Gorbel Case Study featuring the G-Force with custom end effector

The Gorbel G-Force shines again in another application. Read on to see how it was implemented in this custom lifting application. If you have sensitive parts where product damage and precise placement is of vital importance then the G-Force or the Gorbel Easy Arm may be your answer. Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com for us to take a look at your custom lifting application.

Damage & Injury Risk “Virtually” Eliminated with G-Force®
Atlas Copco’s gas and process division engineers turbo compressors and expansion turbines that serve a number of industries, including natural gas processing and power generation. At an assembly facility where the components of the large compressors are assembled, multiple work processes were sharing a single overhead crane system for handling the components and sub assemblies. Workers would often be at a stand still while a co-worker used the crane, or would forgo the crane altogether and risk injury by lifting heavy parts by hand.

The company decided to target the high throughput milling applications for a process
change, and installed Gorbel work station cranes to eliminate the productivity delays
caused by the shared crane. While the new cranes would eliminated that problem,
finding a lifting device to fit the application was a challenge due to the size of the load and the sensitive machinery it was being placed into. In this work cell, large stainless steel cylinders that range from 5-15” in diameter and weigh from 15 to 400 pounds milled down from a bell shaped impeller blanks into the finished impeller with razor sharp edges. Moving the parts by hand posed multiple injury risks, as well as high potential for damage.

“We’re lifting very heavy steel cylinders and trying to place them with precision into the milling machine without damaging the part or the machine,” said Diehl. “We needed something that gave us a lot of control.” After exploring multiple servo-powered lifting devices, the company selected a 660 pound capacity G-Force® Q. While all the servo-powered devices delivered very good control, Atlas Copco felt they would have the most control with the G-Force® after seeing a demo of the unit’s
virtual limit package, float mode feature, and overall smooth movement thanks to the unit’s wire rope.

An operator now secures the impeller blanks into the tooling grip that Atlas Copco designed,which locks onto the blanks’ outer rim. Once secured, the operator engages Float Mode on the G-Force® handle, and then moves the load up and down by holding the gripping tool or the load itself.

We can bring the G-Force to you for you to see it in person. Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com for an appointment!

Tommorow is Workers Mourning Day in many countries

Twenty-five years ago, the Canadian Labour Congress declared April 28 a National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job to raise awareness of the thousands of workers whose lives were forever changed by injury and the hundreds who died every year. In 1990, the Parliament of Canada passed the Workers Mourning Day Act to formally recognize April 28 as a "day of mourning" across Canada.

April 28 is observed in more than 100 countries around the world as a day of remembrance and a day of action to improve workplace health and safety. In many countries, lives are being saved from needless ruin as employers comply and workplace deaths and injuries decline.

Avoiding Injuries & Saving Money with Ergonomics

In our current economic climate wouldn't we all like to avoid costly injuries which obviously saves your company money.

Avoiding Injuries & Saving Money with Ergonomics

In the current difficult economic times, it has become more important than ever to look at how we can reduce costs in business while improving productivity and efficiency. Although ergonomic changes can initially cost a company some money, the savings in improved productivity and in eliminating lost work time due to injuries can be well worth the initial price.

In fall 2003, the Journal of the American Medicine Association published the results of a study on the effect of common pains on work productivity. Over 28,000 working adults in the United States participated in phone interviews. Researchers found the most common pain conditions resulting in lost productive time were headaches (5.4%), back pain (3.2%), arthritis pain (2.0%) and other musculoskeletal pain (2.0%). On the average, those reporting lost time due to a pain condition lost 4.6 hours per week. Surprisingly, lost productivity was reported as decreased performance at work rather than time spent off work recovering. The researchers estimated that this reduced productivity cost businesses $61.2 billion each year.

In an article published in the June 2004 edition of Canadian Occupational Health Magazine, Dr. Heather Tick, clinical director for the RSI Clinic in Toronto, recommended a proactive approach to treating the lost productivity by fixing the problems in the workplace contributing to pain. The article highlights a success story of a manufacturing company that used ergonomics to reduce injuries. In addition to reducing injuries and improving productivity, the ergonomic improvements also eliminated work place fines that had been levied on the company for excessive injuries and enabled the company to receive refunds for having injury rates below industry standards.

The following steps can be used in any work setting to help improve employee safety, comfort and productivity, thereby improving the company’s bottom line.
Determine how much the company is losing due to time away from work, retraining of other employees, reduced duties.
Assess the workplace for areas that are high risk.
Involve the employees in finding solutions.
Develop recommendations to improve the work environment.
Follow-up any changes with continuing assessment to determine the efficiency of changes made.
Source: Common Pains Don't Have to Hurt Company Wallet; Ergonomics Today; June 21, 2004 by Jeanie Croasmun.

Marji Hajic is an occupational therapist and a certified hand therapist practicing in Santa Barbara, California. For more information on hand and upper extremity injuries, prevention and recovery, please visit Hand Health Resources. Also see http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art61547.asp

For help with your ergonomic lifting issues please look at www.ergonomicpartners.com or email us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Michigan Ergonomics Standard

Michigan: Senator introduces bill to block state-mandated ergonomics standard
Lawmakers in Michigan approved legislation that would prevent the state from issuing a mandatory ergonomics standard.

Sponsored by Sen. Alan Sanborn, R-Richmond, S. 93 would prohibit the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration from establishing rules that govern ergonomics programs and work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Voluntary guidelines, however, would remain permissible but cannot be more stringent than federal guidelines.

Earlier this year, the state's General Industry Safety Standards Commission and the Occupational Health Standards Commission voted unanimously to approve the regulations, which would make Michigan and California the only two states to adopt an ergonomics standard. Similar efforts were derailed in 2006.

Related Coverage
Lost time injuries, musculoskeletal disorders decline in '07, study finds (12/01/08)
National summit urges action to improve workforce health, productivity (12/01/08)
Surgeons issue new treatment guidelines for carpal tunnel syndrome (12/01/08)
Increasing workers' comp medical costs are major concern, insurers say (12/02/08)
North Carolina: Chronic low back pain on the rise, may be indicative of nationwide trend (03/26/09)
Sanborn said Gov. Jennifer Granholm's push for an ergonomics standard would severely harm the viability of Michigan's employers.
"Michigan's economy remains the worst in the nation, and if we're serious about recovery, we need to enact this bill," he said. "Despite the lack of evidence that these rules are necessary, the administration has spent more than six years crafting mandatory standards. It's just plain bad policy but to foist this on us during a recession borders on negligence."

Employer groups, including the National Federation of Independent Business, have come out against the standard, urging lawmakers not to heap new mandates on employers at a time when many are struggling.

"Michigan's rule as drafted would be the toughest in the nation and another reason not to do business in Michigan," said Charlie Owens, state director of the NFIB's Michigan bureau.

Sanborn said voluntary standards would produce the best results, noting that Michigan's MSD rate has decreased nearly 40 percent since 1998 without mandated ergonomics rules.

The bill now heads to the Michigan House of Representatives for consideration.


March 23, 2009
http://www.riskandinsurance.com/story.jsp?storyId=191059878

Big Belly and a Back Ache...Duh!

The next time you complain about a bad back, take a good look at yourself in the mirror. The extra fat around your stomach could be the culprit. 

According to doctors TODAY spoke to, being obese puts you at a greater risk of chronic backaches. 

“While it is not known exactly how excess weight can contribute to back pain, it is known that obese people are often at greater risk for back and joint pain, and muscle strain,” said Dr David Wong, a specialist in orthopaedic surgery at Raffles Hospital. 

Dr Patrick Goh, consultant sports physician at SportsMed Central in Gleneagles Hospital, explained that this is probably because an obese person generally carries more weight around the trunk, which tends to put more stress on the spine. 

Excessive weight around the abdomen also leads to a heavier load, and therefore more wear and tear on the lumbar (lower back) disc and joints. This increases the stress on the spinal muscles, said Dr Goh. 

According to Dr Wong, a pulled muscle or sprained ligament in the back is one of the most common causes of acute back pain. 

Those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25 (you are considered overweight if your BMI is between 25 to 29.9) are also at a greater risk of developing facet joint osteoarthritis, a condition that causes lower back pain and stiffness, Dr Wong added. 

It can affect your quality of life 

While back pain isn’t life-threatening - unlike other diseases that often plague obese people (coronary heart disease, diabetes) - patients are often surprised at how debilitating a backache can be. 

“I have been having pain in my back on and off for the last two months after I strained a muscle. At its worst, I couldn’t even wear my pants properly,” said Edward Tan, a 49-year-old businessman. 

With a BMI of 26.6, Mr Tan falls into the overweight category. Adults with a BMI of 30 and above are considered obese. 

Annoyed and severely inconvenienced by his bad back, Mr Tan ended up seeing two doctors. He was subsequently referred to a physiotherapist and advised by his doctor to “lose some weight”. 

“Back pain may affect one’s ability to work as well as play. It may even be severe enough to affect sleep, or lead to irritability or mild depression,” said Dr Goh. 

In addition, said Dr Goh, backache sufferers may also be more prone to “lifestyle diseases” such as hypertension and diabetes - brought about by long-term inactivity caused by their backache. 

How to keep your back pain at bay 

Maintaining a healthy weight can ease the strain on the lower back. 

But for short-term pain relief management, plenty of rest, as well as pain and inflammation control, may help. 

“Resting in a horizontal position is usually best as this takes the load off your back, allowing muscles to relax. Warm packs on muscles may also reduce painful spasms,” advised Dr Goh. 

If you have chronic back pain, you should also pay attention to your posture, ergonomics of your desk area and the way you lift heavy objects. 

Prescription anti-inflammatory medication, muscle relaxants and over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory creams can also help in pain relief, added Dr Goh. 

However, Dr Wong said that while OTC creams are generally effective in providing temporary relief, they are not effective as a long-term treatment. 

“They only act on the surface of the skin and are not strong enough to penetrate deeper beyond the skin, where the root of the problem is,” he said. - TODAY/ra 

CM Cleanroom hoist

CM is the recognized leader in clean room hoists. Read on to find out why. Need help with a claenroom hoist give us a call at 314-766-4578 or drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

With rigorous cleanroom requirements in the all types of cleanroom environments, the CM Lodestar Cleanroom Hoist can take the place of food processing hoists and electronic room hoists with one model line. The CM Cleanroom Hoist also serves as a great medical hoist and hospital hoist where cleanliness is an optional and desired quality. Whether your work area includes high humidity, corrosive materials, or sanitary conditions, the Lodestar offers superior efficiency and versatility for your material handling needs. ¼, ½, 1 and 2 ton single and two-speed options provide for heavier duty applications as a food processing hoist, an electronic room hoist or pharmaceutical hoist.An assured contamination-free hoist, the CM Lodestar Cleanroom Hoist uses non-oxidizing grease rather than oil for lubrication, to eliminate drips and a stainless steel load chain that guards against flaking or peeling.FDA-approved white epoxy powder coat paint, or a nickel-plated housing also adds to the contamination-free hoist operation for the biotechnology, aerospace, electronic and semi-conductor environments.The CM Cleanroom Hoist’s sealed weather-proof construction makes the hoist ideal for full washdown and humid environments. A variety of accessories such as stainless steel chain, hooks, links and slings help with versatile cleanroom lifting applications. Both stainless steel, corrosion resistant trolleys and motorized trolleys are also available.CM also offers a cleanroom hand hoist, the “Zephyr,” for use in similar clean environments.Full details, specification sheets, images and audio presentations are available by visiting: http://www.cmindustrial.com/cleanroomhoist.asp at www.cmindustrial.com.Whether lifting steel beams or positioning delicate electronic equipment, all of the necessary products are available from a single source – CM Complete Lifting Systems. Jib cranes, enclosed track systems, crane components, trolleys, and beam clamps offer numerous options overhead, while hoists are available in electric, air, and manual configurations. Below-the-hook attachments like spreader beams, shackles, chain slings, hooks, and clamps round out one of the most versatile lines in the industry. An integral part of Columbus McKinnon Corporation, the CM brand has built a reputation for quality and durability for more than 130 years.

CM also make a special wind turbine hoist which we will look at later. www.ergonomicpartners.com