How do you communicate and promote ergonomic awareness and culture in production engineering?

1 Assess ergonomic risk factors

The first step is to identify and evaluate the ergonomic risk factors in your production system. These are the factors that can cause musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue, stress, or errors among workers. Some common ergonomic risk factors are awkward postures, repetitive motions, excessive force, vibration, noise, lighting, temperature, and workload. You can use various methods and tools to assess these factors, such as observation, measurement, surveys, checklists, or software. The results of the assessment will help you prioritize the areas that need improvement and intervention.

2 Implement ergonomic solutions

The second step is to implement ergonomic solutions that can reduce or eliminate the ergonomic risk factors. These solutions can be classified into three categories: engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. Engineering controls are the most effective and involve changing the design, layout, or equipment of the production system. For example, you can adjust the height, angle, or distance of workstations, tools, or materials to suit the workers' needs. Administrative controls are less effective and involve changing the work practices, policies, or procedures. For example, you can provide training, feedback, breaks, or rotation to the workers to prevent overexertion or boredom. Personal protective equipment are the least effective and involve providing the workers with devices or accessories to protect them from hazards. For example, you can provide gloves, earplugs, or goggles to the workers to reduce the impact of vibration, noise, or dust.

3 Engage and empower workers

The third step is to engage and empower the workers in the ergonomic process. Workers are the most valuable source of information and feedback on the ergonomic issues and solutions. They can also contribute to the implementation and evaluation of the ergonomic solutions. Therefore, you should involve the workers in every stage of the ergonomic process, from assessment to improvement. You can use various strategies to engage and empower the workers, such as forming ergonomic teams or committees, conducting surveys or interviews, organizing workshops or meetings, creating suggestion boxes or newsletters, or rewarding recognition or incentives.

4 Monitor and evaluate outcomes

The fourth step is to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of the ergonomic solutions. You should measure and compare the performance indicators before and after the implementation of the ergonomic solutions. These indicators can include productivity, quality, safety, health, satisfaction, or morale of the workers. You should also collect and analyze the feedback and suggestions from the workers on the effectiveness and satisfaction of the ergonomic solutions. You should use various methods and tools to monitor and evaluate the outcomes, such as observation, measurement, surveys, checklists, or software. The results of the monitoring and evaluation will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of the ergonomic solutions and make adjustments or improvements as needed.

5 Communicate and promote ergonomic culture

The fifth step is to communicate and promote the ergonomic culture in your production system. Ergonomic culture is the shared values, beliefs, and norms that support and sustain the ergonomic process and solutions. Communicating and promoting ergonomic culture can enhance the awareness, knowledge, attitude, and behavior of the workers and managers toward ergonomics. You can use various channels and methods to communicate and promote ergonomic culture, such as posters, flyers, videos, newsletters, websites, or social media. You should also use various techniques and strategies to communicate and promote ergonomic culture, such as storytelling, testimonials, case studies, statistics, or slogans.

6 Continuously improve ergonomic process

The sixth step is to continuously improve the ergonomic process in your production system. Ergonomic process is the systematic and cyclical approach to identify, evaluate, implement, monitor, and communicate ergonomic solutions. Continuously improving the ergonomic process can ensure that the ergonomic solutions are relevant, effective, efficient, and sustainable. You can use various models and frameworks to guide and improve the ergonomic process, such as Plan-Do-Check-Act, Deming cycle, or Kaizen. You should also use various tools and techniques to support and improve the ergonomic process, such as benchmarking, best practices, or lessons learned.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?