Leonard
Ring
Class of 1993
Background:
Leonard Ring was born in 1919 and educated in London, England.
His original qualification was in physical therapy, where
he gained distinction in the rehabilitation of industrial
injuries. He was awarded a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship in
1972, by the New Zealand government, to Loughborough University
of Technology, Britain, to undertake a masters degree course
in ergonomics, which he received in 1974. He was also a CPE(Certified
Professional Ergonomist, U.S.A.).
Professional
Experience:
Mr. Ring, a highly-qualified international ergonomist, specialized
in back injury prevention and control and the ergonomics of
materials handling. In 1939 he qualified as a physical education
teacher. He joined the British Army in 1939 at the outbreak
of World War II and became a Warrant Officer on the British
Army physical training staff. He served with distinction,
first with the British Expeditionary Force in France in 1939,
and later with the British Commandoes. He re-entered civilian
life in 1945, committed to the rehabilitation side of physical
education. In 1947, he emigrated with his wife, Polly, and
their first child to New Zealand. In 1954, he qualified in
physiotherapy and entered private practice, specializing in
industrial injuries, and later became president of the New
Zealand Physiotherapy Society. In 1972, he returned to Britain
to study for a master of science degree in Ergonomics, and
upon successfully qualifying in 1974, was appointed Ergonomist
to one of New Zealand's largest industries, Fisher and Paykel,
Ltd., with a workforce of more than 5,000 employees. At the
same time, he accepted a lecturing appointment to the University
of Auckland, teaching ergonomics. He lectured every year since
1976 on the prevention and control of back injuries and ergonomics
to some of the largest organizations and plants in the United
States, including the U.S. Army and Naval Air Rework Establishments.
He made personalized videofilms for General Motors, Coors
Breweries, and the U.S. Defense Department. His highly original
approach to back injury control changed the way American industry
views back injury prevention.
Career
Highlights:
Mr. Ring was recognized as one of the leading back injury
prevention and control specialists in the world. In 1976,
he made the now-famous film on back injury titled, "Bend
Your Knees." The film is available in several languages.
He published his first book, Facts on Backs, in 1981. He produced
11 videotapes on the application of ergonomics to accident
prevention and developed a nationwide back injury campaign
for the New Zealand government in 1986, that resulted in an
audited change of lifting habit patterns in 46 percent of
the New Zealand population. The video for the campaign, "The
Bad Back Video," which he wrote and directed, set new
standards for back injury prevention documentaries. He pioneered
the one-day professional seminar on back injury control, utilizing
twin projection and a highly-original giant scaled-up model
vertebra for demonstrating back anatomy and physiology. He
brought total dedication and commitment to the prevention
and control of back injuries. He published the book titled,
Backs - Common Sense Approach to Back Injury Prevention,in
1988.
