UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN, Industrial and Management Systems Engineering
Master of Science with an emphasis in Occupational Ergonomics, May 1995
Bachelor of Science
in Industrial Engineering, December 1991, GPA 3.6/4.0
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL ERGONOMIST (CPE) Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics
EXPERIENCE
01/03 – 07/04 UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE National Ergonomics Consultant
Lead the implementation of the Ergonomic Risk Reduction Process (ERRP) at USPS Processing and Distribution Centers in Phoenix, San Diego, Santa Ana, and Atlanta
Conducted ergonomic training for supervisors, managers, human resources, and union employees
Mentored the site Ergonomic Core Team with representatives from unions and management
Taught the Ergonomic Core Team to conduct task analysis, perform root cause analysis, brainstorm solutions, and manage project implementation
Developed work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder databases for issue identification and trend analysis
Trained Ergonomic Core Team members to be Employee Ergonomic Awareness trainers
11/00 - 11/01 INTEL Chandler, AZ Corporate Ergonomist
Provided corporate ergonomics support to worldwide Assembly & Test Manufacturing facilities, logistics operations, and mergers and acquisitions.
Mentored global ergonomics teams
Established ergonomics program requirements for logistics operations and mergers and acquisitions
Reviewed new and existing tools and equipment for compliance to the semi-conductor industry’s ergonomic standards
Managed all corporate ergonomics courses
Lead the advanced ergonomics course
Trained site ergonomists on exposure assessment tools and methods
Maintained the corporate ergonomics’ web page
09/97 - 07/99 Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) St. Paul, MN Advanced Ergonomist
Provided ergonomics leadership as a corporate ergonomist responsible for developing and implementing programs, procedures, and technical applications for manufacturing facilities, offices, and laboratories throughout the United States.
Provided program and technical support to manufacturing sites including specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, dental, safety and health products, and industrial mineral mining
Consulted with multiple facilities providing on-site training, evaluations, and recommendations in technical reports
Partnered with selected groups such as unions, engineering, facilities management, plant managers, site safety and health professionals, and production staff on new and existing projects
Researched, organized, and created a drum-handling equipment reference for the specialty chemical facilities and a recommended tools list for plant engineering with the assistance of union members
Co-coordinated the redesign of the Ergonomics Team and Engineering Training manuals and presentation materials
Delivered ergonomics training to engineers, supervisors, employees, and ergonomic teams
05/94 - 07/97 WASHINGTON STATE DEPT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIES Olympia, WA Research Ergonomist
Conducted innovative ergonomics research with SHARP (Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention), a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to improving workplace safety and health. Intervention Research
Coordinated post-intervention exposure assessments and conducted health and job characteristic survey interviews in the aluminum and construction industries with the assistance of the representing unions and management
Lead projects investigating the biomechanical, physiological, psychophysical, and productivity responses to improved tools, equipment, and materials in the drywall and masonry industries with the cooperation of the unions, contractors, and apprenticeship programs.
Managed the ergonomics laboratory and integrated biomechanical assessment technologies such as electromyography, electrogoniometers, and video for direct measurement in occupational settings
Risk factor analyst in a nursing home study evaluating resident characteristics and handling requirements that may contribute to shoulder and back injuries in nursing aides Ergonomics Consulting
Technical advisor to a NIOSH funded project committee on ergonomics in the construction industry that included members from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, contractors, and apprenticeship programs.
Member of the Department of Labor and Industries' Ergonomics Task Force responsible for reviewing all educational and presentation materials for external and internal customers
Participated as an expert analyst in a national effort to develop and validate a risk factor exposure checklist
01/92 - 04/94 UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN Lincoln, NE Research Assistant
Managed a grocery checkers’ muscular fatigue research project for nine months
- designed muscular fatigue equipment and test protocols
- scheduled 30 student assistants and participants weekly
- directed daily set up and data collection
Performed task analysis of meat packing operations and developed potential solutions to reduce exposures for an OSHA sub-contractor
Conducted a facility wide office ergonomics evaluation for a large state institution
05/93 - 08/93 AMERICAN METER COMPANY Nebraska City, NE Ergonomics Specialist
This is a union facility where employees participated in establishing an ergonomics program, reviewing job tasks for ergonomic risk factors, and solution development. The employees in an evaluated production process approved the final recommendations for improvement.
Facilitated safety committee meetings and provided ergonomics training to committee members
Developed and outlined a written ergonomics program
Designed and prepared documents for ergonomic evaluations
Performed task analysis of assembly operations and documented evaluation and solutions
Created several databases of ergonomic resources and evaluations
05/90 - 08/90
INGERSOLL-RAND Hastings, NE Safety Management Intern
This is a union facility where employees participated in safety committee activities.
Designed and built a computer database for Material Safety Data Sheets
Conducted a plant wide chemical inventory
Acquired and organized information for EPA reports
Attended a Supervisors Development Program on Safety by the National Safety Council
PUBLICATIONS
(Former Name: Kerith Kristen Zellers)
Zellers, K. and Simonton, K. (1997). An Optimized Lighter-Weight Concrete Masonry Unit: Biomechanical and Physiological Effects on Masons. Technical Report Number 45-1-1997. Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Silverstein, B., Zellers, K., et al. (1996). Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders at an Aluminum Reduction Mill. Technical Report Number 29-6-1996. Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Zellers, K. (1995). The Relationships Among Isometric Wrist Flexion and Extension Forces, Maximum Power Grasp Force and Electromyography in Various Forearm and Wrist Posture Combinations. Master Thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Zellers, K. and Hallbeck, M.S. (1995). The Effects of Gender, Wrist and Forearm Position on Maximum Isometric Power Grasp Force, Wrist Force and Their Interactions. Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 39th Annual Meeting. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
Stuart, M., Goggins, R., and Zellers, K. (1995). Wood Processing Industry: Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors for Selected Jobs - Preliminary Results. Technical Report Number 40-1-1995. Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Zellers, K., Gandini, C., and Loveless, T. (1992). The Effect of Arm Position on Pinch Strength Measurements: A Pilot Study. Advances in Industrial Ergonomics and Safety IV (S. Kumar, Ed.). London, England: Taylor and Francis.