Using ergonomics to target productivity improvements

Ergonomics has traditionally been used to decrease the number of occupational injuries by discovering those postures and tasks that create significant musculoskeletal stresses. However, the principles which underlie ergonomics can potentially be used to improve productivity as well. Ergonomic guidelines may allow prediction of those postures and workplace layouts that maximize the speed at which employees can work. In this study, fifteen subjects performed a typical industrial task in a variety of layouts designed within an ergonomically acceptable work envelope. The effects of tool mass, work height, and movement distance on performance time were measured. All three variables had significant effects on performance time, even within the ergonomic work envelope, however the magnitudes of the effects varied considerably. The results indicate that workstations can be designed to maximize performance and reduce costs by considering both ergonomics and productivity together. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.