Tag: ergonomics

Ignoring Ergonomics Exacts High Financial Toll

In our last post, we noted that Michigan has proposed regulations that would mandate ergonomic training and penalize employers for ignoring repetitive-stress injuries. While cognizant of the health and safety benefits to their workers, employers are understandably concerned about the cost. What they may fail to realize is that the cost of implementing and maintaining an ergonomic program pales in comparison to the exorbitant costs of ignoring ergonomics.

The annual price tag for workplace injury and illness is estimated at $171 billion. Back injuries, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive-stress injuries result in decreased productivity, poor product quality, increased medical costs, higher insurance payments, inflated workers’ compensation costs, low morale and high absenteeism. According to an American Medical Association study, 6,500 people die from workplace injuries each year and non-fatal injuries afflict another 13.2 million. The total cost of workplace injuries is nearly equal to the combined annual profits of America’s 20 largest companies.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Workers’ compensation claims cost U.S. businesses $60 billion annually, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. More than 25% of those claims are for back injuries from repetitive lifting, pulling, pushing and straining, reports the National Council on Compensation Insurance. Back injuries, which involve lengthy and costly treatment, affect more than 1.75 million workers each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. OSHA estimates that 1 in 5 disabling worker injuries is a back injury. Back injuries alone cost American businesses more than $12 million in lost workdays and $1 billion in compensation costs each year. The estimated time-lost cost for a single injury is $26,000.

Numerous studies have proved that ergonomically-designed equipment and systems can significantly decrease worker injury. Many manual tasks necessary during the handling of materials require repetitive motions — pushing, pulling, bending, lifting and carrying — that place undue strain on the human body. These actions can result in sprains, strains, back pain and other musculoskeletal injuries.

Installing ergonomically designed pushers, pullers and carts can save thousands of dollars a year in decreased medical, insurance and disability costs resulting from repetitive-stress 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 in 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 ergonomic solutions tailored to the specific needs of your business.  For more information, visit the DJ Products website.

How to Tell If Your Workers Are at Risk

We’ve been talking about the high cost of ignoring ergonomics in the workplace (see our Aug. 29 and Sept. 1 posts). Manual material handling tasks that are performed repeatedly or over long periods of time can lead to physical and mental fatigue and injury. So how do you tell if your workers are at risk from repetitive-stress injuries? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends looking for the following risk factors:

  • Repeated motions including frequent reaching, lifting or carrying
  • Awkward postures such as bending, twisting or stretching to reach materials
  • Static postures where the same position must be maintained for a long period of time
  • Pressure points including handholds, footholds and any point where workers contact the load to grasp, push, pull or lean against a hard or sharp surface
  • Forceful exertions such as carrying or lifting heavy loads

Over time, repeated exposure to any of these risk factors can cause fatigue, pain and eventual injury, particularly to the back, shoulders, hands and wrists. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels can be damaged by repetitive-stress injuries. Continuing to perform the same tasks with such musculoskeletal disorders can cause permanent physical damage.

Reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, in your workplace must involve both engineering and administrative improvements.

Engineering improvements. Work spaces and task procedures may need to be reordered, modified or redesigned. Environmental conditions such as heat, cold, noise and lighting which can contribute to worker duress may need to be addressed. Ergonomically designed equipment or tools may need to be purchased. For example, motorized carts can be used to carry loads and even move heavy machinery and equipment without physical strain. Scissors lifts can be used to elevate loads without physical effort. Adjustable cargo beds can be used to position loads at optimal lift heights for manual loading and unloading. Powered equipment can eliminate the push/pull forces that can lead to serious back and shoulder injuries.

Administrative improvements. Workers come in all shapes and sizes. Repetitive-stress injuries often occur when workers are forced to use equipment or perform tasks that are not tailored to their individual physique. They must engage in injury-risking bending, stretching and pushing to do their job. Ergonomics strives to mold the task or equipment to the worker to avoid such overexertion. Administrative initiatives can also reduce worker exposure to risk factors. For example, repetitive-stress injury risk can be reduced by rotating workers through jobs that use different muscle groups, alternating heavy and light tasks, providing task variety, adjusting work schedules and pace, and providing rest breaks.  

For help in finding ergonomic solutions to your material handling needs, visit the DJ Products website.

Michigan Poised to Adopt Ergonomic Standard

A new initiative in Michigan could presage an expected federal push to mandate ergonomic equipment and procedures in business and industry. Last week, Michigan state regulators unanimously voted to advance a proposed state-wide ergonomic standard. Unless blocked by the state legislature, as a similar initiative was in 2006, the new standard could take effect this year.

If implemented, Michigan would follow California, becoming the second state in the U.S. to implement its own ergonomic rules. While the federal government has established ergonomic guidelines for many industries, they are currently voluntary, although that is expected to change. During his campaign, President Obama promised to enact tougher workplace safety standards early in his administration.

With the unanimous support of the state’s General Industry Safety Standards Commission and the Occupational Health Standards Commission, Michigan political analysts believe that, this time around, any efforts to block the proposed state-wide ergonomic standard will fail. Supporters of ergonomic equipment and procedures point to their proven record in reducing preventable injuries that each year cost businesses millions of dollars in medical and insurance costs, worker’s compensation claims, and lost man-hours. According to Michigan’s Worker’s Compensation Bureau, about 40% of worker’s compensation claims paid in 2006 and 2007 were related to preventable ergonomic injuries.

The proven ability of ergonomically-designed material handling equipment to prevent repetitive stress and musculoskeletal injuries and reduce concomitant production and human resources costs is well documented by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation. While opponents have expressed concern that Michigan’s ergonomic imperative will increase the cost of doing business in a state already struggling to survive economically, statistical and experiential evidence show that return on investment in ergonomic equipment is generally realized in the first year of ownership.

Michigan’s proposed standard would “assess risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders and establish a minimal rule for training,” according to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. The standard will only apply to general industry businesses, not construction. Public hearings must now be held by Michigan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) before the rule can be formally adopted, possibly as early as this summer.

Preventing Overexertion Injuries

Pushing, pulling and lifting are the three tasks most frequently performed by American workers. Overexertion during the execution of these tasks is responsible for 25% of all workplace injuries in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council. In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that one in every 200 workers suffers an overexertion injury. Annually, these musculoskeletal injuries cost U.S. business over $1 billion in direct compensation costs and more than 12 million lost workdays.

Repeated studies have proven that ergonomically-designed equipment can significantly decrease costly musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace. Ergonomics is the science of adjusting the equipment to the size and capabilities of the worker. Ergonomics emphasizes worker safety and comfort with the goal of reducing worker fatigue, discomfort and injury. The use of ergonomic equipment allows businesses to maximize the efficiency and productivity of their workforce while protecting workers’ health and safety.

The consequences of neglecting ergonomics are staggering. Workplace injury and illness cost U.S. businesses $171 billion annually, more than cancer or heart disease, the country’s two biggest killers. According to the American Medical Association, more than 13.2 million workers a year suffer a non-fatal workplace injury, many of them preventable musculoskeletal injuries.

Statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor reveal that workers’ compensation claims cost U.S. businesses $60 billion a year. More than 50% of those claims are for back injuries caused by pulling, pushing or lifting, tasks, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance. One in five disabling workplace injuries affects the lower back. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1.75 million U.S. workers each year succumb to a back injury that involves lengthy and costly medical and rehabilitation treatment, in addition to a considerable number of lost workdays.

Utilizing ergonomically-designed motorized carts and powered movers to assist workers with pushing, pulling and lifting tasks can save a business thousands of dollars — $4 for every dollar invested, according to a 2008 study reported in the New Hampshire Business Review — in decreased medical, insurance and disability costs resulting from musculoskeletal injuries. DJ Products, a national leader in the manufacture of ergonomically-designed electric carts and movers, specializes in providing affordable ergonomic solutions to material handling applications. For more information, visit the DJ Products website.

Body Posture Plays Significant Role in Ergonomic Design

Body posture affects the amount of force that must be exerted to move and maneuver industrial carts and equipment. The human musculoskeletal system functions like a complex system of mechanical levers. Posture determines the positioning of our joints which, in turn, determines the reach of each muscle and the force needed to exercise it. Ergonomic design seeks to produce maximum force from each exertion by optimizing body posture. In creating a more efficient piece of equipment, the goal of ergonomic design is to minimize wear and tear and the threat of injury to the human body.

Optimal body posture generally changes a piece of equipment is moved. The horizontal force necessary to put equipment in motion gives way to a more upright stance as less force is needed to keep it in motion. Handle placement can affect the amount of horizontal push a worker is able to supply. Any angle above or below the horizontal plane will diminish the amount of force a worker can produce. The greater the angle, the less direct force can applied to horizontal movement. Due to variations in worker size, adjustable handles or multiple handholds will allow optimal force production for a greater percentage of your workforce.

Foot positioning can also have a significant impact on the amount of force a worker can produce. The greatest push force is generated when the body is in a lunging posture with feet separated, one foot some distance ahead of the other. Because this position places the rear foot beyond the body’s center of gravity, it unbalances the body, placing workers at increased risk for falls and injury. The risk of serious injury increases if push force must be executed on either an incline or decline.

The use of electronic or motorized carts eliminates the burden of force and the risk of potential injury from your workforce. Equipment rather than the worker’s body provides the push force to necessary initiate and maintain movement. Optimal force can be applied regardless of worker size and strength, maximizing the efficient use of your workforce and optimizing task completion.

Specialized Carts Designed for Hospital Use

Any nurse, therapist, aide or worker will tell you that working in hospitals, nursing homes and similar settings is back-breaking work. Workers are on their feet all day long and constantly on the move. There’s a lot of bending, stretching, reaching, pushing and pulling involved — all activities that can strain and stress muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints and lead to potentially debilitating musculoskeletal injuries.

Most hospital workers, who typically work 12-hour shifts, will tell you that workloads are already heavy. No one appreciates the extra burden imposed when a fellow worker calls in sick with a strained back. Musculoskeletal injuries aren’t a quick 24-hour fix. They entail days to weeks and sometimes even months of treatment and physical therapy. Returning workers must often be assigned to light duty jobs or face re-injury if they attempt their former activities. The lost man-hours, reassignment and rescheduling needs can create significant problems, both for administrators and fellow workers. The high costs of medical treatment, insurance and workers’ compensation make the elimination of musculoskeletal injury risk a high priority for hospitals, nursing homes and similar facilities.

The heavy pedestrian traffic, narrow corridors and constrained spaces typical of hospital settings present a unique challenge in designing ergonomic equipment to take the physical burden off medical workers. That’s why so many tasks in these settings are still performed manually, despite the risk of injury. To answer the unique needs of hospital settings, DJ Products has created a specially designed line of motorized cart pushers. We have produced a line of small, extremely maneuverable caddies that are designed to carry lighter loads. The quick and easy maneuverability of these carts makes them ideal for use in confined spaces and in areas with high pedestrian traffic.

  • The CartCaddyLite is the smallest, most maneuverable tug available on the market today. This battery-powered electric tug can push or pull up to 1,000 pounds and is versatile enough to handle a variety of cart types, including dollies, hand trucks, laundry carts, hospital carts, maintenance carts and hospital beds. Click here for CartCaddyLite specifications and a video demonstration of this versatile cart puller/pusher.
  • The CartCaddyShorty has enough power to handle carts and equipment that weigh 3,000 to 20,000 pounds. This battery-powered electric tug is a powerful workhorse that can transport heavy equipment, food carts, laundry bins, x-ray machines, respiratory equipment, dialysis equipment, oxygen canisters, wheelchairs, IV poles, even bags of garbage. Click here for CartCaddyShorty specifications.

For more information on these and other DJ Products’ carts, tugs and caddies designed for the hospital industry, visit the DJ Products website.

Failing Auto Industry a Warning to U.S. Manufacturers

The auto industry bailout is in peril and may be beyond saving. The demand by Senate Republicans that the UAW agree to slash auto workers’ salaries to compete with their Japanese counterparts may have put “paid” to the deal approved by the House. If any of the Big Three automakers fail, the fallout is expected to send our already troubled economy plummeting even further downward. The strain on unemployment and social resources, the trickle-down effect on the industry’s supply chain, irreparable erosion of America’s already diminished manufacturing base, a drastic decrease in consumer choices — we’re going to be paying for Detroit’s poor management and poor choices for years to come. There is no silver lining here, but there are important lessons to be learned.

While the issues are complex, experts have boiled the U.S. auto industry’s woes down to four basic problems: failure to embrace the future, lack of flexibility, failure to effectively manage labor, and failure to rein in expenses. These are the basic cornerstones for success in any business.

  • Embrace the future. Globalization of the economy, resource depletion, and the speed at which technology changes will continue to bring vast changes to industry and manufacturing. Companies with the vision to position themselves to meet future needs by taking advantage of these changes will prosper. Those like the U.S. auto industry who don’t will eventually fail.
  • Maintain flexibility. Rapid response will separate the men from the boys. Companies with the mental, financial and physical flexibility to react quickly to changing market needs and strictures will prosper most.
  • Manage labor. U.S. labor costs are the arena in which America is least competitive globally. An inability to manage labor demands is one of the core causes of Detroit’s failure. To remain competitive into the future, American businesses and the workers that depend on them for their livelihood will need to address this issue and both sides may need to moderate their expectations.
  • Rein in expenses. Maintaining tight control over expenses and instituting proactive accounting practices are essential for survival in a poor economy. But maintaining these practices as the economy improves will give you the financial flexibility to reach future goals.

DJ Products ergonomically-designed, powered carts and tugs can position you to meet the future successfully. On Monday, we’ll tell you how.

Human Factors Affect Push-Pull Equipment Design

Humans come in all shapes and sizes. And that’s the challenge in designing safe, effective ergonomic equipment. There is no such thing as “one size fits all” when you’re designing equipment that will be used by a diverse workforce. However, there are a number of specific human factors that affect a person’s ability to execute a pushing or pulling task. Ergonomics strives to incorporate these factors into equipment design to ensure that workers can safely and effectively complete required tasks.

  • Biomechanics use gender, body size (anthropometry), posture and push/pull force to calculate muscle force requirements and bone/joint compression forces. Biomechanics are useful in examining exertion, but generally fail to consider dynamics, repetition and duration of the task.
  • Physiology considers physical work capacity (a measurement of maximum aerobic capacity) and fatigue, particularly in tasks that are repetitive, fast paced or that require forceful exertion. Since each person is unique, his or her physical work capacity will be different. Factors considered include age, fitness, gender and maximum heart rate, as well as the energy demands and duration of the job. Physiology also factors in the necessary dissipation of body heat as affected by clothing, temperature, humidity and air movement. In designing equipment, ergonomic engineers consider the expected user population and generally design for the least physically capable individuals within that population.
  • Psychophysics takes human perception of the task into account. It evaluates the type, frequency, distance and hand height of the task, as well as the type of force required to execute the task. Also considered are the gender and characteristics of the average worker who will perform the task.

By considering these three types of human factors, ergonomic engineers strive to design an electric tug that can be safely and efficiently used by workers.

Ergonomic Design Reduces Equipment Injury Risk

In our last post, we discussed the results of a three-year study of musculoskeletal injury risk factors in the trucking industry. While that study focused on long-haul truckers who are forced to maintain the same postures for hours at a time and the toll such limited activity takes on the body, the study provides an instructive lesson for any business owner who uses material handling equipment to move materials and products in the workplace. Any time workers spend long periods of time performing similar tasks, any time workers repeat the same physical movements during their shift, any time workers must adapt their bodies to “fit” the equipment they operate, any time workers must use their own body muscles to move or maneuver materials, the risk of sustaining damaging musculoskeletal injuries increases significantly. Ergonomics is the solution.

The recent study by Atlas Ergonomics reported in EHS Today online evaluated musculoskeletal injury risk factors for commercial truckers by demographics, height, weight, age and gender. Risk factors significantly increased whenever drivers had to stretch or contort their bodies to reach and operate controls. Injuries also increased with the length of time uncomfortable positions had to be maintained. Atlas found that making ergonomic improvements to truck cab designs, control placement and operator actions, could significantly reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries across all driver populations.

Atlas President James Lansman told EHS Today, “Fortunately, as our historical data and work in transportation have shown, driver risk can be measurably reduced through simple, low-cost adjustments to the cab and the drivers’ routines. The data show that sound ergonomics can have a direct, significant impact on trucking companies’ financial performance — which executives may find particularly encouraging in this difficult economy.”

DJ Products ergonomically-designed material handling equipment provides the same benefits to businesses that utilize material handling equipment to move materials, equipment and products in the workplace. Our motorized carts and battery-powered cart movers are engineered to take the burden off workers’ bodies and allow materials and equipment to be transported and maneuvered without musculoskeletal strain or injury. DJ Products’ ergonomically-designed material handling equipment allows equipment to be adjusted to optimal height for use by workers of any size, age or physical ability, ensuring maximum production during every shift.

Next time: Benefits of ergonomic design

Ergonomics Should Drive Injury-Reduction Plan

Today we continue our September 15 post on developing a proactive plan to reduce costly workplace injuries.

2. Set priorities.

After you have determined activities and areas that carry a high risk of injury, set priorities for initiating improvements. Activities resulting in the most severe and most frequent injuries should receive the highest priority, followed by those garnering the highest incidence of worker complaint. Other factors to be considered include technical and financial resources at your disposal and the difficulty in implementing improvements. Be sure to include worker ideas in your plan. Develop a timeframe for making improvements. Communicate the plan and timeline to managers and workers.

3. Implement improvements

Ergonomics — improving the fit between worker tasks and worker capabilities — should drive implementation of your injury-reduction plan. Manual handling of materials and products should be reduced or eliminated wherever possible. Operations and processes can often be combined or restructured to reduce manual tasks. Task procedures can be modified to reduce the strain of unavoidable manual tasks. Ergonomically-designed equipment can eliminate or dramatically decrease the need for physical effort. Don’t neglect proper training for new equipment, procedures, processes, etc.

4. Follow up.

After implementation of each improvement and after allowing for a reasonable adjustment period, it is important to follow up with an evaluation of effectiveness. Review reports and data for signs that injuries, fatigue, discomfort, complaints and risk factors have been reduced or eliminated. Talk to workers to see whether improvements have been accepted and assimilated, that training has been sufficient, and whether there are new complaints. Look for new problems that may have been resulted from the changes made. Refine your plan and made additional improvements as necessary. 

The technical specialists at DJ Products can assist you in evaluating the ergonomic needs of your business. DJ Products manufactures a wide range of ergonomically designed carts, pushers and tugs designed to eliminate and reduce worker injuries. Contact a DJ Products specialist today to find out how you can use ergonomic equipment to reduce injuries in your workplace.