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March 01, 2010
By: CartPro
Category: Business Tips, Manufacturing Industry, Material Handling, economy, ergonomics
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.
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January 27, 2010
By: CartPro
Category: Material Handling, Products, Safety and Ergonomics, ergonomics
Some people think all material handling equipment is the same. They may notice that handles, controls, wheels, beds, connectors and other features differ from model to model but they don’t realize that even small differences in design can have a huge impact on how hard or easy a piece of material handling equipment is to use and whether it is likely to injure operators or minimize the risk of injury. Those small differences can add up to huge financial savings when material handling equipment is ergonomically designed to maximize ease of use and minimize risk of injury.
Workplace injuries cost U.S. businesses more than $60 billion annually and affect more than 1.75 million workers each year. A single back injury, which account for 50% of worker’s compensation claims, can cost a business $26,000 in time-lost costs. Utilizing ergonomically-designed material handling equipment to take the strain off workers’ backs during pushing, pulling and lifting activities can result in immediate savings.
When material handling equipment is ergonomically designed, every aspect of the piece of equipment and how it will be used is taken into consideration. Because workers come in all shapes and sizes, ergonomic engineers must consider a wide range of factors in designing equipment so that it can be comfortably used by a varied workforce. As you might expect, ergonomics addresses major design features such as the height of load beds, cart depths, angle of access, force requirements and other macro-design elements.
However, small, repetitive actions like twisting a handle often tax muscles and result in repetitive motion musculoskeletal injuries. Ergonomic engineers strive to address every element of equipment design from the width and angle of hand grips to the placement and shape of control buttons to the size and type of wheel. For more information on ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, visit the DJ Products website.
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January 08, 2010
By: CartPro
Category: Business Tips, Future Trends, Material Handling, Warehousing, economy, ergonomics, fulfillment
Finding, training and keeping qualified workers is slated for discussion at the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) annual conference NA 2010 scheduled for April 26-29 (see our January 4 post). The conference will devote two educational sessions to managing the supply chain workforce:
- How Industry is Changing Material Handling Training and Education will focus on the demanding skill sets now necessary to perform even entry-level jobs in highly sophisticated, automated warehouses, distribution centers and fulfillment houses.
- Building the Workforce of Tomorrow will focus on the challenge of integrating multi-generational workforces successfully as baby boomers and the knowledge they harbor leave the industry.
The move toward more automated supply chain operations and the increasing sophistication of the technology that drives them presents a considerable workforce challenge for supply chain managers. Technology is necessitating a more highly skilled supply chain worker making it difficult to find suitable workforce candidates among the industry’s traditional unskilled labor pool. Exacerbating the problem is the coming retirement of skilled baby boomers who have been the backbone of the supply chain industry for decades. Supply chain managers worry that there simply won’t be enough new workers coming into the system to replace those who are leaving it. The poor economic climate has actually alleviated that part of the problem somewhat. Lost savings and pinched budgets have forced many baby boomers to return to the workforce or push retirement back a few more years.
While their expertise is welcome, the distinct physical needs of an aging workforce have thrown another wrench into the supply chain machinery. Ergonomic material handling equipment that removes the physical burden from the worker could be the key to accommodating senior workers. Adjustability allows ergonomically designed carts and tugs to accommodate workers of every shape, size, sex and physical ability, providing supply chain managers with maximum use of their workforce.
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