Page 79 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2019

The most effective ergonomics processes have
design guidelines for each major region of the world.
Incorporating Ergonomics into the Design Process
Don’t overlook the importance of design guidelines for ergonom- ics. Selecting, purchasing, or building equipment that is appropri- ate for the end user is the most cost-effective and efficient way to reduce MSD risk. Clear design guidelines are the key to completing this task successfully. Keep in mind that people in different parts of the world aren’t all the same size; design guidelines should account for these regional differences. The most effective ergonomics pro- cesses have design guidelines for each major region of the world. Effective processes also include plans in case the production loca- tion changes or expands, and they incorporate enough adjustability to accommodate all regions where the equipment could foresee- ably be installed.
Simply having new design guidelines for ergonomics typi- cally isn’t enough; you also must find the hidden places where old guidelines may exist, and you’ll need to embed the new guidelines directly into the appropriate design and purchasing processes. De- sign guidelines different from the most current ones for ergonom- ics have often been added into a wide variety of internal documents without prior review by the ergonomics process owner. They can exist in EHS checklists, lean workstation guidelines, purchasing specifications, packaging criteria, and engineering files. Different divisions and regions may also have collected their own unique information in the past. Uncovering all these locations with their own guidelines requires conversations with stakeholders in each function and region. This also requires learning about, and partici- pating in, the different processes, particularly the new product and equipment development process.
To be effective, design guidelines for ergonomics must be used at the appropriate times. This is why it is important to understand the new product development process and the corresponding pro- cesses for the design and purchase of equipment accompanying the new product. When use of the guidelines is introduced too early in the process, the decisions that impact ergonomics aren’t being made and the guidelines can easily be overlooked. If the guidelines are introduced too late in the process, important decisions have already been made that would impact the cost and feasibility of changing to meet the design guidelines. Note that different aspects of the guidelines are often appropriate at different stages in the pro- cess. Reviewing the right guidelines during the optimal stages of the design process will result in the most cost-effective and efficient decisions for ergonomics.
Sharing Solution Ideas and Challenges
Many organizations produce the same or very similar products in multiple locations, resulting in similar ergonomics challenges across these different sites. If an effective process already exists identifying and improving these shared issues, the best option is to include ergonomics in the existing process. Unfortunately, effec- tive cross-location problem-solving processes for any issues are less common and effective than is generally desired. If your organiza- tion does not already have an effective process for sharing these issues among sites, establish a process specifically for ergonomics.
First, create a database that contains both root cause descrip- tions and information regarding effective countermeasures. Ideally, this database should also include the name of the person leading each job improvement effort so that people from other locations can make direct contact.
Next, create a forum for routinely sharing this informa- tion. Conference calls remain the best way to start this shar- ing process. Once the sharing process and use of the database information become standard practice, the frequency of regular conference calls can be reduced. Remember to share not just the solutions but the specific challenges. In some cases, other sites may have an undocumented improvement for an issue al- ready in place. Most of the time, the challenge exists in all loca- tions and combining ideas to solve the shared problem results in more effective solutions.
Share your database of information with new product develop- ment teams. If the manufacturing sites have already solved a prob- lem, incorporate those solutions into new design ideas. Because of technical and financial limitations, some hazards can only be ad- dressed during the design stage. Therefore, it is particularly impor- tant to address those issues that couldn’t be resolved by manufac- turing in the design stage of the next product iteration.
Summary
Successfully implementing an enterprise-wide ergonomics pro- cess in multiple countries requires solid planning, good project management, and the right tools to support the process. Two key aspects of planning are selecting effective regional champions and creating a consistent overall plan that is flexible enough to accommodate variations in region and facility size. Good proj- ect management starts with establishing regular, consistent com- munication with and among sites. This requires having the right tools to support the process, including multilingual training ma- terials, design guidelines specific to the regions of operation, and a database that tracks root cause information and effective solu- tions across locations.
Rick Barker, Senior Consultant and Ergonomics Engineer, facilitates the deployment of Humantech ergonomics software solutions and conducts on-site workshops across global companies. Since first join- ing Humantech in 1991, Rick has accumulated years of ergonomics and human factors consulting experience including a variety of ergo- nomics and human factors positions with Hill-Rom. He also worked as an ergonomics engineer in product development at Unisys. Rick holds a Master of Arts degree in Human Factors from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.
Rachel Zoky, Associate Consultant and Ergonomics Engineer, sup- ports the management and implementation of corporate ergonom- ics programs and assists with ergonomics assessments and training globally for Inteva Products LLC. Prior to joining Humantech, Rachel worked as a junior systems engineer for Booz Allen Hamilton, where she supported the development of the technical architecture describ- ing the IT infrastructure of Human Resources and Payroll procedures for the United States Air Force. Rachel received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, specializing in Human Systems, from The Ohio State University.
www.ohsonline.com
SEPTEMBER 2019 | Occupational Health & Safety 75