Tag: ergonomics

Your Turn to Talk: Where Do You Stand on Ergonomic Debate?

We’ve spent some time this week talking about the changing climate in Washington with regard to ergonomics and ergonomic legislation. On the campaign trail, President Obama repeatedly promised workers a healthier, safer workplace, saying he would use the full weight of his office to attack the problem of musculoskeletal injuries. Confirmation this week Hilda Solis as Obama’s new Labor secretary is expected to get the ball rolling.

Despite the fact that ergonomic systems and equipment have been repeatedly proven to significantly reduce worker injury and the exorbitant medical, insurance, disability and lost man-hour costs associated with musculoskeletal injuries, recent news reports give the impression that business owners fear the financial burden of government-regulated ergonomics. Admittedly, as one of the nation’s premier manufacturers of ergonomically-designed electric carts and motorized cart pushers, DJ Products is a bit biased on the subject. However, our considerable experience with customers from large manufacturers to small business owners indicates that rather than fearing ergonomics, savvy businessmen are embracing it, not only to protect the health and safety of their employees, but to streamline production and reduce production costs. In our experience, most purchasers of our ergonomic carts, tugs and movers recoup their investment within the first year, noting savings in medical and production costs.

In news reports of ergonomic panic, the leadership of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce appears to be fanning the flames of dissent. The chamber cites cost and potential for abuse (i.e., paying the cost of worker injuries suffered off the job) as its two main reasons for opposition. There are always some people who will try to abuse the system, but we don’t imagine that abuse will be any greater with ergonomic rules than without them. If potential abuse were the deciding factor, there wouldn’t be any government programs, so this argument is negligible.

The issue of cost, particularly in the current economy, is, of course, a consideration. However, throughout industrial history, new innovations have required some re-tooling to reap greater profit. With ergonomics, considerable benefits can be realized from minor changes: a change in position, routine or tool placement. Ergonomic equipment can be introduced gradually, a sector at a time, allowing businesses to realize immediate gains without tremendous financial outlay.

The chamber argues that regulation is unnecessary because businessmen recognize the value of ergonomics and are implementing programs without government intervention. If that’s true, then what’s the harm in regulation? The fact is that forward-thinking businessmen do recognize the value of ergonomics and they are integrating ergonomics into their operations. But many are not and their workers suffer so government acts for the common good.

But enough from us, we want to hear from you on this issue. Where do you stand on the ergonomic debate? Let us know and we’ll share your thoughts with our readers.

Ergonomic Material Handling Solutions Improve Productivity

In our last post we talked about coming trends in warehousing. More companies are starting to outsource certain functions, such as logistics, as part of a program to increase efficiency and improve productivity. Outsourcing allows you to focus on your primary business model instead of stretching your resources to include secondary but essential functions such as logistics. The astute businessperson will realize that outsourcing is but one element of what must be a multi-directional effort to tighten efficiency and improve productivity in these difficult economic times.

Making a careful assessment of material handling equipment usage and associated costs — both direct and indirect — can have a significant affect on your bottom line.

  • With the cost of diesel fuel and gasoline going through the roof, replacing outdated equipment with fuel-efficient electric and battery-powered equipment can save thousands of dollars in fuel costs.
  • Replacing bulking, difficult to move equipment with highly maneuverable powered carts and tugs can improve workplace safety and worker morale and decrease lost man-hours from absenteeism and injury.
  • Installing ergonomically designed pushers, pullers and carts can save thousands of dollars a year in decreased medical, insurance and disability costs resulting from musculoskeletal injuries.
  • Implementing ergonomic practices in the workplace can improve worker morale considerably while increasing efficiency and productivity significantly. Retraining staff to utilize recognized ergonomic practices generally produces an immediate savings from reduced worker injuries and associated medical costs.

DJ Products specializes in providing affordable ergonomic solutions to material handling applications. Our highly trained staff can assist you in assessing your material handling needs and design solutions tailored to the specific needs of your business. For more information, visit the DJ Products website.

MHIA Funds Distribution Ergonomics Research

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.

Ergonomics Increase Workplace Efficiency

Manufacturers are shutting factories and slashing jobs in an effort to stop the hemorrhaging from the global economic recession. A recession “always hits manufacturing first and hardest,” said Hank Cox, spokesman for the 10,000 member National Association of Manufacturers. “We’re going into a valley” that looks like it’s going to be “long and deep.”

Economic experts compare this recession to the 2000-2003 slowdown during which manufacturing lost 3 million jobs and never really got them back. Greater initial job loss is expected this time around, but there is hope that as the economy improves a greater number of jobs will be reinstated and that the net job loss will be less than in 2003. Until things turn around, though, everyone will have to work a little harder to pick up the slack.

Increasing the efficiency of your workforce can help business owners trim operating costs. Implementing personnel programs to decrease absenteeism has shown good results but doesn’t address the root cause of the problem. Poor working conditions that place unnatural strain on workers’ bodies take both a physical and mental toll on your workforce. Implementing an ergonomic program in your workplace can not only boost employee morale but eliminate costly musculoskeletal injuries and their associated costs.

Ergonomically-designed powered carts and movers relieve workers of the physical strain and discomfort caused by manual performance of pushing, pulling and lifting tasks. Making an investment in your employees’ health and safety improves morale. And where morale is high, worker efficiency has been proven to increase. But these are the indirect benefits of implementing an ergonomics program in your workplace. Direct benefits include an immediate and permanent decrease in expensive musculoskeletal injuries — particularly back injuries — and the high medical, insurance, disability and workers’ compensation costs they entail.

Workplace injury and illness cost U.S. businesses $171 billion a year. Approximately 13.2 million workers every year are injured in the workplace, resulting in $60 billion in workers’ compensation claims annually. According to OSHA estimates, back injuries account for 1 in 5 disabling injuries. Back injuries alone cost American businesses more than $12 million in lost workdays and $1 billion in compensation costs each year. The lost workday cost of a single back injury is estimated at $26,000.

Implementing an ergonomic program in your workplace can dramatically and immediately impact worker efficiency and your bottom line. Most businesses recoup their investment in ergonomic equipment within the first year. For more information on how ergonomic carts and movers can improve efficiency in your workplace, contact the knowledgeable experts at DJ Products today.

Ergonomics Is Back on the Congressional Table

With the Democrats expected to control both the House and Senate come January, ergonomics is back on the Congressional table. In 2001, spurred by business lobbyists, a GOP-controlled Congress killed a Labor Department regulation aimed at reducing ergonomic-related injuries. Heavily supported by Democrats, the measure was, and still is, a top priority for union groups. According to political analysts, it was a stunning defeat for the Clinton White House. With the support of the Bush administration, Republicans have managed to keep the issue off the docket.  However, now that Democratic power is the rise, unions are again pushing for ergonomic regulations.

An internet article on The Hill, a Washington insiders tip sheet, said, “Sen. Barack Obama has promised to issue a new ergonomics regulation as president, and industry officials say they want to be ready for it.”

Chamber of Commerce leaders are mobilizing for a Congressional fight, stating in a recent announcement, “the threat of a new ergonomics regulation has been kept in check by the Republican congressional majorities and the Bush administration. But with the recent shift in power on Capitol Hill, and regardless of who wins the White House, issuing a new ergonomics regulation will once again become a hot issue.”

Naturally, no businessman looks forward to tighter regulations and the time-eating forms, procedures and training that usually accompany them. Particularly in the current economy, we’re all budget conscious and no one’s looking for ways to fritter away more money. But if you look at the statistics, embracing ergonomics makes good business sense.

Workplace injury and illness costs American businesses $171 billion annually. Workers’ compensation claims add another $60 billion to that annual price tag. More than a quarter of those claims are for back injuries from repetitive lifting, pulling, pushing and straining, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance. OSHA reports that back injuries cost U.S. businesses $12 million in lost workdays and $1 billion in compensation costs each year. The time-lost cost of a single injury is estimated at $26,000.

Ergonomics has been repeatedly proven to significantly reduce back and other repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Businesses that institute ergonomic practices and use ergonomically-designed equipment realize immediate and significant reductions in injury rates and associated medical, insurance, disability, workers compensation and lost man-hour costs. Proactive implementation of ergonomic policies improves worker morale and demonstrably increases operations efficiency and productivity. Contact the specialists at DJ Products to find out how ergonomics can improve your business.

Applying Six Sigma to Ergonomics Drives Production Gains

Businesses that practice Six Sigma recognize the roll ergonomics can play in creating and sustaining productivity gains. Adoption of a comprehensive ergonomics program that combines implementation of ergonomic practices with use of ergonomically-designed equipment can lead to significant production gains, both immediate and sustainable in the long term. This is in addition to the obvious benefits ergonomics offers in improved workplace safety and reduced injury levels and their attendant costs.

In our last post, we began discussing how Six Sigma’s disciplined, process-oriented, five-step approach to problem solving can be applied to development of a comprehensive ergonomics program. We covered defining problem areas and goals, measuring existing stressors, and analyzing collected data to identify root problems and potential risks. Today, we continue our discussion of Six Sigma’s five-step process and its application to creation of a comprehensive ergonomics program.

Improve. Develop solutions to address the identified root causes of production area problems, set performance standards, and define responsibilities of both workers and managers. Remember to talk to the workers who actually perform the tasks and use the equipment. They can provide valuable input and often offer useful, practical solutions to production problems. Implement your improvement action plan, including necessary staff and management training.

Control. To ensure that productivity gains are sustained over the long term and that they continue to improve, it is important to monitor the established ergonomics program to ensure that performance standards and personnel responsibilities are being maintained. Measurement data should be regularly collected and analyzed to ensure that productivity improvement goals are sustained.

Too often ergonomics programs fail because they are not fully supported by top level management. Particularly now, when manufacturers and other businesses, beset by myriad economic concerns, are forced to run lean, many have shunted plans to implement an ergonomics program to the future. There is general lack of understanding of the significant productivity gains that accrue with implementation of an ergonomics program. By increasing productivity, ergonomic processes and ergonomically-designed equipment can improve your bottom line noticeably. And that is in addition to the proven savings realized from the immediate decrease in workplace injuries and accompanying decrease in medical, insurance, workers’ compensation and lost man-hour costs when ergonomics are employed. Making a comprehensive ergonomics program part of your company’s Six Sigma strategy guarantees it the credibility and top level management support necessary for success and sustainability.  

For information on ergonomic equipment designed to solve your material handling problems, contact the ergonomic engineers at DJ Products.

How to Assess Your Ergonomic Material Handling Needs

Poorly designed workstations and task habits can result in serious health and injury problems for your employees. Back injuries, followed by neck and shoulder injuries are the most commonly experienced injuries in material handling settings. Proper ergonomic equipment design and tasking protocols can prevent potential injury.

Ergonomics is the science of fitting the task to the worker, instead of the other way around. Musculoskeletal injuries can result when workers have to pull, push, lift or stretch in the performance of their tasks. Assessing your ergonomic needs can be as simple as having a conversation with your employees.

Begin by closely examining the workplace and tasks. Review error and accident reports to identify potential problems. Observe how employees actually perform their tasks. Talk to the people who actually do the work. They have the best insights into what is and isn’t working effectively. Ask the following questions:

  • Are you in a comfortable position throughout the performance of your job tasks?
  • Do you experience discomfort, aches, pain, fatigue or stress? At what point in your tasks? Specifically what are you doing when you experience discomfort?
  • Is the equipment appropriate, easy to use and well maintained?
  • Are you satisfied with your workspace and tasks?
  • Are there frequent errors? What are you doing when these occur?
  • Do you have any suggestions for improving your workspace or tasks?

Analyze the responses you receive. Small solutions such as repositioning of task elements can often make a significant difference in worker comfort. Even when large-scale solutions are required, such as equipment purchase, the cost will be quickly defrayed in decreased medical, insurance, workers’ compensation, disability and lost man-hour costs.

On our website, DJ Products provides a useful Ergonomic Load Calculator you can use to help determine your ergonomic equipment needs. Our expert staff can recommend ergonomic product solutions for your most difficult material handling tasks. Visit the DJ Products website to view our complete line of electric and battery-powered ergonomic carts and tugs.

Use NIOSH Equation to Determine Safe Lifting Parameters

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.

Ergonomic Design Lowers Risk of Musculoskeletal Injury

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. 

Ergonomic Products Will Lead Material Handling Gains in U.S.

The material handling industry is on the cusp of a major worldwide growth spurt. Increased automation at home and growing industrialization abroad, particularly in automobile production, are expected to increase worldwide sales of material handling products and systems by 5% a year for the next five years (see our Sept. 22 & 24 posts). Products that maximize worker efforts while decreasing the physical strain on workers will enjoy an ever-increasing share of the market. Particularly in the U.S. where a declining workforce coupled with escalating medical, insurance and workers’ compensation costs will drive a move toward more efficient material handling products, ergonomically-designed equipment and systems are expected to capture an increasing part of the material handling market.

DJ Products is well situated to help you meet the material handling challenges of tomorrow. We manufacture ergonomically-designed material handling carts and tugs designed to maximize work effort and safety. Our energy-efficient electric and battery-powered carts and tugs are less costly, smaller and more maneuverable than the traditional equipment used to move carts and equipment such as forklifts which kill 100 U.S. workers a year and result in 20,000 serious injuries.

All of our products are battery-powered walk-behind units that allow maximum operator control, even in tight, difficult spaces. The flexibility of our ergonomic equipment allows it to be used not only in manufacturing settings, logistics centers and  warehouses, but in hospitals, hotels and motels, and in the retail industry.

We make a number of efficient vehicle pushers for the automotive industry, including some for use on production lines. Our vehicle pushers can be used to push vehicles down and assembly line or move them from station to station. Padded to prevent dents, scratches and cracks, our vehicle movers preserve the paint and integrity of vehicles during production and processing. From our handy car/vehicle pusher to our heavy-duty truck pusher which is capable of moving 10,000 pounds, we make versatile automotive material handling products useful in every aspect of the automotive industry.

For complete information, specifications and videos of our ergonomically-designed carts, tugs and movers in action, visit the DJ Products website.