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.

For logistics providers competing in a tight economy, process automation is an essential strategy. A MarketInsight study just released by Hubspan, Inc. surveyed more than 200 North American logistics companies with annual revenue between $30 million and $10 billion. Process automation to streamline shared processes, achieve operational efficiency and improve collaboration between customers, carriers and distributors were identified as the most critical challenges facing the logistics industry today.

“The logistics industry recorded strong growth over the past decade due to globalization and an increased demand for imported goods,” said Robert Pease, Vice President of marketing for Hubspan. “However, the industry shifted in early 2008 due to a slowing economy, rising fuel costs and a shortage of qualified personnel. This shift drives the need for logistics companies to apply efficiencies that automate processes and streamline operations to overcome current economic hurdles.”

Incompatible systems and difficulties in integrating systems were cited as the greatest challenge by a majority of survey respondents. “In an industry driven by efficiency, it is surprising that so few logistics providers are able to resolve core integration issues that impact on-time performance, process automation and customer service,” Pease said. “Increasing process automation and system compatibility illustrate two key opportunities for logistics providers looking to outperform the competition and thrive in today’s tough economic environment.”

Utilizing ergonomically designed powered carts and tugs to replace the manual transport of materials and products is one way logistics companies can increase automation and improve production efficiency. With the logistics industry facing a shortage of workers, ergonomic material handling solutions allow each worker to efficiently accomplish a greater workload while dramatically decreasing potential risk of injury. Replacing expensive, high-maintenance, fuel-guzzling forklifts and gas/diesel-powered equipment, with less costly, more maneuverable, electric-powered carts and tugs can result in a considerable savings in high fuel costs. These smaller, more maneuverable carts also provide more versatile solutions to material handling problems. For more information on ergonomic solutions to material handling problems, visit the DJ Products website.

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.