Tag: ergonomics

Successful Ergonomics Program Requires Strong Leadership

With President-elect Obama and a Democratic Congress poised to enact tough ergonomic standards within the next year, we’ve been discussing the financial, production and personnel benefits of implementing an ergonomic program (see our Nov. 24 & 26 posts). Being proactive in creating a wellness-focused corporate climate will enhance your ability to compete in the future. Implementation of a strong ergonomic plan and a move to ergonomically-designed equipment has been proven to increase production efficiency and decrease healthcare costs.

The success of a comprehensive ergonomics plan is dependant upon the support of top management, the creation of demonstrable goals and measurable results, and, most critically, the provision of effective employee education and training coupled with strong program leadership.

Effective education, training and leadership. Thorough education and onsite training of employees is critical to the success of a new ergonomics program. Education about the features and processes of a new ergonomics initiative must be backed up with onsite training.

As workers become familiar with new features and practice new processes, the provision of adequate onsite supervision is critical. Workers need time to learn new skills and procedures and change long-established habits. Continuous supervision not only reinforces raining, but reveals areas that require adjustment. Ask your employees for input. People who perform the tasks often spot potential problem areas in new procedures and provide keen insight into productive solutions.

In an article published in New Hampshire Business Review, Mike Kind also recommends selecting a “champion” to spearhead a new ergonomics initiative. Designating a person with clear oversight over the program facilitates implementation of the original initiative and subsequent revisions. It creates a clear chain of command easily accessible by both management and workers. It centralizes the dissemination of information and collection of review data, improving analysis quality and speed.

A recognized industry leader in the design and production of ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, DJ Products provides a useful Ergonomic Load Calculator on our website. Created to assist ergonomic and health and safety professionals in designing ergonomic programs, our free calculator estimates the amount of horizontal force necessary to move wheeled loads. By inputting vital data about your specific application, including floor condition, terrain, footing, load weight and transport distance, our Ergonomic Load Calculator calculates the specific needs of a given application.

DJ Products’ ergonomic specialists are also available to assist you in evaluating your ergonomic needs. We’re the experts in finding creative solutions to ergonomic issues in the workplace. Give us a call today and let us help you position your business for the future.

Weighing the Options

Functional equipment operated by quality employees is pretty much the lifeblood of the material handling industry.  Unfortunately, with the state of the economy over the course of the last couple years, many warehouses and distribution centers are operating with outdated and broken down equipment that is hampering their employee’s productivity and putting them at risk of injury. Some owners feel that equipment upgrades simply aren’t in the budget, but at the same time they constantly have to pay for costly repairs on the machines that they are using and losing time and money when equipment is down.  If all of the repairs and lost income from delays over the course of a year were tallied, odds are that the sum would far outweigh the cost of an equipment upgrade.

Upgrading outdated material handling equipment in favor of the safer, more reliable and more efficient powered carts from DJ Products will have many benefits, both immediate and long term, which will far outweigh the initial one time investment of the purchase.

The material handling equipment from DJ Products is ergonomically designed to be among the safest equipment that your employees can use, this helps to ensure that your employees avoid many of the injuries often associated with manual material handling.  You’ll also get unparalleled reliability, with carts that can operate strong for an entire shift on a single charge with no worries at all about failure.

Healthy employees and reliable equipment will dramatically increase your operational productivity, this will allow you do satisfy more customers and do so in a quicker fashion.  Equipment that can help to keep your employees healthy and allow you to fulfill customer orders more quickly will pay for itself in no time, regardless of the cost of the initial investment.

Electric Lift Table Puts Work Materials at Optimal Height

We all know how much faster and easier a job is when all our materials are at optimal height and within easy reach. It’s a minor annoyance when we have to lift a heavy object or stretch for tools when we’re at home doing the weekend warrior bit; but when we have to lift and stretch hour-after-hour on the job, that minor annoyance can quickly become a painful injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overexertion injuries from repetitive lifting and awkward reaching cost employers an average of eight days of workers comp time per injury. That’s a pretty high price to pay for avoidable injuries.

Lifting injuries that cause pain and damage to the lower back are a leading safety issue in manufacturing, assembly, fulfillment, pick and pack, and numerous other industries. Ergonomics is the solution. Ergonomics is the science of designing equipment and tasks to safely accommodate the breadth of variety in the human work force. Ergonomic material handling equipment addresses safety issues created when workers of various sizes must perform the same work tasks. By making the individualization of work platforms possible, ergonomic material handling equipment minimizes the risk of injury from lifting, stretching and straining. DJ Products’ ergonomically-designed lift tables, scissors lifts and adjustable carts and platforms allow each individual worker to position materials at his personally-optimal work height.

Unfortunately, many plant operations were set up before manufacturers realized the importance of ergonomics in protecting workers’ health and safety, increasing productivity and managing costs. Fortunately, DJ Products manufactures a complete line of mobile adjustable lift tables, scissors lifts, carts and platforms. Our compact, battery-powered, electric lifts allow workers to lift materials and perform tasks at optimal work height, eliminating injury-inducing stress and strain. Contact DJ Products for complete information. We manufacture a full line of material handling products and can design an ergonomic solution to your unique problem.

Avoiding the Number One Citation from OSHA

According to statistics released in publications for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the number one reason for citations in warehouses across America is the forklift.  This makes perfect sense if you consider that more than 100 individuals die each year as a result of forklift related accidents and that nearly 100,000 people are injured in forklift incidents every single year.

If your employees, even ones that have been driving your forklift for a substantial period of time, don’t closely adhere to the proper safety guidelines when driving, they are putting themselves, other employees and your entire operation at risk.  Forklifts can be a huge asset to the warehouse and material handling environment, but only if they are used in a consciously safe manner.  Many forklifts are also loud and run on combustible fuels, which can add another element of risk to operation and storage.

Though forklifts have many potential benefits, if you run a warehouse or distribution center, there may be safer and easier alternatives to your material handling needs.  Battery powered carts from DJ Products create no noise pollution and operate free of combustible fuels – they are powered by a long life battery that can easily handle an entire, fast paced shift on a single charge, making them much more efficient and much less expensive to operate than a traditional forklift.

Keeping your employees safe is integral to running a successful business and the battery powered carts from DJ Products are designed with employee safety in mind.  All carts are ergonomically designed to prevent over use injuries and the overall operation is so simple that a single employee can transport heavy loads safely with very little physical effort.  This gives your employees the power to perform work as quickly as they could with a forklift, without the potential hazards often associated with forklift operation.  By trading in the biggest risk of employee injury for a much safer alternative you can greatly increase your company’s overall productivity while at the same time reducing risks to your valuable employees – that’s a winning situation for everyone.

Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment Meets Needs of Multi-Generational Workforce

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.

2010 Applied Ergonomics Conference Slated for March

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 ErgowebM [Expired].)

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.

Making the Responsibility Revolution Work for You

Hand in hand with the “go green” movement, the “responsibility revolution” is changing the way Americans shop. Everyone from the companies that supply your parts and materials to the end product consumer is watching how corporations use resources and interact — with the local community and the world at large. Ethical consumerism is on the rise and savvy business owners are paying attention.

An outgrowth of our raised consciousness about the interrelationship of environmental systems, people are paying more attention to how companies are interacting socially with their environment. It’s not enough these days to decrease your carbon footprint and lower your energy consumption, people expect a certain level of social responsibility from the companies they buy from and invest in. The marketplace is replete with examples of companies that have suffered for their lack of social consciousness. Nike attacked for unfair overseas labor practices. Wal-Mart boycotted for unfair labor practices at home. Rabid consumer groups have been quick to call attention to practices they find unethical, tarnishing corporate reputations, forcing management changes and even putting companies out of business.

Smart corporations are working to demonstrate to consumers that they care about the planet and the people they share it with. Implementing a strong ergonomic program and switching to ergonomic equipment that protects the health and safety of your workers is one immediate step companies can take to show their concern for others. Many Americans are looking for improvement and changes in their own back yards. Using local suppliers, contracting with local transport firms, supporting local events and charities, improving the lives of the people you hire — both on the job and off — these actions speak louder than words. They show people that you are a responsible corporate partner in their community and an asset in their daily lives.

Ergonomics Addresses Small & Large Features of Material Equipment Use

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.

Avoid Strain and Lost Productivity with Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment

On the topic of musculoskeletal disorders, the Centers for Disease Control says, “…employers 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.”

While some injuries are beyond your control, there is plenty that employers can do to prevent muscle strain that results from attempting to transport heavy loads. DJ Products make Ergonomic Material Handling Equipment, including motorized carts, equipment pushers, trailer movers and shopping cart retrievers. You don’t have to deal with the loss in productivity that can occur when employees are injured.

You also don’t have to go through the experience of leaning too heavily on healthy employees because of employee injury. Planning ahead and looking for material handling solutions in advance can save you from lost revenue and morale.

We make battery powered “walk-behind” units that allow workers better control, even in tight, difficult spaces. This operating flexibility means that our electric cart movers can be used in more applications that standard material handling equipment.

Not only do our material handling solutions help you prevent injury, they are also versatile, which can save you money in other ways. DJ Products carts and tugs can eliminate the use of a more costly and cumbersome piece of equipment designed for a different material-handling task.

As the CDC notes: “…very often productivity gets an additional and solid shot in the arm when managers and workers take a fresh look at how best to use energy, equipment, and exertion to get the job done in the most efficient, effective, and effortless way possible.”

Time to Review Your Corporate Ergonomic Plan

October is National Ergonomics Month and a good time to review your company’s ergonomic plan and assess new ergonomic needs. Ergonomics protects the health and safety of your workers, increases worker productivity and dramatically reduces on-the-job injuries and their associated costs. Ergonomically designed equipment and procedures seek to minimize muscle-straining manual pushing, pulling, reaching and stretching activities. Ergonomic equipment is proven to reduce potentially debilitating musculoskeletal injuries. Implementation of an ergonomic program and use of ergonomic equipment is also proven to reduce absenteeism, lost man-hours, direct medical costs and disability claims.

A long-time national leader in the innovative design and manufacture of ergonomically-designed material handling equipment, DJ Products can offers expert assistance in meeting your company’s ergonomic needs. To aid you in developing an ergonomic program, we provide a handy Ergonomic Load Calculator on our website. Use it to calculate the amount of force necessary to move typical loads in your work environment. Our expert ergonomic sales engineers can suggest ergonomic solutions to your material handling problems.

Want to learn more about the benefits of implementing an ergonomic program in your workplace? This year’s National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas November 17-20. Focusing on the importance of ergonomics during economic recovery, ErgoExpo will sponsor educational programs on managing ergonomic programs to maximize return on investment, accommodating the aging workforce, and using ergonomics to increase safety in the workplace. A free webinar from 2-3 p.m. (Eastern) will be offered on Wednesday, October 7, to explain and highlight educational programs to be offered at the expo. Webinar participants will receive a special discount for ErgoExpo. For more information on the conference and to sign up for the webinar, visit the ErgoExpo website.