Jim has 50 years of Safety, Health and Ergonomic (SH&E) experience in the industrial and construction insurance industry. For the first 24 years of his career, he held various regional management and construction/industrial technical positions with Liberty Mutual Insurance and a Kemper Insurance subsidiary in the Midwest and on West Coast. Since 1993, he has been Home Office Technical Advisor of Construction and Industrial Risk Control Services for BITCO Insurance Companies, a subsidiary of Old Republic Insurance Company headquartered in Chicago, IL. He “retired” in May 2017 and is currently the Principal and Managing Consultant of Construction Ergonomics LLC #461549 located in Bettendorf, IA.
Since 2000, he has represented the American Insurance Services Group (AISG/ISO/Verisk) to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A10 Construction Standards Committee serving on five committees: ASSP/ANSI A10-01-2011 (R2017) Construction and Demolition Operations - PreProject & PreTask Safety & Health Planning; ASSP/ANSI A10-40-2007 (R2018) Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction; ASSP/ANSI A10-46-2013 Hearing Loss Prevention; ASSP/ANSI A10-47-2015 Workzone Safety for Highway Construction and ASSP/ANSI Technical Report TR A10-100-2018 Prevention through Design (PtD)- A Life Cycle Approach to Safety and Health to the Construction Industry. He is also an acknowledged contributor to ANSI/ASSP Z590-3-2011 (2016) Prevention through Design - Guidelines for Addressing Occupational Hazards and Risks in Design and Redesign Processes.
Since 2008, he has collaborated with Professor Sang D. Choi, PhD, CSP, CPE from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater “bridging the gap between academia and safety, health & ergonomic practitioners” in an effort to make NIOSH’s goal of “Research to Practice” (RtP) a reality through 29 peer-reviewed scholarly papers and national/international professional development conferences. In 2009, he volunteered as a member of Ergonomists Without Borders whose objective is to provide ergonomic assistance to industrially developing countries. In 2013, he joined the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater Construction Safety Curriculum Advisory Board. In 2015 he was elected to the Executive Committee of the International Society of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES) and was ISOES Secretary (2017-2019).
Jim is a graduate of Illinois State University, Normal, IL concentrating in Mathematics, Physics and Education. His graduate studies (35 hours) are in Safety and Ergonomics from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL and Auburn University, Auburn. AL. He is recognized nationally and internationally as a Board Certified Safety Professional (CSP #4314), Board Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE #510), Certified Product Safety Manager (#447). The International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) designated him a Certified Construction and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) in 2011. He has been a Professional Member of American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) since 1973 and Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) Occupational Ergonomics Technical Group and Safety Technical Group since 1995. Since 1996 he has been an OSHA Authorized Construction Trainer #24-0106117 expiration date 11/21/2023 and a recognized trainer for the American Road Builders Association.
National and International Presentations (since 2009)
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Physical, Psychophysical and Demographic Changes Require Rethinking Occupational Health, Safety and Ergonomic Strategies in Construction. (Canceled - Rescheduled to 2021)
XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work 2020, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, October, 2020 https://www.safety2020canada.com/
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., RtPtR: Sustainable Road Map for OSH Researchers and Practitioners (Canceled - Rescheduled to Safety 2021 in Denver). Safety 2020 - American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Professional Development Conference, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL, USA, June, 2020 https://safety.assp.org/education/concurrent-sessions/
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Best Practices to Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries - Workshop.
2020 CONSTRUCTION EXPO & SAFETY CONFERENCE, Drury Lane Conference Center, Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA, March, 2020
Borchardt, J.G., Choi, S.D., Computer-Assisted Technologies: Reduce Safety, Health and Ergonomic Exposures on Construction Worksites and Improve Project Quality and Efficiency – an Overview. XXXIst Annual International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference (ISOES), Earnest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA, USA, June, 2019. http://www.isoes.info/2019/Papers/Borchardt.pdf
Borchardt, J.G., Choi, S.D., Melior, Velocius, Tutior(Better, Faster, Safer): Construction Automation's Objective. (Flash Session sponsored by Grainger). Safety 2019 - American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Professional Development Conference, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA, USA, June, 2019. https://safety.assp.org/education/flash-sessions/
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Emerging Technologies in Construction Increase Production, Improve Quality and Mitigate Safety, Health and Ergonomic (SH&E) Exposures. 27th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium (PDS), Naval Safety & Environmental Training Center. Online Global S&E PDS Program, April, 2019
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Prevention through Design: National Strategy for “Designing” Safety, Health and Ergonomics Improvements into Worksites. 26th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium (PDS), Naval Safety & Environmental Training Center. Online Global S&E PDS Program, April, 2018. https://events-na2.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/889710285/en/events/event/shared/1128771625/event_landing.html?sco-id=1128808601
Borchardt, J.G., B Factor and its Importance to Applying the NIOSH Lifting Equation and its European Derivates on Worksites. (Flash Session sponsored by ASSE SeminarFest). Safety 2017 - American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Professional Development Conference, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, USA, June 2017. http://safety.asse.org/program/flash-sessions/
Co-Chair of Panel Discussion – Research to Practice to Research – Practitioner and Academic Perspectives. Borchardt, J. G., Choi, S.D., RtPtR-Ergonomics in the Construction Industry http://www.isoes.info/2017/Papers/Borchardt.pdf XXIX International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference (ISOES), Four Points by Sheraton, Seattle, WA, USA, June, 2017. http://www.isoes.info/2017/paper_by_session.html; http://www.isoes.info/conference_program.html
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Prevention through Design: Roadmap to Improving Safety, Health and Ergonomics on Worksites. 25th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium (PDS), Naval Safety & Environmental Training Center. Online Global S&E PDS Program, April, 2017. https://events-na2.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/889710285/en/events/event/shared/1003473097/event_landing.html?sco-id=1001895338&_charset_=utf-8
Panel Member – Research to Practice to Research – Practitioner and Academic Perspectives. 60th Annual Meeting of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Washington Hilton, Washington, DC, USA, September, 2016. Vol. 60(1), p 902-905. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1541931213601206
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Research to Practice to Research (RtPtR): A Roadmap for Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Practitioners and Researchers. XXVIII International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference (ISOES), Radisson Hotel Chicago O’Hare, Chicago, IL, USA, June, 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303939116_Research_to_Practice_to_Research_RtPtR_A_Roadmap_for_Occupational_Ergonomics_and_Safety_Practitioners_and_Researchers
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Ergonomics in Construction and Prevention through Design. 24th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium (PDS), Naval Safety & Environmental Training Center. Online Global S&E PDS Program, March, 2016.
Borchardt, J.G., Choi, S.D., Construction Ergonomics: Roadmap to Reducing Overexertion on Worksites; Prevention through Design (PtD): Needed to Implement Safety, Health &Ergonomic Strategies. 2015 Alaska Safety Summit, Egan Conference Center, Anchorage, AK, USA, October, 2015. https://issuu.com/morrisalaska/docs/2015_aoss_web
Borchardt, J.G., Choi, S.D., Workers’ Changing Psychophysical Characteristics Require Prevention through Design (PtD) Ergonomic Strategies at Construction Worksites. 19 Triennial Congress of International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2015), Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia, August, 2015. http://www.iea.cc/congress/2015/343.pdf
Borchardt, J.G., Choi, S.D., Physophysical and Demographic Changes Require Rethinking Ergonomic Strategies. (Sponsored by ASSE’s Standards Development Committee) Safety 2015 - American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Professional Development Conference, Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, Dallas, TX, USA, June, 2015. http://safety2015.asse.org/sessions.php?sort=fix&date=9-Jun
Borchardt, J.G., Choi, S.D., Changing Psychophysical Characteristics of Construction Workers require New Ergonomic Strategies XXVII International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference (ISOES), Holiday Inn Airport Opryland, Nashville, TN, USA, May, 2015. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280740127_Changing_Psychophysical_Characteristics_of_Construction_Workers_Require_New_Ergonomic_Strategies
Choi, S.D., Yuan, L., Borchardt, J.G., Critical Analyses of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Practical Solutions in Construction. 58th Annual Meeting of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Hyatt Regency Conference Center, Chicago, IL, USA, October, 2014. HFES Vol. 58(1), p 1633-1637 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1541931214581341
Borchardt, J.G., & Choi, S.D., Research to Practice to Research (RtPtR): A Roadmap for Safety and Health Practitioners and Academics. (NIOSH “RtP Track” Invitee). 2013 National Safety Council Congress & Expo, McCormick Place Conference Center, Chicago, IL, USA, October 2013.
Borchardt, J.G., & Choi, S.D., Good Practices of Manually Handling Materials, Tools and Equipment (MH-MTE) on Worksites Based on Collaborative Academic/Safety Practitioners Research. 60th Annual Iowa-Illinois Safety Conference & Expo, Coralville, IA, USA, April 2013.
Dong, S., Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Preventing Fall Injuries in Construction. American Subcontractors Association (ASA) of Chicago Expo & Safety Day 2013, Drury Lane Conference Center, Oakbrook Terrace, IL, USA, March 2013. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23398700
Borchardt, J.G. & Choi, S.D., B Factor and its Importance to HFE Practitioners - Applying NIOSH's 1991 Revised Lifting Equation and its Derivatives. 56th Annual Meeting of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Westin Waterfront Conference Center, Boston, MA, USA, October, 2012. HFES Vol. 56(1), p 1183-1187 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1071181312561257
Choi, S.D., & Borchardt, J.G., Bridging the Gap between Academic Research and Construction Workplaces Using the NIOSH 1991 Lifting Equation. Academic Forum of Safety 2012 - American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Professional Development Conference, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, USA, June 2012. https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/ASSE-12-A1
Choi, S.D., & Borchardt, J.G., Promoting Health & Safety of Older Construction Workers. Associated Subcontractors Association of Chicago (ASA)/Construction Safety Council Expo & Safety Day 2011. Donald E. Stephan’s Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, USA, March 2011.
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Proksch, T., Ergonomic Injury Prevention in Construction. 20th Annual Construction Safety Conference, Donald E. Stephan’s Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, USA, February 2010.
Choi, S.D., & Borchardt, J.G., Investigation of Common Construction Materials Weight and Related Manual Lifting Task Observations. 17th Triennial World Congress of International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2009). Jiuhua International Conference and Exhibition Center, Beijing, China, August 2009. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260977624_Investigation_of_Common_Construction_Materials_Weight_and_Related_Manual_Lifting_Task_Observations
Published Peer Reviewed Articles
Choi, S.D., Yuan, L., Borchardt, J.G. Musculoskeletal Disorders in Construction: Practical Solutions from the Literature. ASSE Professional Safety, 61(1) January, 2016, p 26-32. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ffcf/ce2711202b5f707ca07e2d8693840f7e4585.pdf?_ga=2.41382118.579260486.1581301302-645132988.1581301302
Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G, & Proksch, T. (2012). Transitioning Academic Research on Manual Lifting Tasks Observations into Construction Workplace Good Practices. Journal of Safety, Health and Environmental Research, 8(1), 3-10. http://www.asse.org/assets/1/7/JSHER-V8N1.pdf
ASSE’s Best of the Best 2012 -2013 (Lead Article). American Society of Safety Engineers Specialty Practice Publication - Council of Practices (CoPS) http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b98df4ee#/b98df4ee/4
Choi, S.D., & Borchardt, J. G. (2012). Bridging the Gap between Academic Research and Construction. Interface, 2(3), 32-37.
Borchardt, J.G., & Choi, S.D. (2012). B Factor and Its Importance to HFE Practitioners - Applying NIOSH’s 1991 Revised Lifting Equation and Its Derivatives. Proceedings of the 2012 HFES 56th Annual Meeting. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Boston, MA, USA.
Dong, S., Choi, S.D., Borchardt, J.G., Wang, X., & Largay, J. (2013). Fatal Falls from Roofs among U.S. Construction Workers. Journal of Safety, Health and Environmental Research (JSHER), 44, 17-24. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437512001247;https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2012.08.024
Borchardt, J.G., & Choi, S.D. (2012). Bridging the Gap between Academic Research and Construction Workplaces Using the NIOSH 1991 Lifting Equation. Proceedings of the 2012 ASSE Professional Development Conference. American Society of Safety Engineers, Des Plaines, IL. USA.
Choi, S.D., & Borchardt, J.G., Investigation of Common Construction Materials Weight and Related Manual Lifting Task Observations. Proceedings of the 17th Triennial World Congress of International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2009). Beijing, China, August 2009. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260977624_Investigation_of_Common_Construction_Materials_Weight_and_Related_Manual_Lifting_Task_Observations
Acknowledged Reviewer of Peer-Reviewed Papers; Conference Proceedings and other SH&E Contributions
Invited Judge of papers & presentations for West Point cadets and other Industrial/Systems Engineering students at the 2020 Annual General Donald R. Keith Memorial Conference, April 30, 2020, West Point, NY, USA.
Peer Reviewer of articles published or pending publication in International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics (IJIE). https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-industrial-ergonomics/
- Ergonomic and Safety Situation of Manual Access to Date Palm Crowns
- Ergonomics Risk Assessment among Maintenance Operators in a Tunisian Railway Company
- Task based prevalence of upper and lower limbs disorders in workers of underground coal mines in Punjab, Pakistan.
- Descriptive study of hand grip strength and factors associated with it in a group of young undergraduate students in University of Peradeniya who are not participating in regular physical training.
- A worksite physical activity program and its association with biopsychosocial factors: An intervention study in a footwear factory.
- Comparison of fatal occupational injuries in construction industry in the United States, South Korea, and China.
- Trunk Posture Assessment during Work Tasks at a Canadian Recycling Center.
- Ergonomic Design Visualization Mapping- Developing an Assistive Model for Design Activities.
- Evaluating Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors among Workers using Hybrid Best-Worst Method (MWM) and Proximity Indexed Value (PIV) Method.
Outstanding Reviewer criteria – Those reviewer who are in the top 10th percentile in terms of the number of reviews completed within the last two years for the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. file:///C:/Users/Borchardt/Downloads/Certificate.pdf
Peer Reviewer of presentations for 62nd Annual Meeting of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) International Conference, Philadelphia, PA. October, 2018
http://cms.hfes.org/Cms/media/CmsImages/HFES-2018-Annual-Meeting-Program.pdf
- Development of Industry-Specific Physical Job Evaluation Tools.
- Sensibuildity: The Design of a Communication System to Identify and Prevent Work-Related Injuries in the Construction Industry.
- A Human-Centered Approach to Hazard Evaluation Checklists for the Risk of Back Pain in Manual Handling Tasks.
- Transitioning Nuclear Power Plant Main Control Room from Paper Based Procedures to, Computer Bases Procedures.
- Lumbar Muscle Fatigue Analysis Using Sorensen Test with Different Upper Body Offload Conditions.
- Lumber Range of Motion and FRP Onset During Static Trunk Bending Postures.
Co-authored Chapter 23,"Prevention through Design (PtD) Research to Practice to Research (RtPtR): Sustainable Strategy for Promoting Safety, Health and Ergonomics", ASSP 1st Edition (2018) Leadership in Safety and Professional Development by R. Olawoyin & D. Hill (Editors). ISBN: 978-0-939874-18-7, https://store.assp.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Store/Product-Details/productId/67246196
Peer Reviewer of presentations for 61st Annual Meeting of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) International Conference, Austin, TX. October, 2017
https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/HFES/42fffbb4-31e1-4e52-bda6-1393762cbfcd/UploadedImages/HFES-2017-Annual-Meeting-Program.pdf
- Construction Ergonomics: Concrete Bit Wear Increases Handle Vibration and Drilling Time.
- Engaging Construction Contractors to Identify Barriers and Promising Practices to Reduce the Risk for Occupational Injuries Associated with Manual Materials Handling.
- Patient Care and Electronic Medical Record Entry Demands on Physical Therapists.
- Improving Machinery Related Risk Identification and Estimation with Accident Reporting and Logical Analysis of Data.
Booth Organizer and Volunteer for International Society of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety (ISOES) at: American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Safety 2019 PDC, New Orleans, LA., June 2019; ASSP Safety 2017 PDC, Denver, CO., June 2017; ASSP Safety 2016 PDC, Atlanta, GA., June 2016. http://iebms.heiexpo.com/iebms/oep/oep_p2_details.aspx?sessionid=fbmfhleikfhpfcofb5ejl&searchtype=ANY&keyword=isoes&OrderNbr=110309
Peer Reviewer of articles for publication in Journal of Safety, Health & Environmental Research (JSHER). 2016; 12(1):274-283. http://www.asse.org/assets/1/7/JSHER_V12N1.pdf
- Identification of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Mining.
Peer Reviewer of articles for publication in 2016 Journal of Theoretical Issues in Ergonomic Science (TIES). 2017; 8(5): 433-441. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1463922X.2016.1274452
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1463922X.2016.1274452?journalCode=ttie20
- Is Worker Involvement an Ergonomic Solution for Construction Intervention Challenges: A Systematic Review.
Peer Reviewer of articles for publication in Safety and Health at Work (SH@W 2015). http://www.e-shaw.net/article/S2093-7911(15)00012-8/abstract; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2015.02.002
- Aging Workers and Trade Related Injuries in the US Construction Industry.
Peer Reviewer of the paper presented at and published in Proceeding of HFES International Conference, San Diego, CA. October, 2013; Vol 57, Issue 1, http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1541931213571383
- Refining Interface Performance Metrics for Use with Petro-chemical Control Room Display.
Peer Reviewer of articles published in Journal of Safety, Health & Environmental Research (JSHER). Volume 8, Issue 1, p27-32, 2012 http://www.asse.org/assets/1/7/JSHER-V8N1.pdf
- Singapore Workplace Safety & Health Research Agenda: Research to Practice.