DJ Products, Inc.

As the already-battered U.S. auto industry struggles to keep its doors open during the growing economic recession, the financial and workforce value of ergonomic equipment will become increasingly important. Doom and gloom seem to headline news about the auto industry.

In a bid to prop up troubled domestic automakers, governors from six states heavily invested in the auto industry – Michigan, Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky, New York and South Dakota — petitioned the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve for help. “The auto industry; their network of suppliers, vendors, dealers and other businesses; and the communities that rely on those businesses face unimaginable challenges — challenges we urge you to help address,” the governors wrote.

Over the past decade, U.S. automakers have been fighting a losing battle against tough competition from foreign car companies, particularly Honda and Toyota.  Faltering automakers General Motors and Chrysler are talking merger in order to stay alive, though financing could present a major stumbling block. Although tens of thousands of jobs would be lost in a merger, industry experts agree that a merger is preferable to the even greater disaster that would occur should either company collapse.

But automakers aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch. U.S. auto dealers are also struggling; and particularly in areas glutted with dealers, many are being forced to scale back or close their doors. Nationally, new car sales are down 13% from last year, with sales expected to continue dropping as people cut expenses and harbor their cash during the impending recession. The National Automobile Dealers Association has asked President Bush to consider issuing refundable consumer tax credits for new car and truck purchases or instituting a program that would entice consumers to upgrade their vehicles.

The bottom line is that all players in the auto industry, from monster auto makers to small-town dealers, are going to have to make their operations leaner and meaner. Turning to ergonomically-designed, fuel-smart vehicle pushers specifically designed for the automotive industry can reap significant savings. Ergonomically-designed equipment is proven to reduce expensive musculoskeletal injuries and their attendant medical, insurance and workers compensation costs. And ergonomic equipment allows a single worker to accomplish a greater workload, increasing production efficiency and reducing personnel costs. Battery and electric-powered equipment also saves big bucks in fuel and maintenance costs compared to diesel or gas-powered vehicle movers. Studies show that ergonomic equipment pays for itself in a single year. After that, it’s all gravy!

To find out how ergonomic equipment can improve your bottom line, talk to the experts at DJ Products.

Insourcing is the new buzzword in U.S. manufacturing circles. U.S. economic woes are causing many manufacturers to replace outsourcing with insourcing, an unexpected boon for American workers. The declining value of the dollar against foreign currencies, skyrocketing transportation costs caused by high fuel prices, and decreasing export demand resulting from the global economic downturn are making it more cost efficient for U.S. manufacturers to produce their products at home.

The same economic forces that sent U.S. jobs overseas are now bringing them home. Manufacturing costs in Alabama are currently running 3% below those in China, causing companies like Exxel Outdoors, Inc., which makes sleeping bags for Wal-Mart and other customers, to execute an “about face” on its production priorities. Since the Wall Street tumble, the company has hired more workers, added new equipment and beefed-up production at its Haleyville, Alabama plant, while cutting production at a joint venture in Shanghai. In 2007, 60% of Exxel’s bags were made in Shanghai. This year, the company will make more product at home than abroad and expects to produce 90% of their product at their Alabama facility by 2010.

Exxel founder and CEO Harry Kazazian is predicting a 20% increase in company revenue this year to $42 million. He credits insourcing as a major factor in his company’s success during a tight economy. Since 2005, he has seen the yuan appreciate 17% against the dollar, pushing up Chinese wages, material costs and freight costs. Kazazian says moving production from Shanghai back to Exxel’s Alabama plant just made financial sense.

“Labor is China’s advantage and our weakest link,” he said. “But they can’t compete with me on my just-in-time” production cycle. Exxel can deliver a sleeping bag from its Alabama facility within three days where shipping from China can take two months.

According to government statistics, U.S. manufacturing is contracting at the fastest rate since 2001, the last time America dipped into a recession. As countries around the globe struggle with the growing financial crisis, there has been a marked decrease in export demand. Without demand for the prodigious output that originally spurred outsourcing over the last decade, producing goods in the U.S. is becoming increasingly cost efficient. Smart companies are re-evaluating their outsourcing policies and making the switch to insourcing.

Are you familiar with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lifting equation? The lifting equation provides valuable guidelines for performing and evaluating two-handed manual lifting tasks in the workplace. It defines the recommended weight limit as the weight of a load that can be lifted by a healthy worker repetitively over an extended period of time (such as an 8-hour shift) without risk of developing musculoskeletal trauma injuries such as lower back pain.

Under ideal conditions, the maximum weight that the average healthy worker can safely lift with two hands is 51 pounds. Of course, in the real world, conditions are never ideal, and the physical ability of each individual worker will also limit maximum lifting weights.

NIOSH identifies a number of lifting conditions that must be taken into account in computing the recommended manual weight limit for a particular task, including:

• Horizontal and vertical location of the load. The optimal horizontal and vertical lifting position is directly in front of the worker, close to the torso, and between the knees and shoulders, with optimal height being hip height. 
• Distance the load must be moved. Obviously, shorter distances place less strain on workers.
• Balance of the load. An asymmetrical load places unequal stress on the worker’s body, requiring greater effort to balance the load during transport. The more symmetrically balanced a load, the easier it will be for a worker to carry.
• Frequency of the lift. The more repetitions required, the greater the cumulative stress placed on the worker’s body. The amount of time between repetitions is also important. The shorter the time between repetitions, the greater the risk of muscle damage.
• Hand coupling available. Designated handholds assist with lifting, balancing and controlling an object as it is manually transported. When handholds are not provided, additional strain is placed on muscles during lifting and carrying.
• Length of time over which lifting will occur. In addition to the number of lifts and amount of time between each lift, the total length of time over which lifting must be performed will also affect worker performance. Repetitive lifting through the course of an 8-hour shift will be create greater risk of injury than lifting for two hours alternated with other activities.

It is important to take these conditions into consideration when determining the recommended weight limit for manual lifting tasks in your workplace. However, given the wide range of variations in both worker physical capabilities and workplace conditions can be realized by utilizing powered carts to move equipment and materials previously handled manually. By replacing manual tasks with powered material handling equipment, companies can realize considerable savings in both production efficiency and lift-related worker injuries. Contact the ergonomic experts at DJ Products for more information.