Knowing that, generally speaking, women are not as physically strong as men, one would guess that women in physical jobs are injured more often than men. While the statistics show this to be true, it is not necessarily a question of strength. Research shows that there are several other contributing factors to the trend that… Read more
As business grows in the beverage industry, owners are moving to more automation in their facilities. Some of the biggest distributors are incorporating automation in storage, picking, buffering, and palletizing. These solutions include everything from voice-directed picking to high-speed sortation. For them, automation is the best way to keep up with their demand. For others,… Read more
Material Handling and Logistics (MH&L) recently posted an article titled, “How to Compensate for Obesity’s Impact on Productivity.” Obesity is a growing issue in the US, and in the warehouse, obese employees face unique challenges. MH&L cite some measurable differences in the physical capabilities of obese individuals as well as some accommodations to keep them… Read more
Those who work in Manual Material Handling (MMH) know that there are risks associated with the job. They know that forklift accidents or lifting with their backs may cause enough damage to end their careers. What people forget, however, is that aches and pains from repetitive work can also ultimately end a career. Repetitive tasks,… Read more
In a previous article, we explored the link between employee turnover and a feeling of appreciation. As it turns out, appreciation is only a piece of the puzzle. There is a quantifiable link between employee happiness and productivity. Gallup estimates that the US loses $300 billion annually from lack of production due to employee disengagement. Three hundred billion… Read more
There was a theory in process improvement called “loose ropes”. It means that all the different entities of your systems are “connected”. You can work on one element for some improvement, but eventually one of the other aspects of will drag on the progress and need to be addressed. For example, you may embark on… Read more
Injury prevention is a top priority in Manual Material Handling (MMH). Whether an injury results in days away from work or a workman’s compensation claim, it is a costly ordeal. The most common (and expensive) injury reported is that to the back. The MMH industry invests a significant amount of time and resources to reduce… Read more
Fifty-one (51) percent of people leave their jobs because they don’t feel appreciated. Sadly, most managers don’t even realize how important feeling appreciated is to employees. In The Cycle of Leadership, Noel M. Tichy compares what managers think employees want to what employees say matters most. Managers think morale is most affected by: 1. High… Read more
Accident and safety programs are vital in minimizing legal liability. A business that does not have adequate measures to address safety issues could be found negligent in any accident claim. In addition to addressing safety issues for your own employees, you also may need to consider what your independent contractors are doing. According to this… Read more
When a CEO was hired on at a large manufacturing company, one of his first orders of business was to institute a major program to reduce accidents. Some of his senior managers pushed back a little, wondering if there shouldn’t be some solid financial justification for this. His reaction to the push back was… Read more