Gaining an ergonomic edge
Proper equipment is key to keep workers safe and healthy. Here are a few examples of the various types of equipment and their applications.
By Sonja Randall -- Modern Materials Handling, 9/1/1998
Ergonomics, the science of adapting work to worker's capabilities, seeks to enhance productivity and provide safety to workers. Selecting the right materials handling equipment for your facility is essential to make your operation ergonomically sound.The argument for ergonomics can easily be substantiated. Take for example an automotive manufacturing plant where managers learned its injury rate was four times greater than the industry average for that year. Workers used excessive physical effort for the lifting, pushing, and pulling required for performing necessary tasks.
To correct the problem, manual conveyors and lift assists were installed to decrease lifting required by workers. In one year, the company's injury rate decreased by 67% and the company received a rebate on its worker's compensation insurance program as a result of improved safety.
If you think an ergonomically sound environment might be an option too expensive to consider, consider this. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in 1996 work related back injuries cost U.S. industries between $20 and $50 billion. Occupational strains and sprains totalled an estimated $40 billion, while cumulative trauma disorders (CDT) cost $10 billion.
This information in mind, you may be convinced ergonomics is the way to go. But the question remains. What equipment is best for your operation?
While following the road to an ergonomically sound operation may seem bothersome, there are a number of industry groups designed to offer assistance. The Ergonomics Assist Systems and Safety Equipment (E.A.S.E.) Council within the Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) can provide a wealth of information and more importantly, a place to start your ergonomic integration.
NIOSH, a federal institute responsible for conducting re-search and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related illness and injuries, has literature information concerning ergonomics and what equipment is best for your operation.
The most basic ergonomic equipment for both warehousing and manufacturing operations can be divided into six categories.
Air balancers. Best suited for balancing or suspending tools and heavy fixtures, these units maintain a precise counterbalance of a suspended load with air pressure.
Lift tables/scissor lifts. These floor-mounted devices designed to raise, lower, position, and transfer materials may be stationary or manually propelled. The tables position materials at operating heights so workers can avoid unnecessary bending, lifting, and reaching motions.
Manipulators. Human effort can be extended with industrial manipulators. These units allow operators to reach into areas not normally accessible to fixed equipment. Applications include operations in hazardous environments where the operator is not permitted into the production area.
Tilters/dumpers. By moving materials or positioning work for maximum operating effectiveness and efficiency, tilt tables are used during the manufacturing process to tilt products for welding, the fitting of internal components, or loading raw materials onto finishing machinery. Placing products in the best position for assembly or other production operations is an ergonomic necessity.
Dumpers are used for lifting and dumping containers such as drums and boxes. They can be designed to handle a variety of functions.
Workstation cranes. Overhead cranes provide heavy lifting capability in specific areas of the plant.
Vacuum lifts. These devices often are suspended from bridge or jib cranes and run on a pump and motor assembly. Air suction lifts flat surfaces including bags, boxes, sheets of steel, and signature logs.
For more information contact NIOSH at 1-800-35-NIOSH or E.A.S.E. at the Material Handling Industry at www.mhia.org or call 704-676-1190 and ask for the literature department.
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