DJ Products, Inc.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), also known as ergonomic injuries, accounted for 29 percent of all workplace injuries and illnesses in 2008. This translates into 317,440 cases of MSDs for the US workforce. On average these injuries result in the worker taking off 10 days of work. Doing some simple math, this means that the US economy lost well over 3 million days of productivity in 2008 alone. Certainly the number would be higher for 2010. Additionally, businesses will often need to hire temporary labor to compensate for any absent employees. Clearly, the productivity loss and extra labor costs for businesses that rely on manual labor can be quite substantial.

Aside from the significant loss of productivity, businesses are faced with the additional costs arising from injury lawsuits. These lawsuits, at a minimum, result in increased administrative work for the company as well as costly legal fees.  If the court rules in favor of the injured worker, the payout could result in astronomical losses for the business.
Even in the event that employees have relinquished their right to sue their employer, as when they accept workers compensation insurance, the company still needs to pay expensive premiums in industries that suffer from high-injury levels.

Another cost that is associated with labor-intensive industries is the likelihood of laborers seeking an earlier retirement to avoid their work’s physical strain. This results in the business having to hire and train new employees more frequently. The required training period effectively reduces productivity as well.

Businesses looking to reduce costs and increase productivity over the long-term, can find a simple solution in ergonomic material handling equipment. Ergonomically designed products decrease physical injuries which directly improve productivity as well as reduce insurance and legal costs. Additionally, with the physical strain being decreased, worker turnover will drop allowing companies to retain skilled labor for longer periods. Businesses that have invested in ergonomic products have quickly recouped their cost with the increased upside of greater productivity and lower costs.

Discover today how DJ Products can increase your company’s productivity while reducing unnecessary cost and workforce churn.

2009 seemed like the year that would never end. For manufacturers, the bad news just kept on coming. But hope seems to have finally struggled above the horizon. From the depths of last winter’s discontent, 2009 has risen to end on a high note for material handling manufacturers and, indeed, most U.S. manufacturers. Reports indicate that U.S. manufacturing has finally turned the corner, and we can expect 2010 to be a far more productive and more profitable year. Break out the champagne!

The fourth quarter of 2009 saw strong manufacturing growth. With the job market showing signs of stabilization and housing prices beginning to climb toward normal, November brought a cautious increase in consumer spending. Manufacturing benefitted from increased orders for durable goods during the fourth quarter as customers started restocking their shelves. While durable goods orders in November were less than robust, they were twice the amount forecast by economists. Overall, the U.S. economic picture looks hopefully optimistic for the first time since the recession hit.

“We are seeing progress in a number of areas, from increases in consumer spending and business spending to growth in exports,” Brian Bethune, an economist at IHS Global Economics told the Associated Press last week. “It all adds up to a recovery that is gaining some momentum.”

Bethune and other economists are predicting a 4% annual rate of economic growth (as measured by gross domestic product) for the final quarter of 2009. In addition to durable goods, particularly a growing increase in high ticket items, industrial growth into the new year is expected to come from increased equipment and software purchases. Ergonomic material handling equipment sales are expected to increase as manufacturers and business owners seek out ways to increase worker productivity and decrease healthcare costs. Expected new regulatory requirements aimed at protecting worker health and safety are also expected to drive up sales of ergonomic carts and tugs.

Scheduled for March 22-25, the 2010 Applied Ergonomics Conference (AEC) to be held in San Antonio, Texas is slated to be North America’s biggest and most impressive gathering of ergonomics experts, applications and equipment providers. What sets AEC apart from other ergonomic conferences is its emphasis on the practical application of ergonomic principles and discoveries to real world industrial problems. This is not an esoteric meeting of high-brow academics, though you’ll find the more practical of their ilk in attendance. This is a working man’s conference. A meeting of industrialists, ergonomic experts and others involved in day-to-day efforts to improve the health and safety of American workers through the application of ergonomics to real world problems.

 The 2010 AEC conference will be held at the Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa with early registration discounts available through January 15, 2010. Ergoweb is offering a special 50% discount to its followers until this Friday, December 18 on registrations for the conference and host hotel. (Click here for registration form and more information from Ergoweb.)

Keynote speakers scheduled include Y. Ian Noy, vice president and director of Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, and Guy Fragata, senior advisor for Ergonomics Patient Safety Center of Inquiry. Multiple educational tracks and numerous informational exhibits by leaders in the ergonomics industry will also be featured at the conference.

As a leader in the design and manufacture of ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, DJ Products is intimately involved in solving daily ergonomics problems in a wide variety of U.S. industries including manufacturing and heavy industry, hospitality, hospital and health care, automotive and commercial retail. We understand the critical need for ergonomic systems and ergonomic material handling equipment that protects the health and safety of American workers. To find our more about our full line of ergonomic motorized carts and tugs, visit the DJ Products website.