Industrial Ergonomics: Making Work Easier on Employees

A long shift is hard enough without the equipment making employees work harder than they need to. A workstation that forces an awkward movement may seem like a small annoyance at first. Do it a few hundred times, and your body may have a different opinion.

Industrial ergonomics focuses on making the work fit the person performing it. On the production floor, that starts with paying attention to how employees physically interact with their work throughout the day.

Poor ergonomics has a way of making itself known eventually. What starts as discomfort can begin affecting how comfortably and efficiently someone can do the job.

For floor managers, waiting until something hurts probably isn't the best warning system. A production floor designed around the people doing the work can be better for the workers and the business behind them.

Why Bother With Industrial Ergonomics?

Industrial ergonomics can have a direct impact on what happens during a shift. When a workstation asks too much of the person using it, the effects can show up in several places across the production floor.

Worker Fatigue Adds Up

A task doesn't have to feel difficult the first time to become physically demanding. Repeating the same movement throughout a shift can gradually wear on the person doing it. Ergonomic design can reduce some of that physical effort by making the workstation better suited to the worker.

Injuries Mean Lost Time

That nagging discomfort can eventually become something an employee can't simply work through. At that point, an ergonomic problem has become an operational problem.

An injury can take an experienced employee away from the floor. Addressing the way a task is performed earlier can help reduce the strain behind the problem.

Productivity Feels It, Too

It's tough to work efficiently when the job itself is uncomfortable. As fatigue builds, maintaining the same pace throughout a shift can become harder.

That's why industrial ergonomics deserves attention before someone gets hurt. Giving employees a workspace that works with them can pay off well beyond making the job feel a little better.

What’s Making the Job Harder Than It Needs to Be?

Some ergonomic problems are easy to spot. Others blend into the workday because employees have been doing the job the same way for years. That doesn't mean the strain isn't there.

A few areas deserve a closer look on the production floor:

• Repetitive tasks: A movement that feels harmless once can become a problem after hundreds of repetitions. If an employee has to keep reaching farther than necessary, the workstation may be asking too much of them.
• Heavy lifting: Moving a heavy component takes effort. When that same lift happens throughout a shift, the physical demand adds up quickly. Equipment that reduces the force required can take some of that burden off the worker.
• Poor workstation fit: A fixed workstation might work perfectly for one employee and feel completely wrong for the next. Adjustability gives workers more control over how they position themselves for the task.

Pay attention to where employees have to put in extra effort to complete a task. Reaching farther than necessary or adjusting their body around the equipment can point to a workstation that needs attention. Those moments can help floor managers figure out where a design change could make the work easier.

Make the Workstation Work for the Worker

People aren't built to the same dimensions, so a workstation designed around one fixed position can create problems as soon as someone else steps in. Adjustability gives employees room to position the equipment in a way that better fits their bodies and the work in front of them.

The task itself should guide the layout. Watch how an employee moves while doing the job. That movement can reveal where the workstation is creating extra work.

These changes don't necessarily call for an entirely new workstation. A different mounting position or an adjustable component may be enough to improve how the employee interacts with the equipment.

Give Your Workers a Little Backup

Once you've identified where a task is putting extra strain on an employee, the right equipment can help address the source. Ergonomics in manufacturing often comes down to giving workers better control over the equipment they use throughout the day.

Put the Work Where the Worker Needs It

Adjustable workstations allow the working position to change with the employee. The same thinking applies to equipment mounted around the workstation.

Monitor arms can bring screens into a better viewing position on CNC machines or other production equipment. Adjustable keyboard and mouse trays can help employees interact with those machines without adapting their posture around a fixed setup.

If adjusting the equipment is a pain, employees probably aren't going to do it. Look for:

• How easily the worker can make an adjustment
• How much range of motion the equipment provides
• How well the position can accommodate different employees

Take Some Weight Off

Heavy lids or other moving components can put repeated physical demand on employees. Lift-assist and counterbalance systems can reduce the amount of force the worker needs to apply during that movement.

Motion-control hardware can be designed around how the component needs to move. For industrial design and ergonomics, that creates an opportunity to address physical strain within the equipment itself instead of relying on the employee to manage the load.

Don’t Let Good Ergonomics Collect Dust

An adjustable workstation only helps when employees know how to adjust it. Training should show workers how the equipment fits into the task so they can use it comfortably throughout the shift.

Floor managers can also make ergonomics part of their regular walk-throughs. Watch how the job is being performed today, especially after staffing changes or production needs shift.

A Quick Ergonomics Check

Those observations give you something useful to act on. If a workstation keeps creating the same problem, it may be time to adjust the setup or take another look at the equipment being used.

Industrial Ergonomics That Works as Hard as You Do

Good industrial ergonomics starts with paying attention to how work gets done. When employees are fighting their workstation to complete a task, there’s usually room to make the setup work better for them.

Small changes can make a noticeable difference over the course of a shift. Giving workers equipment that fits the job can reduce unnecessary physical effort and help create a production floor where people can do their best work.

Ready to Take a Closer Look at Your Workstations?

Use our Ergonomic Equipment Integration Checklist to evaluate your current setup and find practical ways to improve how employees interact with their workstations.