Carol Doering was concerned about her workers' sprains and strains. She's the safety manager at CORSA Performance, a Berea, Ohio, designer and manufacturer of high-performance stainless steel exhaust systems for the marine and automotive aftermarket. Doering identified the cause: it was the awkward positions people used during production and packing. She just needed a solution.

She found one with the financial help of a grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. She also partnered with an equipment distributor and a supplier of ergonomic lifting devices (Presto Lifts, 800-343-9322).

The problem was that workers of different heights each had to find a way to maintain a more natural posture while finishing and packing manifolds, mufflers, and other exhaust-system components. Lateral transport was also important. The solution would also have to be mobile to move components weighing up to 120 pounds from one station to the next.

Once these criteria were established, Doering consulted with ergonomics experts and decided on a customized portable manual scissor lift. For easy rolling and turning, the lift was outfitted with oversized wheels. A hydraulic foot pedal system helps adjust the platform to any height between 9.25” and 45” above the floor.

CORSA Performance also purchased an oversized scissor lift for the company's packaging department. As a result of this solution, Doering says, strains resulting from inappropriate postures have been virtually eliminated, and productivity is up.

“When we didn't have the tables our productivity level was at about 65%, now we're up to 88%,” she estimates. “We have also increased our on-time delivery.”