Margaret Hanson BSc(Hons) C.ErgHF

Margaret Hanson is a Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist who has over 28 years’ experience in ergonomics research, teaching and consultancy. She is a specialist in ergonomic aspects of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Margaret has provided consultancy advice to organisations in all major industrial and service sectors. Much of this has focussed on ergonomics studies assessing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries at work (typically using HSE assessment tools) and identifying potential risk reduction measures, including providing training and advice on management of these issues. The scope has encompassed workplace design, manual handling tasks, DSE related tasks, and assembly and process tasks in a wide range of industrial environments.

Margaret has contributed to and led research in multidisciplinary teams for the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Scottish Government on topics such as upper limb disorders in the workplace, DSE related risk factors, manual handling, occupational health provision and return to work.

The HSE invited Margaret to evaluate and provide expert comment on proposed HSE guidance and risk assessment tools, including HSG60 (rev) ‘Upper Limb Disorders in the Workplace’; Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART); and Risk Assessment of Pushing and Pulling (RAPP).

Margaret has lectured in ergonomics to students at a number of Universities and has delivered numerous courses to commercial organisations on ergonomics risk assessment and workplace and equipment design, as well as DSE and manual handling risk assessment and management.

Margaret acts as a scientific reviewer for journals including Ergonomics, and for the CIEHF Annual Conference; she was the CIEHF scientific programme manager (1998 – 2001).