Morgan Maxwell Chartered Ergonomists

11/02/2026

An 85% reduction in ergonomics related incidents.

Fresh results just in.

These early figures have just been shared by our client, with further detail and analysis to follow.

This is what one of our Morgan Maxwell manufacturing clients has achieved across three global sites by implementing Morgan Maxwell’s CIEHF Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors approved manual handling course.

Manual handling is often treated like weightlifting, where the solution is - Bend your knees. Keep your back straight.

But if you want real results, you have to treat manual handling as a human factors challenge.

That means a sociotechnical approach that looks at the wider system that shapes behaviour every day, including:
-Physical factors
-Social factors
-Psychological factors
-Task and workplace constraints
-Organisational pressures

When manual handling is designed properly, it is not a tick box exercise.

It becomes a meaningful intervention that supports safer movement, better decision making, and measurable outcomes.

More data to come as the programme continues.

20/01/2026

Human Performance at Work: A Metabolic Perspective.

At Morgan Maxwell, we spend a lot of time thinking about human performance at work — attention, decision quality, resilience, and error tolerance.

An emerging and compelling area of research reframes these capabilities through the lens of brain metabolism and mitochondrial health.

Work by Chris Palmer suggests that many mental health and performance challenges may be better understood as issues of brain energy availability and metabolic efficiency, rather than motivation or willpower alone.

This perspective aligns with the broader field of metabolic psychiatry, including research and clinical work from Georgia Ede on glucose regulation and cognition, and Kelly Brogan, who highlights inflammation and mitochondrial function as key drivers of mental resilience.

From a performance standpoint, the implications are significant:
-Cognitive capacity is energy-dependent
-Fatigue is often metabolic, not behavioural
-Stable brain energy supports consistent focus, judgement, and resilience

As conversations around performance evolve, metabolism and mitochondrial health are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore — not just for wellbeing, but for sustained, reliable performance at work.

06/01/2026

Trying to lose weight this January? Here’s something most people miss.

Two people of a similar size can burn up to ~2,000 calories a day more than each other, without doing any extra sport-like exercise.

That difference is often NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), a term coined by James Levine.

NEAT is all the everyday movement outside of sport-like exercise that we barely notice:
walking, carrying, tidying, moving between tasks, shifting posture… even fidgeting.

Small, unconscious movement adds up.

Here’s the ergonomics part....
Most workplaces are designed to remove movement.

-We optimise reach
-We lock people into one posture
-We reward stillness

And without realising it, we design NEAT out of the day.

So what does “more NEAT by design” look like?
-Manufacturing / warehouse: meaningful task rotation, short walking loops, safe material presentation, built-in micro-breaks.
-Office: sit/stand for variation, walk-and-talk meetings, stairs and printers that encourage movement.

If January is about weight loss, energy, or sustainability at work,
the answer might not be more sport-like exercise… it might be more NEAT.

Check out Dr James Levine talking about NEAT in the comments.

05/01/2026

Why Most Designs Fail Before Anyone Uses Them.

Most design failures don’t come from poor engineering — they come from designing without understanding real work.

That’s exactly what ISO 16710-2 — Ergonomics methods: A methodology for work analysis to support design addresses.

In the short video below, I explain how this standard focuses on analysing how people actually work, using both technical knowledge and the real know-how of users allowing design decisions to be grounded in reality, not assumptions.

When applied properly, this approach improves usability, reduces health and safety risk, and leads to more robust, high-performing systems.

It works best when users and management are involved early, helping organisations move beyond compliance to performance by design.

Watch the video below to see why ISO 16710-2 matters and how it helps prevent design failures before anyone even uses the system.

16/12/2025

Over the past few weeks I’ve been delivering our Two-Day Ergonomics Champion Course on-site for a range of manufacturing organisations, including Raytheon, Safran, and CNH Industrial.

If you’re looking to reduce MSD risk, improve task design, and build internal capability (not just “tick-box” assessments), this course is designed for exactly that.
It’s ideal for H&S teams and engineers who need a practical, repeatable way to:

-spot high-risk tasks quickly
-apply recognised ergonomics assessment tools
-prioritise actions that actually get implemented
-deliver improvements that support wellbeing + productivity.

Photos below are from CNH Industrial—brilliant engagement and strong discussions around real production challenges.

👉 Course details in the comments below..

04/12/2025

Stop guessing ergonomics risk.. start measuring it in minutes.

ErgoEdge is our AI-powered industrial ergonomics tool for factories and field teams, turning videos from your smartphone into scored assessments and reports.

-No sensors or special hardware — just your smartphone

-Up to 90% time saved vs. manual scoring

-Instant, evidence-based ergonomics reports

-Every licence includes Chartered Ergonomist support + CIEHF-accredited training.

Want to see how it performs on your tasks?

DM me for a free trial or learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eZqgBh_z

20/11/2025

Is your workplace designed to protect mental workload, or pushing people toward burnout?

Mental workload isn’t just about being busy. It’s the strain when demands outweigh our capacity.

ISO 10075‑2:2024 sets out clear design principles to manage this balance, from working hours and breaks, to task complexity and decision‑making flexibility.

The aim is simple: prevent fatigue, monotony, and burnout, while building systems that fit people instead of forcing people to fit the system.

Healthy minds mean healthy businesses!

Make mental workload part of your design strategy.

12/11/2025

The updated ISO Standard every modern workplace should know.

ISO 9241-5:2024 (Workstation layout & postural requirements) gives clear, practical guidance to set up screens, desks, chairs and controls to support natural posture and movement.

It reflects modern work covering hybrid setups, multiple displays, sit–stand use.

Even with great kit, poor layout still causes strain.

Design around people, not the other way round.

Watch the video to see how ISO 9241-5 helps create safer, more productive workstations.

21/10/2025

Would You Design a Workplace Without Testing It on People First?

Most companies still do.
That’s why injuries, fatigue, and redesign costs happen after launch — instead of before.

At Morgan Maxwell, we use Digital Human Modelling (DHM) to change that.
Our virtual humans simulate posture, reach, and load, letting us see the impact of work before it happens.

It’s like running a full ergonomic assessment — inside your CAD model.
No guesswork. No wasted redesigns.

Because great design isn’t about equipment — it’s about people.

Watch the short clip below to see how we use DHM to design work that fits people.

Learn more: https://www.morganmaxwell.co.uk/digital-human-modelling-ergonomics-consultant/

20/10/2025

An ISO Standard That’s 20 Years Old — and Still Designing Safer Work Today.

Many designers and health and safety teams are not aware of ISO 14738 – Safety of Machinery: Anthropometric Requirements for the Design of Workstations at Machinery.

Even though it’s over 20 years old, it’s still a useful international standard for designing machinery and workstations that fit real people.

ISO 14738 helps position controls, displays, and access points for comfort, safety, and efficiency — reducing awkward postures and unnecessary strain.

Watch the short video below to see why this standard is still worth revisiting.



17/10/2025

The best-performing workplaces aren’t just efficient — they’re human-centred.

In this quick video, I talk about ISO 27501, a standard that helps leaders and health and safety teams design work around people, not just processes.
It’s about building workplaces where people feel valued, safe, and able to do their best work.

Have a watch below — how human-centred is your organisation today?
www.morganmaxwell.co.uk

10/10/2025

https://www.morganmaxwell.co.uk/manual-handling-risk-assessment-in-manufacturing-a-step-by-step-guide-for-health-safety-managers/

Learn how to conduct a manual handling risk assessment in manufacturing using HSE-compliant methods. Includes TILE, MAC, RAPP tools, legal duties, and practical templates.