The 30-Inch View

Update from Safety 2009 in San Antonio

Winnie Ip and Walt Rostykus from Humantech both presented at Safety 2009 in San Antonio this week. Safety 2009 is ASSE’s weeklong event, which includes the Professional Development Conference (PDC) and Exposition and advance, pre and post conference seminars

Winnie sent us this quick update from the conference:

§         Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis addressed conference attendees: “Make no mistake about it, the Department of Labor is back in the enforcement business”.  Watch a short video clip on ASSE’s main page: http://www.asse.org/ or read the press release: http://www.asse.org/newsroom/releaseIframe.php?iFrameReleaseLink=releases/temp010.htm

§         It’s no surprise that the popular topics this year include ergonomics for the aging and obese populations and anything dealing with return on investment or cost justification.

§         Walt finished his talk Monday afternoon on “Applied Ergonomics: Tools and Methods for Improving Fit of the Workplace” and Winnie presented Wednesday morning on “ROI of Ergonomic Improvements: Demonstrating Value to the Business”. Both sessions were well attended.

§         There seems to be great attendance at the conference this year (unconfirmed ~3,000 people).

Thanks for the update guys!

 

 

Continued Need for Compliance Audits?

In a recent blog post on the National Association of EHS Managers (NAEM) site (http://greentie.naem.org/2009/05/26/ehs-auditing-in-trying-times/) Frank Brandauer posed several view points about EHS audits and the future of the function.  One viewpoint struck home with me; “With the rise of EHS Management Systems and related System Audits, the actual need for Compliance Audits has been reduced”.  It is our experience that Safety/Environmental Management Systems and the subsequent audits/reviews strengthen and sustain compliance.  We’ve seen the results in both safety and ergonomics management systems.

Checking on progress toward improvement goals, and compliance to regulations, is a critical activity for any successful business.  William Claude Dukenfield* stated it simply, “There comes a time in the affairs of men when we must grab the bull by the tail and face the situation.”  Managing EHS is dynamic, changing daily with business issues, orders, technology and staffing changes.  To be successful in EHS one must “face the situation” frequently and objectively.    (*also known as W.C. Fields)

As industries and agencies move toward more similar or global standards, auditing for compliance to applicable requirements become one integrated step in the overall process/system for managing EHS. The System ensures compliance at each step rather than driving is by a single event (compliance audit).  Organizations that align their ergonomics improvement process with the EHS Management System or continuous improvement process are successful.  Successful is defined as effective, efficient, sustainable over time, and compliant.

So Frank, in response to the question you posed; “Given the maturity of many audit programs and the current economic and regulatory situation, is it time for a change?”.  The answer is yes.  Organizations that manage EHS/ergonomics as system proactively ensure compliance, but more importantly they anticipate and manage risk.

Contributed by Walt Rostykus  CPE, CIH, CSP

Cheers to Ergonomics for the Bartender!

If you have ever participated in one of our training classes, you know that we always talk about how critical it is to provide the correct tool to the job.  So we were very interested when we read this article by Paul Clarke, describing how a growing number of bartenders are taking the tools of their profession every bit as seriously as do carpenters, mechanics or chefs.

Bartender Eric Johnson is quoted in the article as saying "whether you're a car mechanic or a bartender, your tools are important to your job." Better tools, Johnson notes, can help elevate the quality of a finished product - in this case, a cocktail - from good to sublime. "Your tools can inspire you to work at a higher level, so you make drinks that are much more enjoyable." The article goes on to describe many new designs of shakers, spoons and jiggers that are meant to improve comfort and performance.

For an interesting spin on ergonomics in a non-traditional manufacturing environment, click here for the entire article from the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday June 14^th.

Eli Lilly Shares Keys to Ergonomics Success

A little bit about the success of the global pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly...

In less than five years, Lilly was able to meet its goal of reducing serious ergonomic injuries by 50%. We asked Dave Davis, Eli Lilly’s Global Ergonomic Program Coordinator, for his advice to large companies facing ergonomic challenges.  

1.       Get management support. “If management understands that good ergonomics is good business, and that ergonomic investments will easily be recouped, the opportunity for success is greatly improved.”

2.       Have a competent, well-trained site ergonomics coordinator at each facility. “We realized that we could have the best plan, fanciest slogan, and all the financial resources in the world, but if we didn’t implement, we would be spinning our wheels. “

3.       A one-size plan does not fit all. “We provided some standardized approaches to training and assessment, but gave our sites the ability to tailor their program to meet their local needs. Different facilities have different maturity levels.”

4.       Keep the program visible with a strong communications plan. “This really helps to build awareness and starts to change the culture around ergonomics.”

Click here to see the entire article.

From the headlines: Cell Phone Elbow

A recent news story on CNN.com reports on the condition becoming known as “cell phone elbow” - http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/02/cell.phone.elbow/index.html. 

The article includes an interview with Dr. Leon Benson, who makes a simple recommendation, “Common sense would dictate not to talk on the phone for hours if your small and ring fingers go numb."

While another physician, Dr. Peter Evans suggests, “Switch hands—before it gets worse.”

Unfortunately, these answers make the all-too-common mistake of focusing on the behavior of the user and even worse, they receive equal billing to the real answer in the article’s highlight section. It is actually the 66-year-old patient profiled in the article who comes up with the best means of preventing the injury,   “She still talks on her cell phone, but she uses a Bluetooth headset.”

 

News Regarding Certification as an Ergonomics Professional

When people are looking to hire professionals (as consultants or FTE), they usually review the individual's educational background and work experience.  Another key factor may be any certifications that may be offered in the profession.  The gold standard for ergonomic certification is the Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) designation, provided by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics. 

Adding to the value of this designation, is the fact that the BCPE was recently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for its Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE)/Certified Human Factors Professional (CHFP) program.  Here’s the announcement http://bcpe.org/onlinenews/onlinenews.asp?i=53 .

In addition to the CPE or CHFP designation, BCPE offers as Associate level (AEP) for those who meet the educational requirements but not the experience requirements to sit the exam.  Check out http://bcpe.org/certinfo/default.asp for more info on the certification process.

Thanks to James Mallon of Humantech for contributing this information.

Reducing Glare As An Irritation Factor

Glare is a type of light pollution; excessive contrast between dark and bright, or, in terms of eye – luminary interaction, exposure of a too bright surface or light source. Human field of vision extends to 50^o above and 70^o below the horizontal line of sight, so within this field any light emitting object with exposed light source or uncontrollable high luminance would cause an effect of glare.

 

Sources of glare may include approaching cars’ headlights on a night highway, in a lecture hall or office environment, or in a retail setting (like jewelry stores).  Please, check  http://lightintelligence.blogspot.com/2009/04/idia-is-engine.html for more examples.

 

Glare leads to a user’s desire to avert eyes from the object, potentially adding more time to adjust and potentially resulting in decreased effectiveness and excessive fatigue.

 

Microprism shade. Courtesy: Fagerhult.se

 

Advancements in lighting technologies permit to avoid or shield the glare. Using louver, lamella or other accessories to create bigger shielding angle is the most traditional solution, where as matted reflectors and microprismatic or translucent plastics are becoming increasingly popular.  We can also avoid glare by correct light planning; working closely with an architect and ergonomic team to choose necessary type of a luminary and light distribution according to the furniture or equipment layout. This light planning is available from professional lighting consultants/designers or upon request from the manufacturers of lighting fittings.

But should the glare always be switched off from the working environment?  Feel free to comment.

Thanks to Nikita Chernovalov for being a Guest Author on this post.

Replacement Spinal Disc Received Important Approval in Europe

AxioMed Spine Corporation has received Europe’s CE Marking — much like Food and Drug Administration market clearance here in the United States - for its spinal disc replacement.  Although at least 2-3 years away from market launch here in North America, clinical tests for the Freedom® Lumbar Disc are proceeding out of AxioMed's headquarters in Cleveland.

Here is the link to the press release

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090512005752&newsLang=en

Although we primarily deal with the engineering factors that would precipitate surgeries like this, we continue to be amazed at the technology involved with orthopedic implants.

What do you think of this?  What's next?

 

 

Last Spring Seminar Approaching!

Humantech has developed a worldwide reputation for outstanding ergonomics education programs. In addition to our on-site training programs, we offer open-enrollment ergonomics seminars in various locations throughout the year.

Our last Spring Public Seminar will take place June 9-11 in Ann Arbor, MI.  This is the popular combination class of Applied Industrial Ergonomics and Applied Office Ergonomics (co-sponsored by AliMed)

Follow this link to get more infomation and register!

http://www.humantech.com/resources/seminars/

Lean + Ergo for Pharma

We consistently have several projects a month with companies in the Pharma industry.  Although perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a traditional manufacturing environment, we find the same challenges there that are experienced by our clients in heavy industrial manufacturing.

Josh Kerst, Vice President here at Humantech, recently contributed an article to www.PharmTech.com, the website for Pharmaceutical Technology magazine.  It specifically talks about integrating principles of Lean Manufacturing with ergonomics, and stresses that designers of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing processes should continually seek to identify unnecessary motions and excessive material transportation in order to reduce waste.

Here is the article content (courtesy PharmTech.com), posted March 19, 2009.

Manufacturing Improvements Begin with the Operator

When seeking to increase productivity, companies must consider worker–machine and worker–materials interactions. These factors are easy to overlook, but they affect workers’ performance and health and a company’s bottom line.

 

Laboratory and manufacturing equipment is often uncomfortable to use or inadequately designed. Work schedules and operating procedures sometimes fail to consider workers’ physical needs and limitations. Companies that apply ergonomics principles to address these issues see dramatic results in terms of reduced absenteeism, fewer injuries, and improved productivity.

 

Risk factors for primary work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) include awkward postures, fatiguing forces, vibration, contact stress, ill-fitting gloves, and cold temperatures. Applying ergonomics principles reduces these factors because equipment and workspaces are designed according to workers’ abilities and physical limitations.

 

Lean manufacturing and ergonomics

Lean manufacturing minimizes waste in the system; ergonomics minimizes risk. The optimal blending of both lean and ergonomic principles enables employees to continuously spot and eliminate waste while addressing the potential for WMSDs.

Engineers in the pharmaceutical industry are increasingly considering human factors early in their design process. Equipment designers are taking an active, rather than reactive, approach to ergonomics. Designers of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing processes seek to identify unnecessary motions and excessive material transportation.

 

Reduce wasteful motions. Motions such as retrieving distant supplies and components are excessive and increase the time required to perform tasks. Wasteful movements also contribute to ergonomic risk. The farther an employee must go, the greater the ergonomic risks, and the greater the cycle times. A constant challenge in API manufacturing is material handling, i.e., adding solid materials and retrieving solid intermediates and finished products. Engineering controls improve this work flow by changing the physical features of the workplace. Changes may include reducing object weights, changing work-surface heights, and purchasing lifting aids. With engineering modifications, a workstation can suit human dimensions and capabilities.

 

Typical wasteful motions include:

• Charging and discharging APIs
• Assembling and disassembling installations
• Bending and reaching to retrieve ingredients and equipment.

 

To prevent motion waste and promote ergonomically correct postures:

• Minimize the distances required to retrieve materials and tools
• Store items at reachable heights
• Position workstation surfaces to promote neutral postures.

 

Reduce excessive material transportation. In a typical multistory API plant, transportation waste such as repeated handling of products (as may occur during charging into vessels) creates ergonomic risk as well. Large components and containers are difficult for operators to handle and move. When operators use awkward postures frequently, they increase ergonomic risk. Transportation should thus be minimized.