Did you know: According to the report of the National Safety council US, Every 7 seconds, a worker is injured on the job while working on the shop floor?
These numbers are staggering, and the worst part is that each one is preventable. Taking preventative action can spare workers needless pain and suffering.
It all starts from the manual material handling, the tasks that require you to lift, lower, push, pull, hold, or carry materials. These activities increase the risk of painful strains and sprains and more serious soft tissue injuries.
Let’s see what the musculoskeletal disorders are and how they are caused?
In 1997, a study of the evidence for work-related MSDs (Musculoskeletal disorders) was published by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Routine lifting of heavy objects, regular exposure to whole-body vibration, routine overhead work, working with the neck in a chronic flexion position, or performing repeated forceful tasks are examples of work conditions that may contribute to WMSD. This study found positive evidence for relationships between working conditions and MSD’s of neck, shoulder, elbow, hand, and wrists.
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And these activities are detrimental to the growth of the workers, employers, and society as well!
COST TO WORKERS
- Discomfort, pain & loss of income
- Restricted activities, like sports and hobbies.
- Possible health care expenses.
COST TO EMPLOYERS
- Decrease in productivity
- The decrease in profit margin
- Higher investment in resources
- No systematic workflow
- Reducing the trust factor on employees
COST TO SOCIETY
- Medical expenses for uninsured workers
- Social Security disability payments.
Each manufacturer is challenged by how the materials that go into their production can best be handled. There can be areas of inefficiency even in an automated production system that affect many other parts of the production process, contributing to inventory loss, wasted time, and increased costs due to manual material handling.
The only efficient solution to this problem is avoiding manual material handling and exploring the innovative ways of modern material handling solutions!