As we discussed in this article, scheduling Kaizen events can simplify your approach to lean manufacturing. They help you break up your tasks and execute them in a timely, organized fashion. Once you understand some key ingredients to the events, you can start to put your first one together. Here is a quick guide to… Read more
If you work in manual material handling, you know how physically strenuous it really is. One of the risks involved with this sort of work is not just acute injury, but a chronic or debilitating musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). However, we all get a little sore after exerting ourselves, right? If we start a new exercise… Read more
The CDC reports that by 2020, 1 in every 4 (25%) American workers will be over 55. Manufacturing in particular is an industry that employs “older” workers because manufacturing companies need to keep skilled people on the production floor. In fact, about 25% of production employees are 55 or older. Thus, a challenge that many… Read more
Problem Every manufacturing production floor is packed with high-risk tasks that lead to injury. This is even truer when: Employees get older The labor pool shrinks and skilled workers are fewer The company expands or contracts, demanding more production from fewer employees On top of caring about the well being of employees, managers also can’t… Read more
Stress is a dynamic topic, especially for manual material handlers. The demands of the job make it more stressful than many other industries. Physical stress is a unique and complex component. Obviously, manual laborers are at risk of injuring themselves. Being injured brings on a whole other level of stress for the employee and employer…. Read more
Employee well being is a paramount concern for every employer, but the benefits of safety go beyond health. Safe facilities are more cost-effective, productive, and efficient. Costs for neglecting safety still exist if no one gets hurt. Items like blocked fire exits or a fire extinguisher on the floor cost employers hundreds of thousands of… Read more
The world of manufacturing is going through a bit of a facelift right now. In order to not only bounce back from the recession, but also continue to make money and build clientele, people are taking some innovative measures to improve their operations. For example, lean manufacturing is very common now – some companies have… Read more
Anyone in the manufacturing industry who seeks to improve productivity and eliminate injury-causing activities at a low price can learn a lot from this year’s finalists in Humantech’s “Find it – Fix it” challenge. 2013 marks the seventh year that Humantech has held this global contest for its clients in which 41 companies participated to… Read more
Many manual material handling (MMH) operations managers wait until a problem arises before he or she seeks out ergonomic change. This mistake is not only more expensive in the long run to fix, but it also costs the company valuable production time that could be saved through ergonomic improvements. According to “ROI of Ergonomic Improvements:… Read more
Insurance premiums and worker’s compensation are two of the most costly elements in manual material handling. Many companies have experienced costs so steep that their businesses were devastated. State Compensation Insurance Fund’s website publishes “Ergomatters,” a series of articles pertaining to specific ergonomic factors that influence the likelihood of injury on the job. One of… Read more