High Profile Professor to Address Ergonomics at ICHC

A decorated, industry heavyweight has signed up to speak at the Industrial Crane & Hoist Conference (ICHC), which will be co-located at the ProMat trade show at McCormick Place South in Chicago, Ill., on Tues., March 22, 2011. ICHC is staged by Industrial Lift & Hoist magazine.

Carter J. Kerk, Professor of Industrial Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines, will address cost-effective workplace improvements through effective ergonomics and technological lifting solutions.

"Dr. Kerk's addition to our program is a clear endorsement of the high value content we have built into the event for U.S-based users of industrial cranes, hoists and other lifting equipment," said Richard Howes, ILH associate publisher and editor. "Ergonomics is a key theme right now and we've delivered our delegation one of the best equipped people in the world to discuss it."

Kerk will replace Jeff Smagacz, Risk Management Group LLC, Brookfield, Wis., on the morning of the one-day event, staged above the largest show floor of lifting and moving technology you will see anywhere in North America this year.

Overhead cranes provide easier and less forceful material handling, which plays an important role in any company’s ergonomics success. Implementing this type of equipment creates a more user-friendly workplace, enabling less risk exposure while meeting production requirements and accommodating our ageing workforce.

Kerk is a professor at SDSMT in the industrial engineering department, engineering management program, and biomedical engineering program; and serves as the assistant to the provost for Native American initiatives. He specializes in education, research, and consulting in ergonomics, human factors, biomechanics, and safety engineering. His BS and MS degrees are in Industrial & Management Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska. His PhD is in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan in the Center for Ergonomics. Dr. Kerk is a licensed Professional Engineer, a Certified Safety Professional, and a Certified Professional Ergonomist.

He recently completed two terms on the College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) for the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA). Kerk has been awarded over $3.5 million in sponsored research and support from organizations including NSF, NIOSH, NASA, MHIA, Browning-Ferris Industries, Dow Chemical, EDS, IBM, INTEL, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Motorola, Texas Instruments, United Parcel Service, and USAA.

The cost to see Kerk's presentation is only $275, which includes entrance to the whole day of the conference, lunch, coffee breaks, and entrance to ProMat. Can you afford not to be there?

ICHC is the most dynamic, innovative plant and facilities managers' forum the lifting industry has ever put together. End users can't afford to miss the valuable lessons that will be served up during a value-packed, one-day program. The event is structured to promote the sharing of knowledge among industry peers. The program includes presentations from end users, safety experts and manufacturers, following a keynote by a highly regarded economist.