A Distinctive Approach to Ergonomics Kaizens.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSThis case report shares an approach to ergonomics kaizen events, that is, using workplace teams in a concentrated activity to make as many improvements as possible in a few days in a given work area. This report provides an overview of (1) the structure of this particular approach, (2) the average number of improvements implemented, and (3) guidance for smaller organizations on less-elaborate approaches. The value of kaizen events is described regarding cultural change and creating habits of continual improvement in daily life, whether at work or at home. Practitioners may benefit from the details in this report, such as features important for success and the schedule for a four-day event. Researchers may benefit from familiarity with a nontraditional organizational structure. Furthermore, the kaizen approach may lend itself to university-enterprise interactions, including a changing context in which research topics can be formulated and results applied.

The Default is Simplicity - A Model for the Workplace Ergonomics Problem-Solving Process.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSThis paper provides a decision-making model for workplace ergonomics problem-solving to help clarify the situations in which simple, non-quantitative approaches are suitable, in contrast to those conditions where more formal, quantitative methods are needed. The perspective is that of an individual or workplace team focused on a specific problem. The value of this model is that it: (1) avoids unnecessary activities, in particular quantitative assessments when not needed; (2) emphasizes qualitative problem-solving methods; (3) enables non-technical personnel to be involved; and (4) helps expand the use of ergonomics toward reducing production barriers. The context is "continual improvement" rather than "compliance." Students may profit by learning practical steps useful in the workplace. Practitioners may benefit from reviewing the framework (and indeed improving it). Researchers might gain a better appreciation of simple methods used in the workplace and perhaps test certain premises of the model more rigorously.

Historical Trend of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Meatpacking and Auto Industries, 1980s-Present.

Occupational Applications This paper provides a historical overview of the rise of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) in the U.S. from the 1980s to the present, with a special focus on the two industries with the highest recorded rates: Meatpacking and Auto Assembly. The activities underlying this account amount to a major occupational health success story (although still incomplete) in the recognition of these disorders and the development of a nation-wide effort for prevention. An obstacle in creating the data presented here was that the system of recordkeeping changed in multiple ways, making it difficult to compare WMSD rates over time. The work summarized here evaluated the effect of these changes and combined temporal segments that were judged to be the most accurate to create an overall trend line. These results can aid in: 1) showing the overall history of the recognition and prevention of WMSDs, 2) understanding the effects of the recordkeeping changes, and 3) allowing international comparisons of the trends.

History of the Landmark U.S. Ergonomics Guidelines for Meatpacking.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS The 1990 publication of the Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for Meatpacking Plants by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was a milestone in the history of occupational ergonomics and the prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). This paper provides an overview of the development of these guidelines based on personal experience and perception, with special emphasis of the central role the industry trade association, the American Meat Institute (AMI). Industry-wide efforts were successful in reducing the extremely high rates of WMSDs in the U.S. meatpacking industry. Described here are the specific steps the AMI undertook, which serve as a model for other groups on ways to address shared problems. Insights are also offered on why these OSHA guidelines were accepted by industry and succeeded, while other equivalent standards did not - including to some extent the de facto application of concepts of cognitive ergonomics to government documents. This report addresses specific events in the U.S., but the implications are broader and have potential widespread relevance.

The Rise of Shop Floor Ergonomics: A Personal Perspective.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Based on a 45-year career as a practitioner in industrial ergonomics, I offer in this paper a personal memoir on how ergonomics came to the shop floor in North America, involving ordinary workers in an early effort to prevent what was at the time an unknown problem - work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders. The actions included the beginning of a low-tech, practical improvement process that is still effective today. In total, the experience can provide encouragement to everybody to be confident in their ability when trying new endeavors and to remember that small initial steps can eventually lead to major change.