East Bay Area businesses recognize the utility of industrial ergonomics performed by a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE). Ergobility, is an ergonomics consulting company that utilizes specialized tools and quantitative assessment methods to provide companies with a clear understanding of the risk involved inherent in job tasks. They can initially use screening tools which are semiquantitative and quick but rather delve into the real risk to staff with further analysis tools. This way the company can understand the risk of musculoskeletal injuries to their workers and place controls based on the recommendations provided to the company.
Ergonomic risk factors will result in injuries, lost productivity, and increased workers’ compensation costs over time. Therefore, objective measurements by a professional ergonomic consultants can help a company develop practical and cost-effective solutions that reduce injuries and increase morale.
Every workplace presents its own unique ergonomic challenges. Manufacturing operations in Oakland and Fremont, to biotechnology laboratories in Berkeley, or warehouse personnel in Hayward, ergonomic consultants start by capturing the data that feeds into the criteria of development of a cumulative injury. They measure and carefully collect, with specialized tools such as the dynamometer seen above, the physical demands of each job task. This allows the ergonomic specialist to quantify ergonomic risks for each part of the job and tell management how improvements will perform. A company wants to essentially understand which job controls are necessary, and which will have the greatest benefit per dollars and time spent.
Industrial ergonomic assessments use a variety of specialized tools to collect objective data. Tools such as digital or analog force gauges measure the amount of force required during manual materials tasks that require pushing, pulling, lifting, or carrying. There are also goniometers to accurately quantify body angles and postures involving mainly the back, shoulders, wrists, and neck. Some ergonomic consultants and even companies use video analysis software to review repetitive motions frame by frame. Some just take video and analyze it manually later. The idea is to collect the movement patterns difficult to observe in real time. Duty cycle can be analyzed and used to correlate the posture and force data to tables that define human capabilities to define what is at risk, what is moderate risk, and what is currently at an acceptable limit (low risk).
The objective measurements can then provide a clear picture of what parts of the work task needs to be corrected, rather than relying solely on employee complaints or visual observation. The value of these assessment tools lies in the qualitative improvements they help show to management. An analysis of a job before and after implementation of an ergonomic control can demonstrate that the redesign significantly reduced shoulder strain. In manufacturing and laboratory settings, assessments frequently identify opportunities for adjustable workstations, tools, as well as mechanical lifting aids to reduce cumulative injury risk.
These ergonomic improvements produce measurable benefits and company employees will experience greater comfort and productivity. The organization benefits from fewer musculoskeletal disorders and lower workers’ compensation costs. Call an ergonomic consultant with Ergobility to help with your industrial or laboratory workspace today.
