OF DESIGNING THE WORKPLACE AND WORK ORGANIZATION

TO FIT THE WORKER, OR THE EMPLOYEE,

RATHER THAN HAVING THE WORKER'S BODY

BE FITTED INTO THE JOB AT HAND.

>> TH

BOR

HAVE IDENTIFIED OVER 615,000 LOST WORK DAY INJURIES

EVERY YEAR DUE TO MUSCULAR SKELETAL DISORDERS.

THESE ARE THE SOFT TISSUE INJURIES,

THE UPPER EXTREMITY INJURIES,

AND ESPECIALLY THE LOWER BACK INJURIES.

THEY CAN BE VERY DEBILITATING, VERY SERIOUS,

VERY COSTLY,

BUT MOST IMPORTANT, THE

ABLE.

AN ERGONOMIC PROGRAM DOES NOT NEED TO COST A LOT OF MONEY.

A LOT OF IT IS COMMON SENSE,

SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IMPLEMENT

PREVENTIVE PROGRAMS

DESIGNED THROUGH ERGONOMIC TECHNIQUES.

♪ Instrumental ♪

>> WHEN I LOOK AT KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

FOR AN ERGONOMICS PROGRAM,

I BELIEVE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU HAVE TO HAVE

IS THE SUPPORT OF TOP MANAGEMENT.

TOP MANAGEMENT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO A LOT,

THEY JUST HAVE TO BE THERE TO SUPPORT IT,

ENCOURAGE IT,

AND LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THEY BELIEVE IN IT, AS WELL.

THE GROUP THAT REALLY HAS TO BE THERE TO MAKE IT WORK

IS THE GROUP THAT'S RUNNING THE PLANT,

THAT'S DESIGNING THE PRODUCT,

IT'S ALL THOSE PEOPLE.

SO, IT'S THE PEOPLE ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE FLOOR,

THE MACHINE FLOOR,

IT'S THE MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

IN THE MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS,

IT'S THE DESIGN ENGINEERS.

IT'S ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY PUT THAT PRODUCT,

THAT PLANT, THAT WHOLE SYSTEM TOGETHER.

TO GET THE BENEFITS OF GOOD ERGONOMICS,

THE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN IT.

AND WHEN THEY'RE INVOLVED IN IT,

THINGS REALLY HAPPEN,

AND YOU SEE MOTIVATED, EXCITED EMPLOYEES.

>> THE UNION NEGOTIATED THE ERGONOMIC COMMITTEE

AND MASTER CONTRACT IN 1990.

AND THE REASON WE TOOK IT TO THE TABLE

IS OUR MEMBERS WERE GETTING HURT ON THE JOB,

AND THERE WERE NO VIOLENCE, NO ACCIDENTS,

BUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME,

THEY WERE WORKING AND WINDING UP HURT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY,

AND ONCE YOU GET CARPEL TUNNEL,

AND SOME OF YOUR OTHER CTD'S,

THERE'S NO CURE.

SO YOUR LIFE IS CHANGED, OR RUINED FOREVER.

SO WE WANTED TO PREVENT THAT.

>> ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO

I STARTED BECOMING AWARE OF THE EMPLOYEES COMPLAINTS

AS TO WRIST PROBLEMS, SHOULDER PROBLEMS,

BACK PROBLEMS,

AND SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE

A PROCEDURE IN PLACE FOR ERGONOMICS AT THE TIME,

I STARTED TO KEEP MY OWN LOGS

OF WHAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS DOING,

THE TYPE OF WORK THEY WERE DOING,

THE SAFETY COMMITTEE DECIDED TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM,

AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE CONSULTANT FIRMS OUT THERE

THAT WOULD COME IN AND TRAIN THEM

SO THAT THEY COULD PROPERLY LOOK AT THE JOBS

AND KNOW HOW TO EVALUATE, AND HOW TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS.

>> AT MELROSE PARK, WE FOCUS ON A SERIES OF GOALS.

WE ALSO FOLLOW A NUMBER OF MEASURES OF SAFETY

AND PRODUCTIVITY.

ERGONOMICS IS ONE OF THE AREAS WE TRACK,

AS WELL AS THE OVERALL HEALTH AND SAFETY.

WHAT WE SAW IN 1996, FOR EXAMPLE,

IS WE HAD NO REPETITIVE TRAUMA,

OSHA REPORTABLE INCIDENCES.

THAT'S A SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT OVER PAST YEARS,

BUT IT'S ONLY COME THROUGH AN AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM

COORDINATED THROUGH OUR COMMITTEE.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE OUR WORKER'S COMPENSATION COSTS

SO THAT THEY'RE ONLY ONE-FIFTH OF THE STATE AVERAGE.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE LOST TIME CASE RATE,

AND THE INCIDENT FREQUENCY RATE,

IS MUCH LOWER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE.

THIS SHOWS THAT WE CAN REDUCE OUR COSTS,

AND ALSO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY

OF THE WORKFORCE.

SOME OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO DO

IS LOOK AT THEIR OSHA-200 LOGS,

OR THEIR INJURIES AND ILLNESS RECORDS.

AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHICH ONES OF THOSE

ARE ACTUALLY ERGONOMICALLY RELATED.

THEN YOU'RE TALK TO MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS

TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS THEY HAVE.

THEN YOU WANT TO GET OUT INTO THE PLANT,

DO SOME VIDEOTAPING,

LOOK AT THE TOOLS THAT THEY'RE USING,

AND TALK TO THE EMPLOYEES, ASK THEM,

"DO YOU REPORT THESE THINGS TO THE COMPANY OFFICIALS,

SUCH AS THE TINGLING IN YOUR FINGERS,

THE NUMBNESS IN YOUR HANDS, YOUR ARMS?"

THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

AND FIND OUT IF THEY'VE BEEN TRAINED

REGARDING ERGONOMICS.

DO THEY HAVE A MEDICAL DEPARTMENT?

WHAT KIND OF MEDICAL FACILITIES DO THEY HAVE?

♪

♪♪

>> WHEN AN EMPLOYEE

FEELS PAIN, OR DISCOMFORT

THEY'RE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THIS TO THEIR SUPERVISOR.

AN

N

TO ASSIST THEM IN RESPONDING TO THESE EMPLOYEES.

THE ERGONOMICS PROGRAM ALLOWS THE SUPERVISOR

TO ADJUST THE WORKSTATION, CORRECT WORK METHODS,

AND IF THE EMPLOYEES PROBLEMS

ARE NOT RESOLVED WITH THOSE MEASURES,

THEN THEY ARE REFERRED TO THE NURSE

FOR EVALUATION AND TREATMENT.

DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING THERE?

UH-UH.

I WANT YOU TO GO AHEAD, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE,

AND SQUEEZE THIS FOR ME.

JUST SQUEEZE IT AS HARD AS YOU CAN.

OKAY, THAT'S GOOD.

THE CHANGES THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE WORKPLACE

ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE LESS THAN YOU ARE IMAGINING.

>> THE OLD CHAIR WAS JUST A STRAIGHT CHAIR.

AND IT DIDN'T MOVE UNLESS YOU GOT UP AND TURNED IT,

SO THAT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT.

YOU COULDN'T ADJUST THE BACK,

YOU COULDN'T ADJUST THE HEIGHT.

SOME OF THEM YOU COULD,

BUT IT TOOK TWO OR THREE PEOPLE.

SO, WITH THE NEW CHAIRS, LIKE I SAID,

IT'S A WHOLE LOT BETTER.

YOU CAN JUST LIFT THE THING AND IT GOES UP AND DOWN,

AND THAT'S A WHOLE LOT BETTER.

WE ALSO HAVE BUNDLE TRUCKS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PICK UP THE WHOLE BUNDLE.

YOU'RE ABLE TO PICK UP ONE GARMENT AT A TIME,

AND THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO

PICK UP THE WHOLE THING AT ONE TIME.

THAT MAKES IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER IN HANDLING,

AND YOU CAN ALSO JUST PUSH THE TRUCK UP

FROM ONE OPERATION TO THE NEXT.

ANOTHER THING WE HAVE ARE FOLDING TABLES

THAT YOU CAN ADJUST THEM UP AND DOWN,

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL NOT THE SAME HEIGHT.

YOU'RE ABLE TO LET THE TABLE UP FOR TALLER PEOPLE,

FO

>> IN THE LAST SIX YEARS,

WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER A 50% DECREASE

IN THE NUMBER OF ILLNESSES THAT WE HAD REPORTED BEFORE THEN.

WE ARE AVERAGING ABOUT A LITTLE OVER TWO ILLNESSES

FOR EVERY 200,000 HOURS WORKED.

THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA

AS FAR AS THE FREQUENCY IS CONCERNED.

DOLLARS, WE STARTED PARALLEL TO RATES,

WE NOTICED AS OUR RATES WENT DOWN,

AS FAR AS ILLNESS IS CONCERNED,

OUR DOLLARS DID ALSO.

PLUS, OUR PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER.

IN DOING SURVEYS WITHIN THE PLANT MYSELF

THEY TELL ME THEY ARE LESS TIRED NOW

THAN THEY WERE YEARS AGO WHEN THEY FIRST CAME TO WORK.

IT'S JUST SMART BUSINESS TO GO AHEAD

AND GET INVOLVED WITH THE ERGO PROGRAM

BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER, YOU'LL HAVE PROBLEMS.

♪ Instrumental ♪

>> IN THE BEGINNING,

MOST OF THE PEOPLE WE'D COME IN CONTACT WITH

IN OUR SMALL TOWN,

WHEN IT HAD TO DO WITH A GOVERNMENT AGENCY,

OR ANY KIND OF AN INSPECTION,

EVERYTHING WE'D HEARD WAS THAT THESE WERE PEOPLE TO AVOID,

AND YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM.

AND THE ONE TIME WE DID HAVE A SURPRISE I■CTION,

AND IN THAT PROCESS,

THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THEY POINTED OUT THAT WERE WRONG,

AND THERE WAS REALLY A LOT MORE TO BE GAINED

BY ASKING THEIR OPINION AND SAYING,

"WHAT SHOULD WE DO HERE?

HOW SHOULD WE CONSTRUCT THIS FINISH ROOM

SO IT WILL REDUCE OUR PREMIUMS,

OR BE SAFER IN THE CASE OF ASKING OSHA?"

WE THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY BENEFITED,

AND BECAUSE OF THIS,

WE KIND OF MADE THIS SHIFT FROM THEM BEING THE ENEMY,

TO THEM BEING A RESOURCE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP US.

>> DAVID CARROLL, OUR SAFETY DIRECTOR,

HE HAS BOOKS FROM OSHA, AND DIFFERENT PLACES,

AND HE SHARES THEM WITH THE SAFETY TEAM,

AND THEN WE CARRY THIS BACK ON TO OUR TEAMS.

WE HAVE HAD AN IMPROVEMENT IN ERGONOMICS.

IT HELPS LIFTING ON THE PANEL PROCESSING.

WE USED TO LIFT ONE SINGLE PANEL AT A TIME OF PLYWOOD.

NOW WE USE A FORKLIFT WHERE WE PICK IT UP,

AND WE HAVE A LIFT THAT WORKS IT UP ONTO THE TABLE.

WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND PICK UP AS MUCH.

ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE PLANT,

ALL THE WORKERS I'VE TALKED TO,

HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED THE ERGONOMIC INNOVATIONS,

AND IT'S HELPED THEM WORK-WISE AND HEALTH-WISE.

>> OUR INITIAL ANALYSIS OF OUR NEED FOR ERGONOMICS,

OR TO INCORPORATE ERGONOMICS,

HAD TO DO AN AWFUL LOT WITH JUST REVIEWING THE WORK CENTERS.

WE HAD FORMS THAT WE USE FOR OUR WORK CENTERS,

AND THOSE FORMS COULD BE FILLED OUT -

"HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU HAVE TO REACH?

HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU HAVE TO LIFT?

HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO LIFT?

DOES THE WORK CENTER REQUIRE BENDING OR REACHING?

AND SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES CAN BE REDUCED

WHEN YOU REALLY DOCUMENT

ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE FOR EACH WORK CENTER

TO COMPLETE THE JOB, THE PRODUCTION JOB AT HAND.

OFTEN TIMES BUDGET CONSTRAINTS ARE AN ISSUE WITH ANY COMPANY,

AND IT CERTAINLY IS IN OURS,

AND SO THE THINGS WE COULD FIX VERY EASILY, OR QUICKLY,

OR PERHAPS THE PERSON COULD FIX IT THEMSELVES,

WE GAVE THEM THE TIME TO DO THAT, AND THE RESOURCES.

AND TYPICALLY IT DIDN'T COST VERY MUCH,

INITIALLY, FOR SOME OF THE SMALLER IMPROVEMENTS.

WE'VE PUT IN PLACE SOME FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE LIFT TABLES

THAT CAN LIFT THE TOTAL PARTS -

WHERE A SHORTER PERSON CAN REACH IT,

OR A TALLER PERSON DOESN'T HAVE TO REACH DOWN QUITE AS FAR,

AND A VACUUM LIFT IS VERY HELPFUL TOO

IF YOU HAVE AN AREA FOR A VACUUM LIFT.

WE FIND THAT WHEN A PERSON COMES TO WORK AT 7:00,

THAT BY 9:00, THAT FIRST BREAK,

T

LY

T

WE'D WANT THEM TO WORK IN A CERTAIN WORK CENTER,

BUT THE ONES THAT ARE ESPECIALLY TAXING

ON THE HA AN

TIONS,

G,

AND THEY'RE ROTATED TO THE NEXT WORK CENTER WITHIN THAT TEAM

IF IT'S APPROPRIATE.

WE FIND THAT THAT GIVES PEOPLE A VARIETY OF THINGS TO DO,

THEY ENJOY THEIR JOBS MORE,

BUT IT ALSO LETS THOSE MUSCLES HAVE A REST,

THAT SPECIFIC GROUP OF MUSCLES THAT THEY MIGHT USE,

WHETHER IT MIGHT BE LIFTING, OR USING A SCREW GUN,

OR A NAIL GUN, OR PERHAPS IN A SPRAY BOOTH,

WHERE THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF TRIGGERING.

THEY