Engineering-based Ergonomic Analysis & Improvement

Ergonomics is the science of human work. The ultimate goal of ergonomics is to optimize the performance, health, safety and comfort of people within human-machine-environmental systems. An ergonomic analysis and improvement project focuses on engineering-based techniques to optimize worker productivity at industrial facilities, in offices, or at computer workstations. This project is done in 3 steps.

(1) Engineering Analysis at Your Site:
First, students under faculty guidance utilize video cameras, risk-factor checklists, and selected on-site measurements of forces, postures, and distances to perform analysis to identify at-risk workstations and tasks characterized by ergonomic stressors.

(2) Recommendations for Improvement:
Next, recommendations for improvement of at-risk workstations and tasks are made by changes in designs, tools, layouts, and work methods. A variety of improvement ideas will be recommended including low-cost short-term solution options and long-term higher-cost options so that company decision-makers can select the solution options that are preferred. Recommendations will focus on engineering solutions, but will also offer appropriate ideas for administrative controls such as job rotation and stretches/exercises. You will receive a written report illustrating at-risk aspects and recommendations for corrections.

(3) Implementation & Training:
Finally, recommendations are provided for implementing improvements. Also, we conduct a half-day training session to present the project’s ergonomic findings and recommendations to all personnel (hands-on workers, technical staff, etc.) or to selected personnel (managers, leadership team, etc.) as you prefer. Training provides an understanding of how individual differences (sleeping with wrists bent, etc.) and some home/leisure activities (knitting, bowling, etc.) can contribute to workplace ergonomic problems and should be minimized.

Additional Information:

An ergonomic project’s total cost is typically $5,000 to $15,000. Based on OSHA's analysis of actual worker compensation cases of ergonomic injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.), the average cost to a company if just one (1) injury occurs is $15,000. By optimizing ergonomics and minimizing future injury potential, ergonomic projects typically provide at least a 15-to-1 return on investment while also improving worker productivity and morale. Because an ergonomic project saves more (15-to-1 return) than it costs, it actually is a money-generating (not costing) type of project.