Portland, ME, May 2, 2008—USM and MEMIC will host the third annual Northern New England Ergo Symposium on May 15 at the Wyndham Portland Airport Hotel. This event marks the expanded partnership between USM and MEMIC to reduce workplace injuries through the science of ergonomics.

The symposium tackles what ails workers no matter the workplace: musculoskeletal, or soft tissue, injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, back strains and tendonitis. In Maine, half of the workplace injuries are attributed to this type of injury. Across the U.S., musculoskeletal disorders account for more than 600,000 injuries that result in time away from work.

The dual track format caters to all types of business--construction, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, hospitality, retail, finance and office--and level of ergonomic experience.

By attending, employers will

• learn how three local businesses met their own ergonomic challenges in "Real Ergo Stories"
• find out how to choose the right ergonomic office equipment
• hear how retail giant L.L. Bean approaches ergonomics
• learn how a hospital and a small manufacturing company created safe workplaces
• determine which jobs are the riskiest at their workplace
• see live demonstrations of ergonomic products

Keynote speaker, Gary Orr, who formerly worked for OSHA on the development of their ergonomics standards and guidelines, will deliver his insider's perspective on how OSHA has been addressing ergonomics on a national level.

Also, speaking is Jamie Mallon, of Humantech Inc., a full-service human performance consulting firm specializing in workplace ergonomics. His talk will teach employers how to achieve ergonomics excellence in the workplace.

Local business partners for this conference are IDEXX, Procter & Gamble, Hannaford Bros. Co., MaineGeneral and Pratt & Whitney.

For more information, contact Christine Collomy at (207) 791-3486 or ccollomy@memic.com.

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About USM

University of Southern Maine(USM) serves 10,400 students with campuses in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston-Auburn, Maine. A member of the University of Maine System, USM offers nearly 50 undergraduate programs and more than 20 graduate degrees, ranging from musical theater to programs in bioscience. For more information, visit www.usm.maine.edu.

About MEMIC

Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance Company (MEMIC), based in Portland, Maine, is Maine's largest and leading workers' compensation insurer, providing coverage to more than 21,000 Maine employers and their estimated 170,000 employees. The company is rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best. More information can be found at memic.com. MEMIC Indemnity Company, based in Manchester, NH, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MEMIC. It is licensed to write workers' compensation policies in over 42 states. It is rated “A-” (Excellent) by A.M. Best.