Innovative real-time system to integrate ergonomic evaluations into warehouse design and management

The present paper introduces an innovative full-body system for the real-time ergonomics evaluations of manual material handling in warehouse environments, where all parts of the body are interested during the activities execution. The system is based on inertial sensors with integrated compensation of magnetic interference and long wireless connection that permit its use also in heavy industrial applications. A specific set of tools has been developed in order to elaborate the collected motion data and give real-time evaluation and feedback of ergonomics based on the most used methodologies and extended with others advanced ad hoc tools, such as hands positions analysis, travel distance, time and methods collection calculations. The system has been applied to two different warehouses both for the re-design of the storage area and successively management of the typical warehousing activities, such as picking, packing and others, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and simultaneous increasing of productivity of systems. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.