Students get hands-on learning experience in ergonomics (FILE/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
Dr. Jim Potvin didn’t know much about ergonomics when he was first hired to help the General Motors (GM) transmission plant in Windsor improve worker safety.
He needed a summer job and had heard that the plant hired engineering students. Potvin, however, was a kinesiology student.
It was this long-shot that set Potvin on the path to becoming an ergonomist, eventually leading him to create the University of Windsor’s ergonomics program in human kinetics and train generations of future ergonomists for the automotive sector and beyond.
“I naively wrote this whole screed about how engineers don’t know anything about ergonomics and about the human body and how they needed me,” Potvin recalls of that first job application. “Lo and behold, I got an interview.”
Over that summer, Potvin learned a lot about the impact of assembly-line jobs on the human body as well as the need to collaborate with engineers and workers to improve conditions.
That summer then led to graduate work in occupational biomechanics.
Potvin later returned to the University of Winsor to establish the ergonomics program in the Faculty of Human Kinetics in 1997.
Soon after, he was joined by Dr. Dave Andrews who helped grow the program into what it is today.
"The ergonomics program started by Jim Potvin was a primary reason why I applied to be a faculty member in kinesiology," recalls Dr. Andrews.
"I felt that my doctoral research, which focused on documenting the physical demands and injury risk associated with automobile manufacturing tasks, would complement the UWindsor program well."
While Andrews's initial research through AUTO21 built on the work in automotive assembly, he realized the applicability for injury prevention research across sectors in Windsor-Essex.
"Over the years, students interested in ergonomics have gained valuable experience in a variety of workplace environments including agriculture (vegetable harvesting), healthcare (nursing), manufacturing (automotive parts), return-to-work (injury claims, rehabilitation), and higher education (office workstations, health and safety)," Andrews explains.
Central to all facets of the program is teaching students practical skills they can use in real-world settings, with an internship option at the graduate level.
The ergonomics focus became a hit with both students seeking to apply their knowledge of kinesiology and employers looking for qualified professionals to support engineers in designing safe and efficient facilities and products.
Windsor’s proximity to Detroit was part of the draw, with many interns and graduates going on to work in the U.S. automotive sector.
“They were starting to put ergonomists on every launch team for every new vehicle,” Potvin explains.
Ergonomists would assess the design of future factories and retooling plans for new products, with the goal of reducing the risk of fatigue and injury among workers performing different movements and tasks.
“More and more, companies are getting better at arguing for ergonomics from the point of view of the quality of the product they’re making,” Potvin says. “And a happy correlate of that is people are getting hurt less.”
The program Potvin began in 1997 has since expanded to include a Certificate in Human Factors and Ergonomics to jumpstart students’ careers in the field.
"Growing from its deep roots in automotive assembly, the program is now supported by several faculty members whose work spans an even broader range of related disciplines under the ergonomics and human factors umbrellas," explains Andrews.
"This diversity in student opportunities has made it a standout program for nearly 30 years."
Andrews, along with Drs. Nadia Azar, Franceso Biondi, Joel Cort, and Paula van Wyk each bring a different research focus, from distracted drivers to rock star drummers, working collaboratively to administer the program and support student success.
Keenan O’Brien, who now works in Vehicle Process Engineering at Stellantis, studied under Cort and was drawn to automotive ergonomics through an interest in injury prevention.
During his undergraduate degree, hands-on lab experience helped foster O’Brien’s curiosity.
“I found myself increasingly interested in understanding engineering and how human-centered thinking could prevent injuries in the first place,” he says.
In graduate school, O’Brien continued to expand his skills and interests.
“What began as an interest in biomechanics, injury prevention and human factors evolved into a career focused on designing better manufacturing systems through ergonomics, digital engineering and industrial design,” O’Brien says.
At Stellantis, O’Brien now oversees a team using simulation and digital engineering technologies to design, validate and optimize future manufacturing workstations and factories across North America.
“When a customer sits in a vehicle, they think about the technology, quality, comfort and design,” he says.
“They rarely think about how the vehicle was assembled or whether the workstation was designed to allow operators to work efficiently and safely. Yet those factors have a significant impact on quality, cost, productivity and worker well-being.”
Using digital design and simulation, O’Brien’s team helps engineers make better decisions early in the design process.
“Our role is to virtually simulate how future operations will be performed before a single bolt is installed,” he explains.
O’Brien’s time at the University prepared him for this role.
His graduate work involved using some of the first advanced 3D design tools in automotive manufacturing to assess factors such as reach, vision and posture as operators assembled vehicle components.
“Looking back, UWindsor gave me the technical foundation and problem-solving mindset that enabled that transition from ergonomics specialist to engineering leader,” O’Brien says.
Fellow Human Kinetics alumnus Ryan Porto (BHK ’03, MHK ’06) also applies his University of Windsor ergonomics training, helping ensure that manufacturing jobs around the world are designed to reduce injury risk while improving employee well-being.
As a technical specialist in global manufacturing ergonomics at GM, Porto leads the development and implementation of emerging technologies including digital human modelling, motion capture, virtual reality, wearable sensors, exoskeletons and AI-enabled ergonomic assessment tools.
The role also involves research initiatives and strategic partnerships with academic institutions. Porto says his own time at UWindsor helped him bridge the gap between science and real-world industrial applications, an approach he continues to apply.
“I developed a strong understanding of biomechanics, anatomy, physiology and human movement, giving me insight into how people interact with physical work environments,” he says.
He also built advanced skills during his graduate program through hands-on experience as part of his internship.
Studying under Potvin was instrumental in shaping his career, Porto says.
“His guidance helped develop not only my technical expertise in ergonomics, but also my passion for advancing the field through innovation and collaboration with academia.”
Beyond worker safety, automotive ergonomists also play a role in vehicle cockpit design, from the location of cupholders to seat adjustability and crash safety for people of different body sizes.
While Windsor’s strong manufacturing sector means ergonomists may be in particular demand in the region, Potvin says most students don’t begin kinesiology intending to enter the field. Instead, they discover ergonomics through their coursework and co-op placements and find their passion and aptitude for the work.
Even those who want to maintain a focus on sport can incorporate ergonomics into their careers, including alumni who work with professional athletes on injury prevention.
“These are still workers,” he says, “and we’re trying to prevent them getting injured.”
Potvin says the sports connection also means ergonomics students and interns tend to have strong skills in teamwork and conflict resolution that they can bring to the job.
Faculty research also exposes students to a wide range of applications, from Dr. Nadia Azar’s focus on drummers and the performing arts to Dr. Francesco Biondi’s examination of human factors in transportation.
For students currently pursuing the field, O’Brien’s advice is to build a strong foundation in biomechanics, human factors, physiology and injury prevention, which will continue to be relevant regardless of changes in technology.
“Understanding how people interact with their environment will always be valuable,” he says.
He also encourages students to gain hands-on practical experience, from lab work to internships and consulting opportunities, and to think big when it comes to potential roles in ergonomics, not just in health and safety but in engineering, product design and more.
Getting involved outside the classroom is also central to Porto’s advice to emerging ergonomists.
“Join ergonomics and human factors student groups, participate in research opportunities and take advantage of internships and co-op placements whenever possible,” he says.
“Attend professional conferences, workshops and webinars to learn about emerging trends and technologies, but just as importantly, use these events to build your professional network. Many career opportunities, collaborations and mentorship relationships begin through conversations with researchers and industry professionals at conferences.”
For those who may be concerned about geopolitical and technological changes affecting career prospects, Potvin says he has been in the field long enough to see plenty of ups and downs.
While concerns about recession and the replacement of human workers by artificial intelligence and robots abound, Potvin says pressure to do more with less only increases the need for ergonomics and employee safety. He sees robots as augmenting that work rather than eliminating it.
“I’m not worried,” he says of the future of the ergonomics field. “Not in my lifetime.”