physiological safe work guidelines

4.2 Assessing injury risk with the Garg metabolic equations

Midterm Exam (35%)

Module 5: Risk Analysis: Integrated Injury Risk Assessment Tools

5.1 How we integrate the physiological, epidemiological, biomechanical and psychophysical criterion

5.2 Assessing injury risk using the Mital Tables

5.3 A guide to assessing manual materials handling tasks

In-class activity #3 (2%)

Module 6: Upper Extremity Risk Analysis

6.1 Mechanisms of injury in the upper extremity

6.2 Assessing upper extremity injury risk using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)

In-class activity #4 (2%)

Quiz #3 (2.5%)

Module 7: Risk Analysis for High Frequency tasks

7.1 Effect of frequency and work-rest ratios on risk of injury

7.2 Assessing injury risk with the threshold limit value (TLV)

Module 8: Office Ergonomics and Workplace Design/Redesign

8.1 Office ergonomics

8.2 Ergonomics design recommendations

8.3 Workplace Redesign

In-class assignment #5 (2%)

Quiz #4 (2.5%)

Module 8: Effective Reporting, Economics/Law, FCE’s and Vibration

9.1 Other factors that increase risk of injury (ie vibration)

9.2 What are the OHS regulations and where ergonomics fits in

9.3 What do you include in an effective ergonomics assessment report

9.4 What happens when a worker is injured – Functional capacity evaluations

Final Exam (45% - cummulative)

Sheridan Policies

It is recommended that students read the following policies in relation to course outlines:

Academic Integrity
Copyright
Intellectual Property
Respectful Behaviour
Accessible Learning

All Sheridan policies can be viewed on the Sheridan policy website.

Appropriate use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools: In alignment with Sheridan's Academic Integrity Policy, students should consult with their professors and/or refer to evaluation instructions regarding the appropriate use, or prohibition, of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for coursework. Turnitin AI detection software may be used by faculty members to screen assignment submissions or exams for unauthorized use of artificial intelligence. Students are encouraged to engage with generative AI in teaching and learning contexts thoughtfully. Please review the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence at Sheridan College.

Course Outline Changes: The information contained in this Course Outline including but not limited to faculty and program information and course description is subject to change without notice. Any changes to course curriculum and/or assessment shall adhere to approved Sheridan protocol. Nothing in this Course Outline should be viewed as a representation, offer and/or warranty. Students are responsible for reading the Important Notice and Disclaimer which applies to Programs and Courses.

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