DJ Products, Inc.

The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) has awarded a $50,000 research grant to Ohio State University researchers in Columbus, Ohio. The grant will be used to help fund creation of a research center focused on distribution ergonomics. Provided through MHIA’s College Industry Council on Material Handling Education, the grant represents MHIA’s maiden effort in direct funding of material handling and logistics research.

In their award-winning grant application, Dr Carolyn Sommerich and Dr. Stephen Lavender of OSU proposed:

• To create a research center that develops and devaluates ergonomic methods, tools and processes that will allow distribution center workers to work more safely and efficiently; and
• To develop partnerships between regional distribution centers and material handling equipment manufacturers to assist the distribution centers in becoming workplaces of excellence via the proper utilization of ergonomics and lean engineering.

“MHIA is proud to support this important research which will contribute significantly to the body of knowledge on ways to improve the safety and productivity of warehouses and distribution centers,” said Daniel Quinn, MHIA Vice Chairman for Education Planning & Professional Development. “Going forward MHIA is anxious to support research such as this which will benefit the safety and productivity of factories and warehouses in the United States.”

In making the grant announcement, MHIA voiced a commitment to supporting material handling and facility logistics research and teaching in the future. Increased funding will be available for such research in the 2009-10 academic year. A call for proposals is expected to go out late this year.

DJ Products applauds MHIA’s new initiative. We recognize the importance of ergonomics in the workplace and are dedicated to the design and production of ergonomic material handling solutions. Visit the DJ Products website for more information about ergonomic products that can make your plant or business safer, more efficient and more productive.

Ergonomic solutions are proven to decrease the incidence and severity of musculoskeletal injuries caused by manual material handling work tasks, reports a 2007 study by Cal-OSHA and NIOSH (see our Aug. 20 post). “Manual handling of containers may expose workers to physical conditions (e.g., force, awkward postures, and repetitive motions) that can lead to injuries, wasted energy, and wasted time,” warns the report. Using ergonomic solutions in the workplace to improve the fit between task demands and worker abilities can significantly benefit your business, the report concludes.

The U.S. Department of Labor defines manual material handling (MMH) as “seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with the hand or hands.” This includes moving individual items or pieces of equipment by manually lifting, lowering, filling, emptying or carrying them. These actions can place extreme stress on workers’ bodies, particularly back, shoulder and arm muscles. (Back injuries are the most commonly reported workplace injury in workers’ compensation claims.)

Ergonomic solutions to material handling seek not only to decrease the physical burden on workers’ bodies, but also to accommodate the wide variety of workers’ abilities and body types. Workers’ abilities will vary with gender, age, gender, strength, stature and a host of other variables. Ergonomic solutions often provide adjustable features to accommodate these differences.

According to the Cal-OSHA/NIOSH report, employing ergonomic equipment and ergonomic task design in your workplace will produce the following benefits:

• Reduce and prevent injuries;
• Reduce physical effort by workers by decreasing the forces necessary to perform lifting, handling, pushing and pulling tasks;
• Reduce risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders;
• Increase productivity, product and service quality and worker morale;
• Eliminate production bottlenecks and error rates; and
• Lower costs by reducing medical, insurance and workers’ compensation claims, lost man-hours, absenteeism and retraining.

Visit the DJ Products website to learn more about ergonomic solutions that will benefit your business.

Manual material handling (MMH) contributes to more than half a million musculoskeletal injuries a year in the U.S., said a 2007 report published by the California Department of Industrial Relations. A joint study by California OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that “effective ergonomic interventions can lower the physical demands of MMH work tasks, thereby lowering the incidence and severity of the musculoskeletal injuries they cause. Their potential for reducing injury-related costs alone make ergonomic interventions a useful tool for improving a company’s productivity, product quality, and overall business competitiveness.”

Musculoskeletal injuries, primarily strains and sprains to the lower back, shoulders and upper limbs, “can result in protracted pain, disability, medical treatment, and financial stress for those afflicted with them,” warns the report. Such injuries carry a double whammy for employers who “often find themselves paying the bill, either directly or through workers’ compensation insurance, at the same time they must cope with the loss of the full capacity of their workers.”

The report recommends adopting ergonomic solutions that reduce the physical demands of MMH tasks, including:

• Using simple transport devices like carts to move loads,
• Eliminating lifting from the floor,
• Using lift-assist devices like scissors lift tables, and
• Analyzing and redesigning work stations and workflow.

Next time: The advantages of employing ergonomic solutions in your workplace.