Gorbel G-Jib

Be one of the first to check out the new G-Jib. Link below will take you to a video to check it out. We can do an on-site demo if this looks of interest.

https://www.gorbel.com/About/Blog

sales@ergonomicpartners.com or give us a call at 314-766-4578.

Saints Win Super Bowl, says Madden NFL

I couldn't resist passing on this article. Madden computer simulation has picked 5 of the last 6 Super Bowls right. The games only miss was the Giants/New England game. Who could have picked that one? See the link below for the whole story. Get your money down on the Saints.

Hope you all have a great time celebrating one of our countries national holidays!

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/saints-win-super-bowl-says-madden-nfl/1387788

Overhead Bridge Crane for Machining Center

Ergonomic Partners recently provided this single girder top running bridge crane with freestanding structural steel for a Missouri manufacturing facility. This system was provided complete with turnkey installation. Note the columns are freestanding with no A-frames or bracing. The customer had very tight clearances due to existing machining centers but we squeezed it in!

We sell and service all major brands including CM, R&M, Yale, Harrington, JD Neuhaus, Gorbel, and Cleveland Tramrail. Whether it is a new building or an existing building we can help to come up with a solution for your lifting needs. All of our structural steel is designed and sealed by a Professional Engineer.

You can call us at 314-766-4578 or drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com. To see more applications visit us at www.ergonomicpartners.com

Workplace Injuries are Down

U.S. companies reported 3.7 million work-related injuries and illnesses in 2008, the lowest in five years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 7.7% lower than in 2007.

And the number of injuries severe enough to require time off work was 1.1 million, also a five-year low and down 7% from 2007, BLS said. However, the median number of days away from work, which indicates the severity of the injury, was 8 days, compared to 7 days in each of the previous 4 years.

Other findings:

• The number of injuries dropped in construction and retail industries.
• Ergonomic problems dropped to 33 cases per 10,000 full-time workers compared to 35 in 2007.
• Workers between the ages of 55 and 64 had 3% more injuries than all age groups and those over 65 had 13% more.
• The most common injuries in 2008 were sprains and strains, 39% of all work-related injuries. In 2 out of 5 of these cases, the back was injured.

The rate of injuries was higher among government workers: 6.3% - that’s 7% for local government workers and 4.7% for state employees - compared to 3.9% in private industry.

Gorbel G-Jib is Introduced!

Check out the link for the new Gorbel G-Jib below. It is a nice compliment to their zero-gravity lifting line. If you don't need the articulation of the Easy Arm this is a more economical way to still get many of the great features of the Gorbel G-Force.

https://www.gorbel.com/Products/Intelligentliftdevices/GJib.aspx

It can go up to 660#, and 16' span where the Easy Arm goes to 330# and 14' span.

We can integrate all the same type of tooling as we have done in the past with the Easy Arm, but do it even more economically than the Easy Arm. Some customers need the Easy Arm Features but this is a nice compliment which fits between the Easy Arm and a standard jib with a chain hoist.

Contact us if you would like to see the G-Force in your plant. We can do an on-site demo.

Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or call us at 314-766-4578

Electric Chain Hoists in Stock

Do you need an electric chain hoist right away? We can help with our full line of stocked hoists. We carry CM, Yale, Demag, JD Neuhaus, Coffing, Budgit in stock for immediate delivery. With an order in the morning most hoists are shipped the same day.

We also carry a full line of come alongs (lever tools), trolleys, beam clamps and hand chain hoists for immediate shipment.

All of the hoists include free freight to any of the lower 48 states.

If you would like to use a PO instead give us a call at 314-766-4578 and we can help you with the specifications.

Click on http://www.ergonomicpartners.com/Hoists.aspx to get started with online shopping.

Vacuum Box Handling for Stacking Overhead

Do you have an application that requires your operatorsto stack boxes at a level higher than an operator can reach? First it might be wise to look at putting in recessed lift tables as you can see this is quite a stretch to set the boxes. The long handle also can be cumbersome but if you are experiencing worker injuries or flat out can't reach the top of the stack, this might be the solution for your operators.

Give us a call at 314-766-4578 or drop an email to sales@ergonomicpartners.com for more information.

Check out the video below

Gorbel Workstation Crane System with Multiple Bridges

Did you know that you can have Gorbel systems with 2 or more bridges and not have to mess with festooning. In the past on systems with more than two systems some customers have utilized c-track to run additional festoon conductors. Well, you can utilize hard bar electrification. Pick your brand, Electromotive, Insul-8, Duct-O-Bar or whatever you use in your plant. Note that four bars are utilized on the system. This is required by NEC but even more important as Gorbel wheels are not metal and thus do not ground the system.

Need some more information? Drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or give us a call at 314-766-4578.

Height Adjustable Workbench Made Easy With Dyna-Lift!

Do you have existing tables that your workers are having to bend over to do their job. Do you have different size workers who use the same tables making one height a problem. Well the fix is easy and it is very inexpensive.

Dyna-Lift retrofit height adjustment kits make it easy and quick with their field installable pre-charged kits which can be installed in under and hour.

-The adjustment ranges are 6", 8", 10" 12", 14" and 16" stroke.

-Lifting capabilities up to 1000# with the Base Dyna-Lift and 1500# with the Heavy Duty Dyna-Lift

-Up to 20,000# with the Super Dyna-Lift

-Manual or Electric operation available

-Single acting cylinders, with powered in the up direction and gravity in the down direction requiring approximately 20# of weight per cylinder to retract properly.

-External leg assembly fits many different brands and sizes of extruded aluminum via a special T-Slot. This is an easy add-on in the field or OEM design.

-Internal leg assembly typically fits inside most 3"x3" or 2"x2" extruded aluminum profiles. Cylinder fits inside so there are no outside parts.

Prices start as low as $460 including freight to anywhere in the lower 48 states.

Drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com for more information.

Merry Christmas!

All of us hope you have a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

CM Lodestar Early Advertisement

Check out the link below. This is the first CM Lodestar print advertisement which ran in the Mid 1950's. There are still CM Lodestar hoists in the field that are well over 50 years old. Let us know how old your CM hoist is and we will feature it here in our blog. Thanks to our Blog Friend Tom for this cool piece of material handling history

/first%20cm%20print%20advertisement.pdf

www.ergonomicpartners.com

sales@ergonomicpartners.com

ProMat Reminder

ProMat is returning to Chicago March 21-24 in 2011. This is the premier material handling show in North America.

For information on exhibiting or attending contact:
The Material Handling Industry of America
8720 Red Oak Blvd., Suite 201
Charlotte, NC 28217-3992
704-676-1190 • 800-345-1815 • FAX: 704-676-1199
E-mail: CustomerService@ProMatShow.com • www.ProMatShow.com

Cooperation of Company and Union Saves Millions!

Tyson has long been seen as an innovator in ergonomics and taking care of their employees. Twenty years ago they set out on a truly progressive ergonomics initiative. Below some highlights from ://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/179033.htm article on the web. This shows that ergonomics is about saving companies money. Much applause to this business for leading the way.

Tyson has been involved in numerous engineering projects designed to modify work stations and equipment in order to reduce physical stressors on the job. Examples include redesigned knife handles, height-adjustable work stations, use of lighter-weight saws/power tools, hydraulic/mechanical assists to lift or separate product, lower overhead chains and conveyors to eliminate reaching over shoulder height, product diverters on conveyor lines to bring product closer to workers, comfortable/level floor surfaces, improved illumination and job rotation. The company has also worked to reduce the vibration generated by certain tools and modified personal protective equipment to make it fit better and be more comfortable.

"Over the past 20 years, our company has devoted millions of dollars in ergonomically-designed equipment and process improvements, as well as training, which we believe have helped prevent workplace injuries and illnesses," said Jim Lochner, chief operating officer of Tyson Foods. "However, the real key to the success of this program has been the workers who serve as safety and ergonomics monitors. The input we've received from hourly production workers and the participation of our plant and corporate management teams, have been invaluable."

"What this program shows is that when workers have input on working conditions, when they are part of the decision-making process, you come up with a better, safer environment -- and that's good for everybody," said UFCW Meatpacking, Manufacturing, and Food Processing Division Director Mark Lauritsen. "It works because everyone is involved from Tyson management to UFCW leaders, ergo monitors and production workers."

"The union and Tyson have worked together to make this ergonomics program what it is today (and) I think we're way ahead of the industry with our program," said Marvin Harrington, President of UFCW Local 222, which represents workers at the Dakota City plant. "We're proud the program is part of our UFCW contract with Tyson. We train UFCW members on how to identify hazards and recommend fixes. Having both Tyson management and UFCW members engaged on detecting hazards makes for an efficient process."

www.ergonomicpartners.com

sale@ergonomicpartners.com

Lift Table Solution For The Printing Industry

Lift Table Application:

This printing operation loads pallets of rolled printed product. The loads can range from several hundred to over one thousand pounds. The loaded pallets are removed and transported by pallet jack to the shipping area.

Problem:

The operators handle of a wide range of size and weight of printed product in this area. The area for staging and loading the pallets is very cramped. Lifting, bending, stretching and reaching to position printed materials of various size and weights on the pallet takes a physical toll on line operators. The tight space conditions add to the frustration not allowing the operators to work efficiently. Lift trucks are prohibited access to this work area for safety reasons as the area is very congested with product.

Solution:

Bishamon EZOFF lifters are positioned in the pallet building areas. The empty pallets are placed on the raised EZOFF Lifter. The lift can be lowered as the printed rolls are loaded to accommodate the workers comfort level. In addition the operator can rotate the platform to position the lift for loading thereby eliminating reaching across the load or walking around the lift to place product on the pallet. The result is less bending, reaching and stretching, reduced fatigue and improved productivity.

Ergonomic Partners can help with this or similar applications for your industry. Contact us at 314-766-4578 or at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Why Choose Patented Track Crane Systems?

Cleveland Tramrail is clearly superior to standard I-Beam cranes. In the field there are systems going on 100 years old and still running strong. Patented track systems are clearly a piece of mchinery made to operate as a complete system and not just pieces put together hoping they will run smoothly. I-Beam cranes are only as good as the mill tolerance that the beams are required to adhere. These beams have noticeable negative camber, tilted webs, and uneven bottom flanges. This relates to a much shorter life of the crane system.

Benefits of Cleveland Tramrail Tarca Track

Increased load carrying capacity and track life- the lower section of Tarca track is specially rolled from high carbon billet and welded to a structural steel web and top flange. This construction of the track increases its load carrying capacity while retaining its non-peening qualities and significantly increasing track life. peening- gradual movement of metal by the rolling action of wheels. The metal moves to one or both sides of the rail, depending on the rail design, and is the chief source of wear. Raised tread stays flat and smooth - raised tread design allows metal to flow in both directions when repeatedly subjected to a rolling load; the tread stays flat and smooth allowing for easy rolling of loaded wheels. Maximum strength, maximum rigidity, and greater safety - the high carbon alloy steel rail is joined by a carefully controlled welding process which means maximum strength and rigidity and greater safety. Standardized rail widths - the most distinguishing feature of patented rail is that a rail of uniform width can be maintained over a wide range of beam depths and carrying capacities. This uniformity provides a basis for standardization not only in trolleys and end trucks, but also in interlocks, electrification brackets, and other accessories. A better installation, faster - Overall track depth is held to close tolerances. Flange and rail are held square with the web. This accuracy eliminates time consuming shimming and fitting during erection. Systems fit neatly together for smooth, quiet operation. If you need help specifying the proper crane system for your application contact a crane sales professional at sales@ergonomicpartners.com, or call at 314-766-4578 for more information

National Ergonomics Conference is Focusing on Workplace Ergonomics

The 15th Annual National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition (ErgoExpo) at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, November 17 - 20, is focusing on the importance of workplace ergonomics in a time of economic recovery.

There were hundreds of pre-registered attendees from 40+ states plus overseas.

Companies include Apple, Armstrong, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boeing, BP, CDC, Chevron, Clorox, ConAgra Foods, Corning, the Dept. of Defense, Eli Lilly & Co., ExxonMobil, FBI, Gallo Wine, Kaiser Permanente, KIA, Levi Strauss & Co., Liberty Mutual, Marsh, NASA, Nintendo, Northrop Grumman, Office Max, Pepperidge Farm, Pitney Bowes, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, Sealy, Travelers Insurance, US Army, US Dept. of Energy, US Marines, US Navy, USPS, Walt Disney Co., Zurich and numerous municipal and state government, healthcare facility, and utility company representatives.

sales@ergonomicpartners.com

www.ergonomicpartners.com

Rigid Industrial Manipulator Integrated with Gorbel Workstation Crane System

This Gorbel Free Standing Work Station Bridge Crane was utilized for an application that takes advantage of its ease of push and pull for a custom yet affordable solution.

The customer needed rigidity to be maintained while handling these parts and the system they were using had a lot of swing with the hoist and could not handle the required installation angle.

This application involved handling row unit pods for a combine. Three pods were on a mounting rack which weighed 1000#. The pack of three needed to be picked up and tilted to a specific angle to allow for proper installation.

A Gorbel Free Standing Work Station Bridge Crane with a Dual Girder Bridge and Variable Frequency Tractor Drives on both the trolley and bridge. The variable frequency drive control give the operator optimum spotting control to position these large pods.

Gorbel workstation cranes are easily integrated with custom end tooling. Gorbel will make the platform to integrate with many type of one of a kind tooling.

The customer was thrilled with the amount of time they were able to save over the previous method. Their installation time was reduced from 25 minutes per pack down to 5 minutes.

Have a problem or tough application? Give us a call at 314-766-4578 or drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Fabtech Show Opened Today in Chicago

FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show opened today in Chicago. Stop by and check out Gorbels booth if you are in town. They will have the G-Force, Easy Arm, Tool jibs, and workstation cranes to name a few.

The show runs from Nov. 15 - 18, 2009. This very large event expects over 1,000 exhibitors, with an expected 35,000 attendees.It will feature thousands of live equipment demonstrations throughout pavilions dedicated to metal forming, fabricating, tube and pipe, stamping, lasers, thermal spray and welding.

Let us know if you see something you like and we will feature it on our blog! Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Ergonomic Matting for Areas of Dangerous High Voltage Equipment

Need a anti-fatigue mat for a custom application. Well this is one type of matting that we are constantly supplying for our customers, but many people do not know this type of mat is available. Many plants protect their workers when they are working around high voltage equipment.

Diamond-Plate Switchboard is the newest version of high-performance non-conductive matting. Designed to protect personnel in areas with dangerous high-voltage equipment, it can insulate against as much as 30,000 volts of electricity. Its unique diamond-embossed surface is easily

cleaned and will not collect contaminants.

Diamond-Plate Switchboard matting conforms to ANSI/ASTM D-178-

01 Type II (a premium quality vinyl compound resistant to UV, ozone

and many common chemicals), Class 2. 1 Year Warranty.

Color: Black (BK)90

Have a special anti-fatigue mat application? Let us know and we will see if we can find you a mat for that special application

Box Handling Custom Lift Assist

This custom box handling tool was provided at the end of six conveyor stations. The old process was for the operator to pick them off a conveyor by hand and set onto a pallet. The new process involves self leveling lift tables and this custom lift assist integrated with the Gorbel G-Force. The operators are picking up one box every 15 seconds so you can imagine the wear and tear of lifting this 35 pound box for 8 hours.

Note the lift is done by vacuum cups which attach to the side of the box as the top of the box was not sturdy enough to hold the weight of the box. Once the operator attaches to the box they can lift the product with the Gorbel G-Force which make the part weightless. It is commonly referred to as a zero gravity lifter, as it moves up to 200 fpm and makes the part weightless.

The customer has gotten raves from the workers, who used to have to switch out the job on an hourly basis. They can now work an 8 hour shift and not go home feeling wiped out!

The customer said their ROI was less than 6 months, and are currently looking at several other applications for the G-Force as well as the Gorbel Easy Arm.

The Gorbel G-Force and Easy Arm can be integrated with countless tooling end-effectors to pick up almost any product in your plant. We can now even go up to 1380# with the same precision positioning. If you have a troublesome spot in your plant let us come and set up a free G-Force demo.

Give us a call atr 314-766-4578, or drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com. You can also look at all of our solutions at www.ergonomicpartners.com.

Ergonomic Partners specializes in custom lifting devices, lift assists, manipulators, overhead cranes, hoists, anti-fatigue mats, lift tables and adjustable workbenches.

Sanitizing Footbath Mat

Wearwell's Sanitizing Foot Mat keeps hygienic areas free of contamination and germs.

Great for food processing plants, this mat has thousands of pliable rubber scrapers that dislodge contaminants from footwear as the shoe soles are immersed in the disinfectant solution.

Sanitizing Foot Mat will hold one gallon of disinfectant solution - chlorine or quaternary. The New model has 2.5" Tall Walls, which allow the mat to hold up to 5.5 gallons of sanitizing solution. When filled to a practical level, the solution will totally immerse the treads and sides of the boot sole, while the fingertips release any accumulations. The larger overall size covers most doorways and allows employees to take two steps in the mat.

You can also get the tall size with Yellow Borders.

This mat comes in two sizes:

24"x32" with the standard wall

32"x39" which has the 2-1/2" wall

Give us a call at 314-766-4578 or drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Wearwell Food Production Mat Specifically for Food Production and Processing Industries

Need a food production mat? Well this one has been a top seller. Check out the specs below or visit http://www.ergonomicpartners.com/product/358/125/482-Grade-A-Food-Mat-12-Thick.aspx to view it on-line.

Defined by its specially formulated anti-microbial rubber compound and

its totally functional design, Grade A is the first mat designed specifically

for the food production and processing industries. Its uniquely

formulated Nitrile rubber compound is designed to withstand fluids and

oils commonly found in food processing environments including

vegetable oils, animal fats, citrus, and fish oil. Grade A:

1) Passes ASTM G21-96 (2002), the test used by NSF to determine

resistance to microorganisms and is 100% anti-microbial.

2) Has built-in handles to ease pick-up and cleaning of the mats.

3) Features a hygienic porthole and solid underside design that

simplify cleaning and virtually eliminate areas where food can

collect.

4) Has a substantial underside knobs that allow quick drainage and

increase the comfort level of the mat.

5) Has a textured surface that increases traction when greasy and

wet.

6) Is permanently anti-microbial and the additive has GRAS status.

Give us a call at 314-766-4578 or view all our mats at http://www.ergonomicpartners.com/Anti-Fatigue-Matting.aspx

Food Processing Plant Utilizes Bishamon Mobile Self Leveling Lift Cart

This food processing facility was using large outdated carts to get the product to the workers for final preparation. The old carts were hard to maneuver and the worker had to reach to six inches above floor level to pick up the bottom boxes. Well they needed a solution and Bishamon ESX Mobile self leveling tables were chosen. These are available as 220#, 460# or 880# and are very inexpensive. The load automatically raises as the boxes are removed.

Check them out at http://www.ergonomicpartners.com/product/366/240/Bishamon-ESX-MobiLeveler.aspx.

Standard Features:

• Load weight compensating
• Easily accessible gauged weightselector knob
• Single and dual spring models
• Heavy-duty maintenance, scissor locking pin
• High quality casters with brake
• Steel work platforms
• Rugged construction, with heavy-gauge steel and sturdy welds throughout
• Clean design with minimum of maintenance requirement
• Durable powder coated finish

Bishamon Hydraulic Lift Table with Turn Table Top Helps this Food Processer

This food processing facility was having numerous injuries in this high duty cycle palletizing process. The workers are taking the product off of a conveyor and loading onto pallets. They were loading them at floor level which was obviously causing back injuries. They now can keep their work in a good ergonomic zone. Also notice that these lift tables have turn tables so they can keep from reaching over to load the far side of the pallet.

There are many different configurations of lift tables for your exact application. Ergonomic Partners will be happy to help you select the right lift table for your job and budget.

Check us out on the web at www.ergonomicpartners.com or give us a call at 314-766-4578

Gorbel Workstation Cranes Utilized for Roll Handling in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The customer was using two men to physically lift and position rolls into packaging machines. This job was limited to younger men as this was an awkward and physically demanding job. Product damage was a major concern as the product was being dropped.

The operators were lifting these 150# rolls of paper and plastic and loading the rolls into the packaging machines which would package glass used in the pharmaceutical industry.

The customer decided on a Gorbel Freestanding workstation bridge crane with an air balancer and custom roll handling tool. They consider using a jib crane but this did not give them the coverage of a bridge crane and reduced the number of lift devices, air balancers and jibs as they would have had to buy numerous units. Note the aluminum bridge in the picture. This reduces the load the operator has to move.

This solution made sense on numerous levels:

It protected the workers as they did not have to pick up the large awkward loads.

They reduced the number of people to do the job-from two to one.

It made the job more accessible to women and older employees.

There is less damage to the product as they do not drop them.

Have a problem area in your plant let us look at an economical Gorbel solution for your solution. Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or check out what we have done for others at www.ergonomicpartners.com.

314-766-4578

Need a Manual or Electric Chain Hoist Quick?

Ergonomic Partners carries a complete line of electric chain hoists in stock for immediate delivery. If you need an 1/8 ton thru 3 ton we can help with same day shipment. We carry CM (Columbus McKinnon), Yale, Budgit, JD Neuhaus, and Demag electric and air chain hoists. In addition we carry trolleys, beam clamps, electrification for same day shipment.

Give a call for pricing at 314-766-4578 or check out www.ergonomicpartners.com and click on the product for "buy it now" pricing. Most items are free shipping to the lower 48 states.

Retrofit Your Equipment To Make It Like New

Check out this retrofit on customers existing equipment. These machines are being retrofitted with new aluminum stands on each end. This is a very clean, and relatively inexpensive retrofit. This aluminum extrusion can be ordered to length for quick retrofit.

If you have older equipment that needs a face lift this may be what the doctor ordered. If you need more information drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or call us at 314-766-4578.

Custom Grip and Pitch Lift Assist Tool for the Food Industry

Check out this custom lift assist device which was designed for the food industry. This lift assist is suspended from a Gorbel G-Force Easy Arm to help the customer take of reels from a spindle, pitch 90 degrees and place into a box. This customer is installing (4) of these units due to going to larger reels which their work force cannot handle. We are seeing an older and increasingly female work force who appreciate lifting devices to take the load off their back and shoulders.

These reels can weigh up to 65# and are taken of the machine in batches of six. The custom lifting device has a floating handle so the operator can keep their arms in an ergonomic position even when setting the reels into shipping boxes which get stacked three high.

For more information you can contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or call us at 314-766-4578.

Bushman Equipment Changes Their Name

Bushman is a great company for standard as well as custom lifters. They are still the same great company but have changed their name.

New Name Positions Company For Growth; New Structure Moves It Towards Single Source Supplier

Lift it…Stack it…Grab it…Hook it…Upend it…Invert it…Weigh it…Transfer it. If you can make it, we can move it. But first we decided to rename it—our company that is.

Bushman Equipment Inc. is now Bushman AvonTec, bringing our parent company and two divisions together to serve customers better. We are your single source supplier for Below-the-Hook (Bushman Equipment and Avon Engineering), Floor-Based (West Bend Equipment), and Slit Coil Packaging (Avon Engineering) Equipment.

This action will allow us to build on our long history of product leadership in the design and manufacture of rugged, built-to-order material handling equipment proven superior by our “enginuity” — the powerful convergence of engineering and ingenuity.

Move in the right direction for increased production and extended performance with equipment from Bushman AvonTec, including:

BELOW-THE-HOOK SOLUTIONS, ABOVE & BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

• C-Hooks
• Coil Grabs
• Spreader Beams
• Sheet & Plate Lifters
• Lifting Tongs
• Roll Handlers
• Drum Lifters
• Load Weighing Solutions
• More...

We custom-engineer and build below-the-hook lifting equipment for both mill duty and industrial applications, with capacities from 50 pounds to hundreds of tons. With Avon’s team of engineers we expand our already deep base of knowledge and experience with even more valuable intellectual capital. Our quality equipment, value-engineered to be competitively priced, benefits from well proven designs that minimize maintenance requirements and downtime. We place a heavy duty emphasis on efficiency, safety and return on your investment.

For current customers of Bushman Equipment Inc. and users of West Bend Equipment or Avon Engineering products, this means you’ll experience an even higher degree of expertise and even greater level of service. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with us, we invite you to become accustomed to Engineering That Out-Thinks… Product That Out-Performs… Service That Out-Delivers.

For your custom lift equipment give Ergonomic Partners a call at 314-766-4578, or email us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

www.ergonomicpartners.com

CM Lodestar Electric Chain Hoists

The CM Lodestar is considered the best hoist in the marketplace by many people in the material handling industry. Many customers and sales people swear on these units in the toughest applications. There are models that are still in the field after 50 years of service.

There are may reasons why they are relied upon. Some of the major reasons are as follows:

Capacities up to 3 tons

Gear train lifetime lubricated with non-oxidizing grease--not oil leakage!

Precision machined and hardened lift wheel with hardened chain guides

H4 Duty cycle

Rugged Nema 4 pushbutton station

Hoist duty motor

overload device

Made in the USA

Ergonomic Partners has full stock for shipment from stock. Visit us at http://www.ergonomicpartners.com/332/332/category/Hoists.aspx for a complete line of hoists that can be customized and purchased on-line.

For a custom quote call us at 314-766-4578

Gorbel Fall Arrest Systems offered by Ergonomic Partners

Gorbel is well known for their Workstation cranes, workstation jibs and I-Beam jib cranes but did you know they have other structural products to fit many of your facilities needs.

The newest product is their Custom Tether Track™ Products. They have taken the idea of fall arrest systems and came up with numerous configurations. The first systems they came up with were their Rigid Rail Fall Arrest Anchor Systems and Tether Track™ trolleys.

Well they expanded on this and now offer custom products.

These include:
Free standing systems
Fold away systems
Jibs
Outdoor systems

Dual track systems so workers can pass each other

Ergonomic Partners will help you with all of your custom fall arrest needs.
Call us today at 314-402-7775 to quote and configure your custom system.

http://www.ergonomicpartners.com/

sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Gorbel Products Show Up in the Craziest Places

Check out this shot of a Gorbel jib in our nations capitol. Snap a picture and send it to us if you see a Gorbel product in an unusual place and we will post it.

Interesting Report from MHIA

Our industry typically is 6-8 months behind the rest of the economy. Well, it may be even lagging further per the below report. We may be another year away from positive growth in most material handling sectors.

MHIA sees a turnaround in process for material handling and logistics with growth predicted in early 2011

Reduced investment and historically low capacity utilization point to contraction through 2010 followed by a new expansion cycle in early 2011

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) leaders discussed material handling and logistics market trends at the recent 2009 Annual Meetings in Amelia Island, Florida. Overall, the first half 2009 has seen a decline of 44.9% for orders of new equipment vs. 2008. MHIA forecasts this decline to slow slightly in the last half of 2009 and hold the total year decline to 35.0% to 38.0%. A decline of another 5.0 to 10.0% in 2010 is expected with growth to begin early in 2011.

“We are in the middle of a serious contraction this year, but the worst appears to be over,” said Hal Vandiver, MHIA executive vice president of business development. “MHIA is forecasting that 2010 will be 6.0% to 8.0% below 2009 for the industry, and it will be 2011 before we see the industry come back into growth.”

More specific information on several key material handling and logistics markets was also discussed including:

Package Handling Conveyors
The conveyor market declined by 30% for the 12 month period ending in July 2009. MHIA is expecting a total year decline in the conveyor market of 35-38% for 2009, and a further decline of 5-10% in 2010. A recovery of 10% to 12% is forecasted in 2011. Conveyor market growth opportunities are seen in retail & general merchandise; grocery and food service; direct to consumer; pharmaceutical and medical supply; and in third party logistics.

Industrial Racks
U.S. domestic production of rack equipment is estimated to be $800 million in 2009, down 37.5% from 2008. “I am confident we have bottomed out,” said George Prest, Unarco Material Handling.

Casters & Wheels
Caster manufacturers saw a 25% drop in their market in 2009 and a bottoming out in 2010 followed by slow growth for several years. Growth opportunities are seen in the alternative energy and medical markets.

Automation
The first half of 2009 saw a record low for automation. Second half of 2009 is showing signs of improvement. We see 2010 as a year of recovery and growth (when compared to 2009, but below 2008 levels). Growth opportunities are seen in manufacturing, medical, food and beverage, government and sustainability.

Ergonomics
The market for ergonomic systems and lifts was off 20% from the prior year period through the second quarter of 2009. “Technically, we have hit a bottom,” said Brian McNamara, Southworth International Group, Inc.

Supply Chain Software
Annual sales for warehouse management systems fell from $1.24 billion to $1.195 billion from 2007 to 2008. It is estimated that it has continued to contract in 2009. The market is forecasted to grow again in 2010.

Lift Trucks
In 2009, the U.S. lift truck market is estimated to drop approximately 35%, compared to 2008. 2009 is forecasted to be the bottom and recovery to begin gradually next year. Growth opportunities are seen in food and beverage, grocery chains and general merchandise stores.

Overhead Material Handling
In 2009, the industry is contracting in all segments (hoists, cranes and monorails). The outlook for 2010 is for our industry to begin a long, slow recovery; but, likely will not see positive growth until late in the year. Growth opportunities are seen in renewable energy, infrastructure, government/military and aerospace.

Download the complete report.

MHIA is an international trade association that has represented the material handling and logistics industry since 1945. MHIA members include material handling and logistics equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers, and third party logistics providers. Member companies come from all areas of material handling and various parts of the world, making MHIA a strong national and international representative for the material handling and logistics industry. Much of the work of the industry is done within its product-specific Industry Groups. The association sponsors trade events, such as ProMat 2011 and NA 2010 to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate manufacturing, distribution and supply chain professionals on the productivity solutions provided through material handling and logistics. MHIA also publishes a quarterly Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing Forecast.

Contact: Carol Miller, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) (704) 676-1190/800-345-1815.

For ergonomic material handling applications call 314-766-4578, or visit www.ergonomicpartners.com

October is National Ergonomics Month

This month is National Ergonomics Month. The Human Factors and Ergonomic Society designated this month in 2003. Check out this website for upcoming activities http://hfesnem.org/.

www.ergonomicpartners.com

sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Vacuum Lift Assist with Gorbel Workstation Crane System

Gorbel products love to show up in all types of material handling applications. How about a dog food plant. Check out this workstation crane with a vacuum lifting device.

The customers problem was their employees were twisting and pushing the 45# product onto a conveyor many times per day. For any of you who have picked up a 45# weight that is one heavy piece of meat. The customer was seeking a more efficient way to pick up these slabs.

The customer decided on a vacuum tube lift assist device with an ergonomic Gorbel workstation crane. The employees can now move the product thru the process and not run out of steam mid shift. The employees are happy and the employer is ecstatic as they came up with a very cost efficient solution. Productivity is up and back and shoulder injuries are a thing of the past.

Many plants still have workers manually handling material. This is unsafe and is not cost effective. One injury can cost as much as several of these systems.

For more information please contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or view additional equipment at www.ergonomicpartners.com.

Humantech Ergonomics Seminar in London

Humantech is a very well respected ergonomics consultancy business in the US. They will be teaming up with System Concepts to provide a seminar in late October. This should be a very good educational opportunity for those of you in Europe.

New Ergonomics Seminar Will Help Businesses Improve Productivity

London, United Kingdom, September 24, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Ergonomics consultancy System Concepts has teamed up with Humantech to present their acclaimed Applied Industrial Ergonomics seminar in London next month.

The two day public course will provide delegates with the skills and tools they need to make simple and effective ergonomic improvements in an industrial environment. Delegates will learn how to make practical, cost-effective changes that result in:

· operational excellence
· improved morale
· reduced injuries and illness

Humantech is the largest workplace ergonomics consulting firm in the United States. James Mallon, their vice president explains “Our straightforward approach emphasises hands-on problem-solving methodologies which enable delegates to recognise, evaluate, and control ergonomic risk. When applied in an industrial environment this will drive down risks, injuries and their associated cost, increasing both productivity and morale among staff.”

The course will benefit anyone interested in improving health, safety and productivity including:
· Health and safety professionals
· Ergonomics committees
· Facilities and manufacturing engineers

The first public seminar will be held on the 27th and 28th October 2009 at System Concepts’ central London office. Details of the course content, costs and how to book are on the System Concepts website or call them on 020 7240 3388.

Leslie Fountain, joint managing director of System Concepts concludes, “Humantech has developed a worldwide reputation for outstanding ergonomics education programmes. We are delighted to be working with them delivering best ergonomic practice to businesses across Europe.

We will be offering the course in-house to clients from November and anticipate running further public seminars throughout 2010.”

For further information please contact Ali Everett on 020 7240 3388 or email ali@system-concepts.com

Links: www.system-concepts.com

www.humantech.com

If you have ergonomic concerns in the USA give us a call at 314-766-4578, or drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Custom Inspection Jig

This custom inspection jig is used to rotate an automotive part 360 degrees while moving down a conveyor. This unit is integrated with the customers conveyor and several other custom lift devices provided by Ergonomic Partners. This is completely air operated. The customer has over 15 of these units in service.

If you have a custom lifting or handling application contact us at 314-766-4578 for an on-site visit or drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com. You can also visit our website at www.ergonomicpartners.com to see more lifting devices and material handling case studies.

Custom HVAC Lift Assist Manipulator

Problem: Customer was lifting heavy coils coming off a coil bender by hand. The parts weighed up to 90 pounds which required 2 operators to pick up the parts to load them onto the base of the HVAC unit. This required the operators to lift the heavy coil over their heads in order to set down the part. This application was a constant source of shoulder and back injuries.

Requirement: Allow one operator to lift the coils and load onto the base unit without heavy lifting or awkward working postures.

Solution: Using a pneumatically powered manipulator, we were able to grip the coil coming off the bender and lift them up, over, and back down onto the frame of the refrigeration unit. Because the coils were easily damaged, large gripper pads were utilized to in order to spread out the grip force. Because the part had to travel close to 30 inches in order to load onto the base, the lift assist was equipped with two sets of controls. This allowed the operators to consistently maintain a good ergonomic position at pick up and set down.

Custom pneumatic manipulator with pneumatically actuated grip to pick up HVAC coils weighing up to 90 pounds. The lifting device has two sets of controls to consistently maintain good ergonomic posture.

Result: The customer was able to lift the part with one operator safely. The manipulator helped maintain task time, reduce injury, and free up an operator in the area to help out with other areas of production.

Contact Ergonomic Partners for assistance with your ergonomic applications. We solve problems!

Custom Industrial Positech Manipulator

This is a custom Positech manipulator provided to pick up and rotate large studs. These parts are gripped away from the center of gravity and rotates the part. This customer came to Ergonomic Partners with a very difficult application due to the weight of the part and low headroom application. The Positech World manipulator is designed for loads of up to 440# with extended reach.

Ergonomic Partners worked with Positech to come up with a turnkey solution. We can provide a custom lifting device for your hardest applications.

To see more applications see www.ergonomicpartners.com or give us a call at 314-766-4578 for help with your application.

Custom Lifting Device For Box Handling

Ergonomic Partners provided this custom box lifting device for a large manufacturer in the Midwest. It is integrated with a Gorbel G-Force zero gravity lifting device. The boxes weigh in excess of 100# and were very awkward to handle. The customer had been using a vacuum tube lifter but they were not as smooth, fast or precise as the compressed air lift assist.

The operators move the boxes from a conveyor and palletize them at a rate of 5 per minute. They operators are very happy as they are not wrestling with the old lift assist. The customer is experiencing better productivity as well as less product damage.

If you have a custom lifting application let us know and we can schedule an on-site demonstation of the Gorbel G-Force zero gravity lifter. We also consider vacuum lift tubes, balancers, or hoists depending on your exact application.

Contact us at 314-766-4578 or sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Ergonomic Partners on Facebook

Check out our Facebook page which will have our latest projects and products.

Will Michigan Follow California And Have An Ergonomics Standard?

Michigan Chamber of Commerce is concerned about Michigan's economic future if a mandatory ergonomics standard is put into place. Read on for more information.

MICHIGAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE APPLAUDS WORKPLACE SAFETY EFFORTS, URGES MIOSHA TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST JOB-KILLING ERGONOMICS RULE

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Chamber of Commerce today commended the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) for its "Take a Stand Day" to provide one-on-one consultations with employers to identify ways to effectively address health and safety issues in the workplace, without fear of citations or fines.

"We are pleased that MIOSHA is willing to partner with Michigan job providers to help them improve the safety and health in work environments," said Wendy Block, Director of Health Policy and Human Resources for the Michigan Chamber. "We agree with MIOSHA that having an effective system to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses is an important part of being successful in today's global economy.

That said, Block stated that job providers would be better served if MIOSHA and the Granholm administration redirected their energy on creating a healthy regulatory environment and halted promulgation of the proposed California-style ergonomics standard.

"It is unfortunate that MIOSHA and the Granholm administration feel these cooperative efforts are not enough and continue to pursue harmful over-regulations of job providers that will severely injure Michigan's economic competitiveness," remarked Block.

"If the Granholm administration truly wants to provide assistance to job providers, they will take a stand against the proposed state ergonomics standard,” said Jim Holcomb, Vice President of Business Advocacy and Associate General Counsel for the Michigan Chamber, who added that the proposed regulatory mandate is “unclear, burdensome and likely to cost Michigan businesses – large and small – hundreds of millions of dollars and increase job losses across the state.”

“We should not follow California as the only other state to impose a mandatory ergonomics rule,” said Block.

"We all agree that employers have a responsibility to provide its employees with a safe workplace,” Holcomb commented. “We encourage MIOSHA to continue utilizing programs, such as 'Take a Stand Day,' to ensure that employers and employees are working together to improve job safety without damaging our economic climate.”

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 50th year as a statewide business organization, now representing more than 7,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Michigan Chamber was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan’s job providers in the legislative, political and legal process. It is only one of four state chambers of commerce in the nation accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

If you have ergonomic lifting issues then contact www.ergonomicpartners.com or sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Overhead Crane Handling Granite, Gorbel Style!

Granite Handling Application

With the increase of granite countertops, the need for handling them has been on the increase for several years. With the recession it has been even more important to do this economically. This is a perfect application for a Gorbel workstation crane.

The Problem these customers face is the slabs of granite are very large. Each can weigh up to 850#. Many of these facilities do this job with a forklift with attachments, but in this case it was even worse! The customer was moving from a storage rack onto a cart, rolling the cart into the facility and then 3 people were needed to lift the slab into the machine where it is cut and then moved to another station to be edged and finished. Wow! This is an accident waiting to happen.

The customer fabricates countertops using granite, marble as well as other natural stones. In this application, workers at a new facility need to move huge slabs of granite from station to station through the various stages of the fabrication process. In the past many of these fabrication facilities have gone to large overhead cranes with a runway structure and footing. Well, Gorbel is an option that should be looked at if you are watching your dollars.

The solution for the customer was a 43' Gorbel Freestanding Work Station Crane System with 2 bridges and a custom end effector.

Why is this a great solution?

1. Reduction in manpower-only one worker is now needed, not 3.

2. Less Damage to product. The vacuum lift assist disperses the load to the whole slab and does not point load the part.

3. Less worker fatigue-the workers go home without having lifted thousands of pounds.

4. Productivity increase-25% more productivity

5. The operators love it!

If you need to handle stone or any other material, let us give your workers a hand. Drop us a line at sales@ergonomicpartners.com, or call 314-766-4578.

More Information on Ergonomic Rules by the Government

A Return to Ergonomics Rule-Making?

According to recent media reports, President Barack Obama’s choice for Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis (Democrat - Los Angeles, CA), confirmed February 24, 2009, is expected to promote a much more active and engaged workplace safety regime at OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). With regard to a national ergonomics standard, Ms. Solis is on record for both her strong support associated with the 2001 ergonomics rule-making effort and anger involving its repeal by then-President George W. Bush. Of the specific rule-making efforts rumored to be put back on track from the Bush Administration include the following:

1. An ergonomics rule to protect workers from repetitive motion injuries.
2. Regulating exposure to beryllium (used in dental work, aerospace and computers and is associated with lung disease).
3. A revision of the Permissible Exposure limits – a list of more than 400 toxic chemicals that has not been revised in about 40 years.
4. Regulating the levels of silica, tiny fibrous material in cement and stone dust that cause lung disease and cancer.
5. Regulation of hazardous exposure to ionizing radiation in mailrooms, food warehouses, hospitals and airports.

Turning back our focus to ergonomics rule-making, according to Rob Hotakainen of the Sacramento Bee, California is the only state that forces employers to take action and there is already talk of using the state’s ergonomic rules as a national model. Recent statements from President Obama further strengthen the rumors surrounding future enforcement rule-making activity. In a written response to questions from the Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC) specifically with regard to poultry workers late last year, Obama said OSHA “must attack this problem with all of the tools at its disposal – regulations, enforcement, training and compliance assistance.”

Source(s):

Hotakainen, R, (2009). Obama could restore ergonomics work rules. Sacramento Bee, 2/24/09.
Sammon, R. and Craver, M.L. (2009). Obama administration to shift regulatory approach. The Kiplinger Letter, 2/5/09.

NC State and U of T Form Partnership

Southeastern OSHA Training Institute Education Center is being formed.

NC State University partners with University of Tennessee to form Southeastern OSHA Training Institute Education Center

North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee have partnered to provide training throughout the states in Region IV. They provide the US Department of Labor OSHA Outreach Training Program, OSHA's primary means of training employees in the basics of occupational safety and health. Train-the-trainer courses are available in topic areas such as construction, general industry, disaster site and maritime. The Ergonomics Center will be providing a Principles of Ergonomics Applied to Musculskeletal and Nerve Disorders Seminar as part of the OSHA Training Institute curriculum.

www.ergonomicpartners.com

Gorbel and the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory?

Gorbel can shine in all types of special environments. This case study is in a food handling application. Specifically it is in a chocolate factory! The workers were manually handling 55 gallon drums of product. Well, Gorbel G-Force comes to the rescue again. G-Forces are especially handy in pouring applications because the unit senses the change in weight and keeps the load off the operator.

The Problem: Workers were manually lifting and pouring these tubs weighing 55 lbs.

The plant needed technology that would:
- Eliminate any manual lifting.
- Provide precise positioning of the load to avoid spillages.
- Handle the changes in weight while pouring the tubs of chocolate.
- Provide easy access to 14 mixers with one device.

Application: Lifting, positioning, and tilting plastic tubs full of chocolate to pour into 14 separate mixers down an assembly line.

Solution: G-Force Intelligent Lifting Device on a Gorbel workstation crane

The customer also considered hoists, balancers and vacuum lifters, but none of these options allowed the control of movement or compensated for the change in weight while pouring.

The customer was able to take quick delivery, and easy delivery for a quick turn-key project.

The operators are happy with the ease of use and they don’t have to worry about going home injured! The plant is happy with those items but also with the increase in the workers productivity.

For your custom application give us a call at 314-766-4578 or drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

RTI to get 5 Year Contract Worth up to 3.7 Million

RTI will get a 5 year contract to look at ways to reduce workplace injuries. This will be a joint venture with Ergonomics Center of North Carolina, the Ergonomics Laboratory of Iowa State University, and the WORKSAFE IOWA Occupational Medicine Associates Network. They will be looking to understand the illnesses and injuries to come up with better ways to reduce and prevent the problems. This will be interesting to follow. We will keep you updated.

RTI International to Study Ways to Reduce Workplace Injuries, Illnesses

download image

K. Kristina Peterson

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—RTI International will conduct research and provide technical support to identify ways to reduce and prevent workplace injuries and illnesses as part of a new contract with the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety.

As part of the 5-year contract, worth up to $3.7 million, RTI researchers will provide NIOSH with analytical and technical support, conduct research and analysis, and evaluate existing programs.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2007, more than 4 million workers were injured or sick as a result of their work and more than 5,500 people died as a result of work-related injuries. These injuries include slips and falls, needle stick puncture wounds, workplace violence, hearing loss, and motor vehicle accidents, as well as illnesses ranging from cancer and asthma to green tobacco sickness.

"In order to change the trend in workplace injury statistics, we need to scientifically assess causes and risk factors, improve technologies, and change attitudes and behaviors in the workplace," said Kristina Peterson, a senior survey manager at RTI and the project's director. "Our project will begin to do those things, and we will then work to insure that what we learn is transferred into practice in the workplace."

To accomplish that task, RTI has enlisted a panel of nationally and internationally known occupational ergonomists, industrial hygienists, occupational nurses and others to team with RTI on specific projects. RTI is also partnering with the Ergonomics Center of North Carolina, the Ergonomics Laboratory of Iowa State University, and the WORKSAFE IOWA Occupational Medicine Associates Network to provide specialized services.

"The more we can understand about how and why workplace injuries and illnesses occur, the better we will be able to develop ways to reduce and prevent such accidents and injuries in the future."

http://www.rti.org/news.cfm?objectid=A98D8380-5056-B155-2C284E02B325F95A

www.ergonomicpartners.com or sales@ergonomicpartners.com

St. Louis Worlds Fair Bridge Crane

For you material handling buffs, I stumbled upon a picture of a P&H crane from the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis. I know there are some old P&H cranes at the Anheuser Busch brewery that probably are in the same vintage as this crane. If you have any old cool crane pictures send them to me and I will include in a future blog.

Following are the specifications:

A Pawling & Harnischfeger 50-ton type "AN" bridge crane with a 10-ton type "A" trolley with standard a block at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair in either the Palace of Electricity or Machinery. The crane is stamped with the text "Pawling & Harnischfeger Builders, Milwaukee, Wis., Main Hoist 100,000 Lbs., Auxiliary 2,000 Lbs., No. 1054." There are booths from various companies (Curtis Steam Turbine, Westinghouse, Weber Gas & Gasoline, Waters Pierce Oil Co.) on the floor of the room. Also of note is the man in the cab of the crane.

Our Workforce Is Aging

We all hear about the aging work force and below is another article. In addition to the below items the author discusses employers are also going to have to help older workers do manual labor type jobs. It will be important for the employer to provide lift assists, lift tables, anti-fatigue mats, and workstation cranes to name a few.

Older employees will drive changes to workplaces

By TALI ARBEL (AP) – 1 day ago

ADJUSTING TO "SILVER TSUNAMI": An ergonomics expert says American companies are going to need to make a lot of changes as they adjust to an increasingly gray-haired work force.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Group predicted that 25 percent of American workers will be 55 or older by 2016, up from nearly 19 percent today.

An older work force is going to be a fact of corporate life, and in order to retain important intellectual capital and avoid age-discrimination lawsuits, companies need to figure out how to change office life to accommodate silver-haired employees, said Lance Perry, a senior risk engineer for insurance company Zurich Financial Services in Fort Worth, Texas.

Perry has been analyzing company ergonomics, or the science of beneficial workplace design, for more than 25 years, and recently helped write a report on how to best accommodate and retain aging employees.

Some basic recommendations:

_ Make buttons on phones, instructions on printers and other visual signs larger so aging eyes can read them more easily.

_ Voice-activated software is going to be more and more in use, Perry said, as typing gets harder for older hands.

_ Forget highly-polished, slick lobby floors in office buildings, he said. Think about changing to carpet, or a floor with more friction. Floors should also be all one height to try to fend off tripping over unexpected inclines or steps.

_ More face-to-face meetings, rather than communication by e-mail. Older people also often prefer face-time instructions when dealing with newer technologies.

_ Provide incentives for wellness program participation. An older population is more in need of nutritional guidance and physical activity to maintain fitness, he said.

_ Mentoring with younger employees is also important to pass corporate knowledge from one generation to the next. Older employees are more likely to have been with a company for a long time.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hJfeB69LmAh5A2LDN8IY_8OqO54gD9AJA1G00

sales@ergonomicpartners.com

___

Gorbel PIVOT PRO Case Study

You know we love Gorbel case studies. This is a very simple vacuum tool, but it is utilizing new technology from Gorbel. They have done away with all the messy tubing you typically need for a vacuum tube lifter. The Pivot Pro carries the vacuum thru the arms of the jib. It is a completely sealed system.

Industry: Pump Manufacturer

Product: PIVOT PRO™

The Problem:
- The vacuum tube lifter they were using was constantly getting torn and needed maintenance.
- The operators were having difficulty moving the boxes the entire length of the old jib boom

Application: Finished goods are moved through packaging lines where they are prepared for shipping. The loaded boxes weigh between 85-100 pounds and accumulate on a conveyor where the operator palletizes the boxes.

Gorbel® Solution-PIVOT PRO™ Articulating Jib Crane

Why Gorbel® Was The Smart Solution The PIVOT PRO™ reduced the need for maintenance versus the previous vacuum lifter, which often saw cuts and tears along the vacuum tube because of the resistance from the boom. The ease of movement of the PIVOT PRO™ causes less stress on the vacuum tube and less maintenance. After using the PIVOT PRO™ on this application, the company purchased an additional unit for a machining operation in another area of the facility.

Testimonials Our operators have been very pleased with how helpful this product has been. The PIVOT PRO™ makes manipulating the packages for palletizing so much easier. You don't have a lot of resistance from the boom to contend with when trying to place an object." - Industrial Engineer for pump manufacturer

Arch Beams: Potential Danger

We have seen numerous installations still in use and these need to be reviewed as soon as possible.

Potential Dangers of Arch Beam...

Arch beam is a type of crane that looks like the ones in these images. Though it hasn’t been manufactured since 1962, it is still in use in plants throughout North America.

Companies need to be aware of the possible dangers posed by age and fatigue in the welds of these Arch Beams.

Cracks in welds and lower T Sections
Tracks with raised tread worn away
Most cranes have exceeded their useful life expectancy, but some users see cranes as “timeless”
Current inadequate crane maintenance regulations may lull owners into a false sense of security about crane safety and/or conditions
Due to the age of equipment, the exact understanding of a crane’s design duty cycle may be difficult to determine without engineering analysis. (i.e. documentation may be missing)

Got Arch Beam? Here is what we recommend:

Our primary recommendation is to Replace All Arch Beams with Tarca® Beams - contact Ergonomic Partners at 314-766-4578 or email info@ergonomicpartners.com

If this is economically unfeasible, conduct regular safety audits
Safety Audits: Steps to a safer and more reliable crane - Use only skilled personnel for the audit
Identify the highest risk cranes in your inventory by age and cycles
Study and compare the original design versus the current usage
Fully inspect every weld in the beam. Through inspections, find discontinuity and then use non destructive testing
Benchmark critical components using reliability based maintenance practices and software.

sales@ergonomicpartners.com

see the attached pdf with more information

/archbeamflyer.pdf

Ireland Has Nationwide Material Handling Training

The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland has scheduled nationwide material handling training. They have 6 nationwide seminars scheduled for October 7th, 8th, 13th, 14th 28th and 29th. This is only part of their planned new "Material Handling Training System" which will be introduced over the next two years.

The goal of the seminars is to give an update on the current status and give information on the elements of the new system.

Included in these will be:

-Approval and release of two new FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council) Level 6 Material Handling and People Handling Instruction Standards.

-FETAC Registration: Need for training Providers who currently deliver Manual Handling and People Handling Instruction to register with FETAC.

-Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Process for existing Manual Handling and People Handling Instructors to gain recognition for existing skills, knowledge and experience.

-RPL Providers: Need for FETAC registered training providers with appropriate track record to apply to become RPL providers.

-FETAC Validation of new Manual Handling/People Handling Instruction Programs.

This is important for any employees who are responsible for training or responsible for the management of manual handling in the workplace.

http://www.hsa.ie/eng/News_and_Events/Events/Manual_Handling_Seminars_09.pdf

For more manual material handling help contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or 314-766-4578.

Manufacturer Spotlight

Ergonomic Partners provides JDN hoists for the toughest applications. Did you know that they can provide a hydraulic model where compressed air is not available? Well read on...

J D Neuhaus manufacture a range of Ex rated handling equipment including hydraulically operated hoists and monorail hoists for safe operation within hazardous and explosion endangered areas. This equipment is the viable economic option where compressed air supplies may not be available, but where hydraulic lines, central hydraulic systems or hydraulic powers supplies currently exist.

With swl capacities up to 100 tonnes, these products operate at intake pressures from 100 to 180 bar (dependent upon motor size), with oil or HFC flame resistant pressure fluids. All units feature encapsulated, robust gear motors with extremely low noise emissions. Integrated overload protection is provided as standard and sensitive, infinitely variable speed control is achieved for all load lift, lower and rail transfer operations. Only two supply connections are made to the hoist, with any oil leakage being drained internally. Hoists up to 20 tonnes carrying capacity also incorporate controlled load-lowering in the event of oil supply failure.

All hoists provide a three metre lift height as standard and are equipped with two metre pendant controllers. The monorail hoists can be supplied in five load ratings from 20 to 100 tonnes, with standard hoists available in eight ratings covering loads from three to 100 tonnes. Special paint finishes, including yellow to identify offshore duties, can also be specified, together with increased spark protection for higher Ex rated operation.

If you have a special application let an Ergonomic Partners sales engineer help you with your project.

Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or 314-766-4578

Underwater Hoist?

JD Neuhaus has one of the best air chain hoists on the market. In addition to high capacities they also specialize in custom applications.

J D Neuhaus will be exhibiting some of their latest handling equipment at the Offshore Europe 2009 oil and gas conference and exhibition being held in Aberdeen during 8th - 11th September.

Being exhibited for the first time in the UK will be their new air operated hoists Profi 1.5 Ti and Profi 3 Ti/2 hoists offering load capacities of 1.6 and 3.2 tonnes respectively. These products feature a new 2kW vane motor which combines high performance with reliable operation even under extended operation and full load conditions. These new products complement their existing Profi hoist range covering load capacities from 0.25 to 100 tonnes.

Of particular interest for offshore operations will be a simulation of a JDN Profi series air powered hoist unit in use underwater. These units can be used in this manner providing certain additional servicing procedures are carried out.

If you would like to have Ergonomic Partners look at a custom JD Neuhaus application, drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or call us at 314-766-4578 and we will be glad to help!

The Importance of Good Ergonomic Practices

Good ergonomic practices need to be followed, especially when money is tight as it can save you much more money than it costs.

The High Cost of Ignoring Ergonomic Work Practices
By Marji Hajic

As any company manager knows, it is important to weigh the costs of implementing new work programs with the expected long-term financial gains. Items labeled as being ergonomic can put a large dent into budgets. The business of ergonomics has become big business. A fully adjustable ergonomic chair alone can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Then there is the fear that if one work station is altered, every work station will need to be similarly altered. Or that by bringing up the topic of ergonomics, employees will be made aware of the potential for injuries and start making claims. It is not surprising that many companies do not look towards ergonomic solutions as a means of controlling costs.

On the other hand, not addressing ergonomic issues can be quite costly as well. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the direct and indirect costs of musculoskeletal injuries can total as much as $20 billion dollars a year. A survey conducted by Liberty Mutual in August of 2001 revealed that 95% of respondents felt that workplace safety had a positive impact on a company's financial performance; 86% felt that workplace safety provided a return on investment; and 61% felt that $3 or more is saved for each $1 invested in workplace safety.

So, we know that ergonomic solutions can decrease the incidence and cost of injuries and enhance employee satisfaction. We can further maximize ergonomic investment by looking for no-to-low cost solutions. Here are a few basic ergonomic freebies to get you started.

Some solutions can be as simple as rearranging a work space, moving the work area higher or lower or closer, placing tools within easy reach, and keeping the working space directly in front of our bodies. Avoid excessive reach. Place most frequently used items within an easy reach envelope. Position furniture and work equipment to promote healthy posture.

The more repetitive your job tasks, the more you are at risk. Rotate tasks often. Get up and get moving: get a drink of water, make a phone call; take a walk to the copy or fax machine; walk down the hall to discuss an item with a co-worker rather than using email.

Ensure that tools are in good working order. If using sharp tools, make sure the blades are sharpened to reduce the exertion needed during use. Do not disengage any safety features.

Make the environment as comfortable as possible. Avoid clutter and do not place items under desks or tables (you need to be able to get close to your working space). Re-direct air vents that are blowing down directly onto work stations. Reduce noise. Reduce glare. Provide sufficient lighting; use task lighting if necessary.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art47497.asp
By Marji Hajic

Ergonomics in Las Vegas?

Hey, ergonomics are everywhere! At work as well as play. The manufacturers of slot machines are thinking about their customers comfort. People who play the slots for long periods of time can get repetitive strain injuries.

Slot Machine Ergonomics
28 August 2009

I recently attended an office ergonomics seminar. I found it to be very enlightening and saw how the principles taught at the seminar could be at the casino while playing the slot or video poker machines.

What is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is defined as the application of scientific information relating to the design of objects, systems and environment in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people.

It has become a high profile concern for many companies. The concern is not limited just to product design but also to how a worker carries out certain tasks that can include nothing more than the repetitive motion of the human body.

Any prolonged periods of abnormal posture and repetitive movements can contribute to neck, limb and back pain. This is known as a Repetitive Strain Injury or RSI. This is exactly what many slot players are encountering when they sit for hours at a time playing the slot machines.

Slot Makers Take Notice

In the last few years the major slot machine manufacturers have been working to produce slot machines that are ergonomically designed to keep the players comfortable when they play.

Old-time slot machines were designed for a standing player who would deposit a few coins in the machines and go on their way. Modern day slots are designed for a seated player who will hopefully spend hours pushing the spin button. To get the player to do this it is up to the slot makers to not only make their games more entertaining but also to make sure the player is enjoying maximum comfort while they play. An uncomfortable player will not stay at the machine as long as someone who is comfortable.

WMS Gaming was one of the first slot makers to introduce an ergonomically designed slot machine back in 2003. Some of the features included an easy-to-use touch screen placed at the proper height for a seated player.

All of the major slot manufacturers are now jumping on the ergonomics bandwagon. The designs of the cabinets that house the games have gone through a major redesign. Some of the new features are adjustable chair heights along with padded arm rests. Some new machines even have a recessed base where the players can rest their feet.

Preventing RSI

If you spend a lot of time playing slots, relying on machine design is not the only answer to protect against RSI. Slot players can perform some simple exercises right at the machine that will help prevent repetitive stress pain or injuries. Here is a list of some of them.

Eye Strain
One of the biggest causes of fatigue for slot players comes from eye strain. There is a simple exercise you can do while playing that will help alleviate this. Take your eyes off the screen and gaze into the far distance. Look from left to right while you are playing instead of staring at the same spot on the screen. Take some deep slow breathes while doing this.

Wrist and Fingers
After the eyes the part of the body that is most affected when playing slots is the wrist and fingers. Pushing the spin button over and over cans cause some strain and pain.

Stop occasionally and flex your fingers and wrists. If you are playing on a table top machine, make a fist with your hands then place your elbows on the surface top of the machine and bend your hands up and down at the wrist, then rotate them from left to right. If you are playing a machine with nowhere to rest your elbows, you can tuck them into your side and bend your wrist up and down.

Now move on to your fingers. Open and close your fist extending your straight fingers out. Wiggle your fingers to get blood circulating again.

Posture
Stay aware of your posture while you are sitting at your machine. Try to keep your back straight. Sit with your feet flat on the floor and try to avoid slouching. Take a break occasionally and perform some of these simple stretches.

Neck and Shoulders
If you are playing an upright machine you will probably be looking up at the screen and if you are playing a table top machine you will be looking down at it. This can cause some tension or pain on the back of your neck.

Tuck your chin down onto your chest and then slowly tilt your head back. This opens the airway so make sure to take a nice deep breath as you tilt your head back. Next you should stretch your neck to the left side and then right. Do this in slow easy movements. Don't jerk your head. You should feel the muscles of your neck gently stretching as you do this.

Follow this with a few shrugs of the shoulders. Shrug the shoulders high up to the ears and then release and drop. Repeat at least three times. Then rotate your shoulders in a circular motion; first forward then backwards.

Stay Loose
All of these exercises are meant to keep you loose and help prevent muscle cramping and damage caused by RSI. They can be done while you are sitting at the slot machine. If you work in an office and find yourself sitting at a desk all day long, you may find these useful there as well.

Until Next time remember:
Luck comes and goes.....Knowledge Stays Forever.

By Bill Burton
http://www.casinocitytimes.com/article/slot-machine-ergonomics-47800

www.ergonomicpartners.com

Upcoming Safety Events

EASE (Ergonomic Assist Systems and Equipment)

See below for some upcoming events which might be of interest to ergonomics professionals.

US Ergonomics and Safety Events

National Ergonomics Conference and Expo Caesars Palace, Las Vegas NV November 17-20, 2009 Website

National Safety Council 2010 Texas Safety Conference & Expo The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, The Woodlands, TX March 15-17, 2010 Website

Applied Ergonomics Conference 2010 JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio, TX March 22-25, 2010 Website For further information on ergonomic material handling equipment please contact Ergonomic Partners at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or 314-766-4578

Ergonomics and the Diversified Workplace

Most emplyers like to think they offer a diversified workplace. Well Anne Kramer shows even more reasons why this is important other than patting yourself on the back. e Benefits of Ergonomics in the Workplace by Anne Kramer, CEO & President of Ergo Works, Inc.

DiversityBusiness.com Magazine Article/- Ergonomics may seem like a subjective solution to increasing productivity in the workplace, because its benefits often appear to elude quantification. While it is certainly easier to measure the effects of ergonomics in some work environments than others, paying attention to ergonomics in any workplace can save money by reducing injuries and time lost. Furthermore it can actually make a business more profitable, through increased productivity and efficiency, in addition to making the workplace accessible to a wider variety of workers. Decreasing Injury and Time Lost Every year, hundreds of thousands of work days are lost due to work-related injuries. The cost of these days missed easily totals in the billions. These injuries were certainly not limited to those caused by heavy lifting; they also included seemingly less-serious injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Thus the company that prevents these sorts of injuries stands to gain, through decreased pay-out for workers’ compensation and fewer days lost. Though many products are available to prevent these injuries, ranging from wrist rests to adjustable office chairs, each piece of equipment should be designed for reducing injury and promoting ease of use. As a rule of thumb, optimum posture may be defined as the midpoint of any limb’s range of motion. For instance, a desktop computer workstation should allow the user to keep his or her elbows at slightly open to a 90-degree angle. Wrists should remain in a neutral position; there should be no bend from forearm to wrist. Meanwhile, the top of the monitor should be parallel to the top of the head. Thus all components of the workstation must support a proper working position. Although heavy lifting injuries are not the only ones resulting in time lost, they do comprise a large majority of those requiring missed days: on average, shoulder or back injuries comprise about a third of all injuries each year. These were caused by either overexertion or cumulative trauma. While the bulk of injuries occurred in workplaces where the jobs required heavy lifting, shoulder and back injuries also happen in the white-collar environment; these may occur due to any manner of static exertion: holding activities; carrying items; pushing or pulling; or raising the arms. Regardless of the work environment, injuries due to lifting pose a threat, but an easily avoidable one. Heavy items should simply be placed where employees can use proper posture to pick them up. It is important to minimize bending while lifting, which forces the upper body to lift its own weight in addition to the weight of the item being lifted. Additionally, bending while lifting moves the load away from the body, thereby decreasing leverage. In this case, employee education can be an indispensable method of injury prevention. Such education can play a significant role in employees’ continued health, because making ergonomically wise decisions about task design may often fall to the employee. An employee who knows the benefit of reducing head motion is more likely to utilize a stand, to keep papers at eye level and close to the monitor while completing typing or data-entry tasks. That same employee is more likely to move frequently used items, such as scissors or a stapler, within optimum reach of sixteen inches or less. Increasing Productivity and Efficiency Although the field of ergonomics is most frequently associated with gadgets and gizmos, it is really a science of fitting the job to the worker. Thus any measure that increases productivity or efficiency is really an ergonomically friendly one, even if it does not involve a specific piece of equipment. One of these may appear counter-intuitive, and even counter-productive: taking breaks. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this simple intervention. Workers who take short breaks every twenty minutes significantly reduce the incidence of injury, at no detriment to productivity. To maximize productivity, employees may combine their breaks with the sit/stand work station set-up. Although the original focus of the sit-stand work station was that employees would complete the same task, such as typing, while alternately sitting and standing, this procedure was not demonstrated to increase efficiency or reduce injury. Thus it is now recommended that employees still vary their posture regularly, which can be accomplished by standing to file papers or to make copies. Employees, then, may save these tasks for their breaks from computer-centered tasks. This is not to say that proper equipment does not contribute to productivity levels. On the contrary, even something as simple as a keyboard can impact efficiency. After a learning period on an ergonomic keyboard, employees are even more productive on the ergonomic keyboard than they were on the standard keyboard: because ergonomic keyboards require less exertion than standard ones, employees can complete more computer-based tasks in the same amount of time. Measuring Ergonomics-related Gains through Data Analysis While it is certainly easier to evaluate the effects of ergonomics in work environments with production lines, where progress can be measured in higher tangible output, it is not impossible to measure the benefits of ergonomics in the white-collar environment. Any effort at redesign should begin with a job analysis and employee feedback. These items will help in the construction of evaluation criteria, along with dictating the sort of ergonomic interventions that are appropriate and necessary. Both criteria and interventions should be tailored to the position. If employees spend little time on the computer each day, but often use the telephone, then greater impact would be attained through purchasing headsets than wrist rests. Anthropometry must also be taken into account; because people vary in size, a one-size-fits-all approach will often be ineffectual. While an adjustable chair is a critical part of a computer workstation, shorter employees will often also need a foot rest to maintain proper posture. Once ergonomic equipment and procedures have been implemented, monitoring and measurement can begin. Invariably a comparison of the baseline data to the new data will reveal clear monetary gains. Ergonomics as a Method of Supporting and Encouraging Diversity Perhaps the greatest benefit of ergonomics in the work place is that the work station can be customized to the worker, thereby making the office better able to accommodate a wide variety of workers. By eschewing the one-size-fits-all approach to work station design, employers can ensure that office spaces are modified to fit people in all age groups; although two employees may be the same height and build, their age also influences how they use tools. Meanwhile, the ergonomic office space also provides greater accessibility for employees with physical limitations. These might include a variety of conditions, which could range from pregnancy to quadriplegia. The benefit of such an approach, then, is three-fold. First, the employer has satisfied the legal requirement of providing adequate and appropriate accommodations for employees. Additionally research has consistently demonstrated that the implementation of ergonomics conveys that the employer values and embraces workers of diverse needs, thereby boosting workplace morale. Finally, adaptations originally intended for physically handicapped employees, such as voice-recognition software, can actually benefit any employee, because it reduces the need for a keyboard. Thus as new technology is added, it can be integrated into the whole-office ergonomic approach, to the advantage of all employees. About DiversityBusiness.com Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness, with over 48,000 members, is the largest organization of diversity owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities. DiversityBusiness provides research and data collection services for diversity including the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities", "Top 500 Diversity Owned Companies in America", and others. Its research has been recognized and published by Forbes Magazine, Business Week and thousands of other print and internet publications. The site has gained national recognition and has won numerous awards for its content and design. DiversityBusiness reaches more diverse suppliers and communicates more information to them on a more frequent basis then all other organizations combined. We also communicate with mainstream businesses, government agencies and educational institutions with information related to diversity. Our magazine reaches over 300,000 readers, a monthly e-newsletter that reaches 2.4 million, and website visitors of 1.2 million a month. It is a leading provider of Supplier Diversity management tools and has the most widely distributed Diversity magazine in the United States. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by Computer Consulting Association. http://www.diversitybusiness.com/news/diversity.magazine/99200836.asp If you would like help with your workplace ergonomics contact Ergonomic Partners at www.ergonomicpartners.com or sales@ergonomicpartners.com

The Gorbel G-Force Now Available in Higher Capacity

If you need optimum spotting and being able to float your load with loads upto 1320# then Gorbel can help! We can even integrarte custom tooling to pick up your hard to handle part.

New 1320 lb/600 kg G-Force® Now Available!
Gorbel Inc. is very excited to announce the release of a 1320 lb/600 kg capacity G-Force®. This new higher capacity unit delivers the motion control and precision you’ve come to expect from the G-Force®, including the popular Float Mode option which allows any weight to be effortlessly moved up or down with a slight upward or downward force providing direct control of the load for precision placement.
Available as both Q and iQ models, the 1320 lb./600 kg unit is able to lift twice the weight if our previous 660 lb capacity offering by incorporating a reeved wire rope and pulley assembly. The pulley assembly is positioned above the G-360 collector, enabling full 360-degree rotation of loads.
Contact Ergonomic Partners at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or give us a call at 314-766-4578 for more information.

Ergonomics for the Standing Worker

Wearwell is the premier supplier of anti-fatigue and ergonomic matting. Below is an article on the importance of ergomomic matting for your workers. Thanks Lisa for the nice article.

Ergonomics for the Standing WorkerBy Lisa O'Dell, Vice President of Marketing, Wearwell

The word "ergonomics" is defined as "the natural laws of work". Optimal performance, which many of us define as productivity, is the ultimate goal of ergonomic design. It' therefore reasonable to expect that the implementation of ergonomic concepts offers tremendous value to any company, and can be realized with the creation of comfortable, healthy and safe work environments. Providing anti-fatigue matting for standing workers is an excellent example of ergonomic design.
Past research has shown that long-term standing on hard surfaces negatively effects worker' productivity and health. On a simplistic level everyone knows that it's uncomfortable. On a more complex level, standing on hard surfaces is uncomfortable because leg muscles become static, continuously flexed in an attempt to keep your body in an upright position. In the short term, this reduces the natural flow of oxygen and blood back to your heart causing fatigue and blood pooling in lower extremities. In the long term, it will take a toll on your body in the form of varicose veins, low back pain, leg pain, and fallen arches, just to name a few of the most common ailments. The most functional, comfortable and effective solution for eliminating standing workers aches and pain is the use of well-designed anti-fatigue matting. These ergonomic products can play a huge part in injury prevention, the reduction of standing worker fatigue, and increased productivity.

Anti-fatigue mats work by encouraging subtle movement of leg and calf muscles. As the muscles contract and relax they pump blood back to the heart and eliminate blood pooling in the lower extremities which often occurs if a worker's muscles are totally static.
Once anti-fatigue mats are installed, it is very common to hear stories about how they dramatically help a particular employee. For example, a Rolls Royce assembly plant recently purchased anti-fatigue matting for several operations including welding stations. One of their employees, a 39 year-old welder, suffered from Plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot. This is a very painful condition often caused by prolonged standing. Rolls Royce tried several remedies including gel insoles, which were found to be a nuisance and not very effective. After standing on Wearwell® WeldSafe® Anti-fatigue matting for several weeks, the production manager said that the welder was much more comfortable and had in fact stated that his work conditions are 90% improved.
Not all companies have such dramatic results, but virtually all would tell you that anti-fatigue mats make a very positive impact on their employee' morale and performance. To insure that the overall experience with matting is good, it' important to:
Understand that you will probably not be able to please every employee because everyone enjoys a different level of comfort, and
Select products that optimize performance.
Here are some classic examples:
if you have an area where carts are pushed from workstation to workstation, it is best to find a product that will withstand cart traffic (ErgoDeck)
if you have over-spray buy a mat that has an abrasive coating on the surface to provide necessary traction (Diamond-Plate with GritWorks!)
buy wet area matting for wet areas and dry area matting for dry areas (24/Seven for wet areas and Diamond-Plate for dry areas)
if you frequently reconfigure workstations or have very large areas to cover, look at the modular products on the market (ErgoDeck)
if you use caustic chemicals in your facility, test the mat yourself to make sure it will withstand the rigors of your environment. (24/Seven CFR )
if you have employees that require an extra level of comfort, look for the greater compression deflection test results or the lower durometer (UltraSoft Diamond-Plate)

Perhaps most importantly, always purchase anti-fatigue mats that adapt the work environment to the needs of the worker. This will ensure optimal performance and that is truly ergonomics at work.

If you need ergonomic matting for your workers, please visit us at www.ergonomicpartners.com or sales@ergonomicpartners.com .

How Obama’s OSHA nominee would ‘fix’ workplace safety

What does the new administration have in store for business and their employees? Read another article that seems to show that we are closer to new ergonomic standards.

Even before he goes under the microscope in Congress, we already know some important workplace safety and health opinions held by David Michaels, President Obama’s nominee to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It probably comes as no surprise that he favors more regulations for businesses.
Michaels’ experience is as a researcher and scientist. His background shows in testimony he gave to Congress two years ago. His topic: Is OSHA working for working people? His answer: No.
Michaels called the number of preventable work-related injuries and illnesses occurring in the U.S. “unacceptably high.”
Why is that? Michaels said, “OSHA enforcement does not appear to be effective in further reducing injury rates.”
How would he fix that? Michaels said, “It is time for the agency to start using [the general duty clause] again.” That clause allows OSHA to issue citations and fines against companies for hazards that aren’t specifically spelled out in the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
He’d also require companies to draft their own Comprehensive Workplace Safety and Health Program Standards. Every employer would be required to develop and follow a hazard reduction plan.
When an OSHA inspector visits, the first determination would be if managers were meeting the facility’s own plan. If not, they’d be in violation, end of discussion.
When it comes to chemical exposure limits, Michaels called for Congress to require OSHA to adopt national consensus standards issued by independent organizations such as The American Conference of Industrial Hygienists. Result for businesses: more regulations approved faster.

http://www.businessbrief.com/how-obamas-osha-nominee-would-fix-workplace-safety/

by Fred Hosier

How Obama’s OSHA nominee would ‘fix’ workplace safety

Even before he goes under the microscope in Congress, we already know some important workplace safety and health opinions held by David Michaels, President Obama’s nominee to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It probably comes as no surprise that he favors more regulations for businesses.
Michaels’ experience is as a researcher and scientist. His background shows in testimony he gave to Congress two years ago. His topic: Is OSHA working for working people? His answer: No.
Michaels called the number of preventable work-related injuries and illnesses occurring in the U.S. “unacceptably high.”
Why is that? Michaels said, “OSHA enforcement does not appear to be effective in further reducing injury rates.”
How would he fix that? Michaels said, “It is time for the agency to start using [the general duty clause] again.” That clause allows OSHA to issue citations and fines against companies for hazards that aren’t specifically spelled out in the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
He’d also require companies to draft their own Comprehensive Workplace Safety and Health Program Standards. Every employer would be required to develop and follow a hazard reduction plan.
When an OSHA inspector visits, the first determination would be if managers were meeting the facility’s own plan. If not, they’d be in violation, end of discussion.
When it comes to chemical exposure limits, Michaels called for Congress to require OSHA to adopt national consensus standards issued by independent organizations such as The American Conference of Industrial Hygienists. Result for businesses: more regulations approved faster.

http://www.businessbrief.com/how-obamas-osha-nominee-would-fix-workplace-safety/

by Fred Hosier

Air Conditioning manufacturer stacker crane

Gorbel Work Station Cranes are helping a manufacturing plant load their finished product to trailers with ease and efficiency.

Application

A plant in the Midwest that makes air conditioning units was looking for a better way to take their packaged air conditioning units off the assembly line and load them onto trailers. They had been using forklifts to transfer the packages to the trailer, but this method was inefficient, and all the fork truck traffic led to congestion on the plant floor. The customer considered an Automated Conveyor System, but determined it would be cost prohibitive.

Gorbel’s Solution

They decided to try a work station crane system instead. They bought a Free Standing Bridge Crane

with Aluminum Bridges. They used it with a custom designed "stacker crane” end effector. This unique

end tooling has 360 degree rotation, can move up and down, and has forks to lift the pallets. This winning combination has been proven to be very successful for the customer. The crane system

allows them to load the trailer more quickly than was possible with the fork trucks - and all the congestion from the back and forth fork truck traffic has been eliminated!

They chose to replace some of their fork lift trucks with Gorbel cranes in order to load packaged units onto trailers. Productivity was increased and fork truck congestion was eliminated.

Ergonomic Partners has extensive experience in handling air conditioning coils, condensers, and bodies. If the relatively new EPA standards have made your parts too hard to handle with manpower we can help.

Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or visit us at www.ergonomicpartners.com

Gorbel work station crane system help this pet food manufacturer take the load off their workers

Pet Food Company Takes Pain Out Of Processing Operation with work station crane.

"If you get one lost time accident, obviously that’s too many because the first thing you think of is workers being safe. Just one injury can also cost the company an awful lot of money long term."

Problem: Workers were lifting 45 lb. frozen meat slabs manually from a pallet, then had to twist and push the slabs onto a conveyor dozens of times in an 8-hour shift. Injuries and fatigue became a major problem, and the company decided to seek a more ergonomic method of moving the meat.

Solution: A Gorbel ceiling mounted work station crane with a vacuum lifter. The system features 22’ trussed runways and a 19’ bridge with 250 pound capacity, which covers the entire area where meat is dropped off and loaded onto the conveyor. A vacuum lifter with a skirt attachment allows workers to pick each piece and move it to the conveyor. Vacuum lifter can be used in many food applications. Stainless steel vacuum systems attachments are typically used for food applications.

Results: Workers realized quickly that with the help of the Gorbel work station crane, they were able to work quickly without getting tired and slowing down midway through their shift like they would by lifting manually.

CM Cleanroom Hoist

he CM Lodestar Cleanroom Hoist has been designed and built with your complete cleanroom hygiene needs in mind. Specifically designed for most situations where USDA approved or food-grade hoists are required, the CM Lodestar Cleanroom Hoist is also an ideal hoist for use in electronic cleanrooms and in the biotechnology, aerospace and semi-conductor fields. The CM Cleanroom Hoist's sealed weather-proof construction makes it ideal for full washdown and high humidity environments, offering you superior e fficiency and versatility for your cleanroom material handling needs. The CM Cleanroom hoist's ¼, ½, 1 and 2 ton single and two-speed options provide heavy-duty lifting power inapplications needing the sanitary regulations of a food manufacturing hoist, an electronic room hoist or pharmaceutical hoist. he CM Lodestar Cleanroom Hoist can also be valuably employed as a medical hoist and hospital hoist where cleanliness is imperative. Further enhancing the hygienic characteristics of the CM Cleanroom Hoist is its use of non-oxidizing grease for lubrication, FDA-approved white epoxy powder coat paint or nickel-plated housing, and a stainless steel loadchain. A variety of accessories such as stainless steel hooks, links, slings and corrosion resistant trolleys andmotorized trolleys are also available. CM also offers the "Zephyr" cleanroom hand chain hoist for use in similar clean environments where portability is key. T

Clean room mats now available!

Wearwell has a new product which many of you have been looking for. Many customers have asked for a clean room mat. Well, we can help with the Wearwell mats described below. Now we can help!

Pūr-Comfort No. 504 is Wearwell’s new anti-fatigue mat certified for use in ISO class 5 clean rooms. This exceptionally comfortable mat meets requirements of critical environments across a wide variety of industries (including no particulation and very low levels of outgassing). Pūr-Comfort is a mat like none other and one that clean room managers have been clamoring for. I know because I have been fielding those calls for over 15 years!!! http://www.wearwell.com/Critical-Environments/PurComfort.html

PermaTack No. 092 is a unique, re-useable, high performance contamination control mat designed to prevent debris and bacteria from entering critical or sterile areas. Able to trap and hold even the smallest particles or microbes, PermaTack is exceptionally functional inside hospitals, labs, pharmacies and manufacturing or assembly facilities where cross-contamination must be prevented. PermaTack can also be a big aspect of an infection control program. And if your customers are concerned about sustainability, PermaTack is a – “Green” alternative” to multiple layer tacky mats. http://www.wearwell.com/Critical-Environments/PermaTack.html

Both Pūr-Comfort No. 504 and PermaTack No. 092 are in stock and available for immediate shipment. Single page brochures are available for both of these exciting new products. Please contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or call 314-766-4578 for more information

A leading cause of injuries on the job

Fifteen U.S. workers die on the job every day, leaving behind family, friends and co-workers, and an employer who has to explain why. The single most common cause of the problem — complacency.

In the realm of workplace safety, practitioners define complacency as the attitude that “nothing will happen to me.”

And the No. 1 cause of that attitude is managers who are satisfied with mediocre safety performance. They fail to raise safety awareness, which helps to eliminate the potential for injury and improve the overall work environment.

What happens next is inevitable: Employees lose sight of safety’s importance because to them it appears management isn’t terribly concerned, either. They start to think they are not even responsible for their own personal safety at work, which is truly a remarkable transformation.

It happens every day. Overtime, as this situation is allowed to run its course, employees blame management and management blames the employees. In the meantime, people might be getting hurt and the bottom line is taking a beating with higher workers’ comp costs, fines, turnover, morale, etc.

So what can C-level managers do? Double-check that your own team hasn’t fallen into the safety complacency trap.

Managers are susceptible to complacency when other pressing issues such as increased productivity, improved quality and higher profits push safety concerns too far to the rear.

The only remedy that really works is re-commitment to safety that begins at the top.

Leadership must require managers to renew their own commitment to the safety process, while at the same time engage employees to get involved in meaningful safety activities.

Any attempt to reinvigorate a company-wide safety effort should include these 4 “musts for managers:

1. Take time to walk around and talk with employees

2. Make it a point to review all near-miss and injury reports.

3. Integrate safety into all aspects of management planning.

4. Enable employees to get involved in the safety process.

To get employees involved, require or encourage them to:

1. Report all unsafe conditions.

2. Attend safety meetings

3. Serve on safety committees

4. Participate in accident/incident investigations.

5. Share safety improvement ideas with managers.

By Rich Henson http://www.businessbrief.com/a-leading-cause-of-injuries-on-the-job/

Need to save money in this tough economy? How about increasing productivity.

This Gorbel customer was able to decrease the manpower to do the job from 2 employees to 1 employee with a very inexpensive Gorbel workstation crane. Besides the manpower savings, there were electricity savings, and maintenance savings. Their ROI was less than 1 year.

An aircraft maintenance remanufacturing plant needed a safer, more productive process for disassembling and reassembling turbine engine reduction gear boxes without product damage.

The operation utilized a motorized I-beam crane with an electric hoist to lift shafts from gear boxes. It took one person to work the motorized crane controls and another person to position the shafts through the bearing housings. The motorized crane did not allow for precise positioning of the required load, therefore, two operators were absolutely necessary. Damaged parts and back injuries resulted from employees trying to manually position the 600 lb. loads the last ½ in. or so to achieve the exact position required.

To resolve the problem of product damage and employee safety, the company chose three 1,000 lb. free standing work station bridge cranes, all with aluminum bridges on steel enclosed track runways. The aluminum bridge is 40% lighter than a comparable enclosed track steel bridge and is 300% lighter than an I-beam crane system. Less than 5 lbs. of force is necessary to position the loads. An electric chain hoist is used for lifting. The company reached its goal of increasing productivity. Now, disassembly/reassembly can be easily and safely performed by one person, rather than two.

In the two years of this operation there’s been no product damage or worker injuries because of the ease of movement and positioning of the product within the work cell.

Drop us a note at sales@ergonomicpartners.com if you would like to look at what we can do for your company to increase prodictivity.

Obama seeking ways to curb repetitive motion injuries

Author: John Wojcik
People's Weekly World Newspaper, 05/12/09 14:08

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/15597/

There once were job safety rules that helped keep down the number of ergonomic injuries. They were killed by President Bush and a GOP-run Congress.

Ergonomic injuries, also called musculo-skeletal and repetitive-motion injuries are by far the most common injuries workers get when they go to work. Hundreds of thousands of these injuries happen annually, costing millions of lost workdays.

Exact figures are no longer available because the Bush administration, after trashing the ergonomics rules, trashed separate rules requiring companies to report the number of such ailments.

Examples of ergonomic injuries include the back injuries health care workers suffer after they lift and turn patients, without benefit of mechanical assistance, and carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition of nerve degeneration requiring arm or hand surgery. Carpal tunnel affects categories of workers ranging from typists to meat cutters.

Recently, President Obama recruited Jordan Barab, a long-time occupational safety and health specialist and activist, for the position of acting director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Barab spoke about ergonomics at a May 5 legislative conference of union nurses in Washington D.C. He assured them that the Obama administration is committed to bringing back regulation in this area.

During the last year of the Clinton administration, after 10 years of lobbying by the labor movement and hard work by people inside and outside the Clinton White House, the Department of Labor issued a rule designed to reduce ergonomic injuries. The very first bill that Bush signed into law, after he was installed in the White House by the Supreme Court, was a law that repealed all the ergonomic injury rules.

“I remember the rules very well,” Barab, who worked in Clinton’s Department of Labor, told the nurses. “I remember nurses testifying, in tears, about ergonomic back injuries that cost them the careers they loved.

“We either have to get the repeal repealed, or go sector by sector to create new ergonomic rules,” he told the nurses. A third alternative, Barab added, “is to sit down with everyone,” including unions and business “to see what will work in the workplace and politically, to get around the repeal law.”

We can help your company be proactive and protect your workers now. Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

New plant gets a Gorbel makeover!

Check out a couple of pictures of this customer's new Gorbel systems. They had old homemade plain push cranes, and the new ergonomically friendly cranes are greatly appreciated by the operators. Note the multiple cranes on the runways. Bar electrification was used so they could have full travel up and down the runways. For those of you not familiar with Gorbel, it is normally powered up and down the runway with flat cable festoon.

If you are planning a new plant or just needing to upgrade and/or replace your existing overhead cranes, let us show you what Ergonomic Partners and Gorbel has to offer.

www.ergonomicpartners.com

sales@ergonomicpartners.com

314-766-4578

Are you ignoring ergonomic needs of your employees?

With the recession, safety is one place that some companies are looking to save money. But one injury can offset the money saved and then some.

The High Cost of Ignoring Ergonomic Work Practices

As any company manager knows, it is important to weigh the costs of implementing new work programs with the expected long-term financial gains. Items labeled as being ergonomic can put a large dent into budgets. The business of ergonomics has become big business. A fully adjustable ergonomic chair alone can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Then there is the fear that if one work station is altered, every work station will need to be similarly altered. Or that by bringing up the topic of ergonomics, employees will be made aware of the potential for injuries and start making claims. It is not surprising that many companies do not look towards ergonomic solutions as a means of controlling costs.

On the other hand, not addressing ergonomic issues can be quite costly as well. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the direct and indirect costs of musculoskeletal injuries can total as much as $20 billion dollars a year. A survey conducted by Liberty Mutual in August of 2001 revealed that 95% of respondents felt that workplace safety had a positive impact on a company's financial performance; 86% felt that workplace safety provided a return on investment; and 61% felt that $3 or more is saved for each $1 invested in workplace safety.

So, we know that ergonomic solutions can decrease the incidence and cost of injuries and enhance employee satisfaction. We can further maximize ergonomic investment by looking for no-to-low cost solutions. Here are a few basic ergonomic freebies to get you started.

Some solutions can be as simple as rearranging a work space, moving the work area higher or lower or closer, placing tools within easy reach, and keeping the working space directly in front of our bodies. Avoid excessive reach. Place most frequently used items within an easy reach envelope. Position furniture and work equipment to promote healthy posture.


The more repetitive your job tasks, the more you are at risk. Rotate tasks often. Get up and get moving: get a drink of water, make a phone call; take a walk to the copy or fax machine; walk down the hall to discuss an item with a co-worker rather than using email.

Ensure that tools are in good working order. If using sharp tools, make sure the blades are sharpened to reduce the exertion needed during use. Do not disengage any safety features.

Make the environment as comfortable as possible. Avoid clutter and do not place items under desks or tables (you need to be able to get close to your working space). Re-direct air vents that are blowing down directly onto work stations. Reduce noise. Reduce glare. Provide sufficient lighting; use task lighting if necessary.

From http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art47497.asp
Ergonomics Site
Marji Hajic
BellaOnline's Ergonomics Editor

Give us a call at 314-766-4578 or email us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

www.ergonomicpartners.com

Another happy Gorbel customer

There are many happy Gorbel end user stories. You can cut and paste the below link in your brower to view a customer explaining how they changed their whole plant over to Gorbel. Most of the time if a customer puts in one system they will use Gorble for all of their workstation crane applications.

Featured Customer Testimonial:

“We got one system in and it was so much easier to move...less operator fatigue, easier to position the parts in the machines. We've completely switched over the machine shop to all Gorbel Bridge Cranes.” - Arlen Seeman, Professional Engineer

View the video Testimonial...https://www.gorbel.com/videos/Testimony.html

Contact Ergonomic Partners at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Special lift table

Bishamon Solutions
“Bishamon EZOFF Series Meets the challenges of this work cell”



Application:
This manufacturing operation handles a wide range of boxed shipments. The loads can range from several hundred to over two thousand pounds. Pallets are loaded on the floor beside each conveyor line. The completed pallets are transported by pallet jack to the shipping area.
Problem:
The operators handle various size and weight of cartons in this shipping area. The area for staging and transporting the loaded pallets is very cramped. Lifting, bending, stretching and reaching to position cartons of various size and weight takes a physical toll on line operators. Lift trucks cannot access the congested work cells.

Solution:
Bishamon EZOFF lifters are positioned at the end of the packing lines. The empty pallets are placed on the Lift table. The lift is lowered as the pallet is loaded to accommodate the workers comfort level. In addition the operator can rotate the platform to position the lift for loading thereby eliminating reaching across the load or walking around the lift to position cartons on the pallet. The result is less bending, reaching and stretching, reduced fatigue and improved productivity. The EZOFF has surely made the work EZ as well as improving overall efficiency for these work cells.
Please allow Bishamon an opportunity to offer solutions for your client’s work positioning problems.
Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or call us at 314-766-4578

Need an economical way to hang your tools in your plant?

Are You Looking For A Lighter, More Cost Effective Solution For Suspended Tools?
	Are you looking to: Organize work areas to create a safer, more productive work environment? Reduce the risk of cumulative trauma to workers by providing support for tooling apparatus? Protect valuable tools, fixtures, and monitoring devices from damage by suspending them out of the way? We now offer Tool Solution Jibs that will work for applications with suspended tools. These jibs are ideal for welding, fabricating, assembly tools, air tools, and light capacity lifting applications.
	What is our offering? 50 lb. capacity Free Standing or Wall Mounted Tool Jib 150 lb. capacity Free Standing or Wall Mounted Tool Jib 75 lb. capacity Tool Trolley and Saddle for festooning of cables and hoses For more information contact Ergonomic Partners, Inc. at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or visit www.ergonomicpartners.com

Gorbel comes thru again with a great custom overhead lifting solution!

Work Station Crane Aids Welding Ventilation System Without Workflow Interruption...
This metal fabrication shop was having an overabundance of weld exhaust in their welding stations and did not have a good way to remove the weld pollutants. Most options for ventilation in these work cells involved the construction of walls or partitions which restricted traffic flow near the workspace. One of the challenges they faced was that they still needed to load and unload gas tanks of various sizes and shapes to the work cell using an existing overhead Cleveland Tramrail® Patented Track Crane.  Solution: A Freestanding Work Station Crane with a 900-pound Frommelt filtration hood secured between two steel bridges with tractor drives. The work station crane has cantilevered supports on each end to enable the existing overhead crane to continue to deliver products to the work cell.
The system spans two welding work cells, and has push button controls on both ends to engage the tractor drives and move the hood over the desired cell. Limit switches signal to the tractor drive when the hood is in place and stops the movement.  Whether you need custom solutions such as the above or a standard jib crane, overhead bridge crane, hoist or workstaion crane contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Need some new equipment? The government wants to help!

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Creating Jobs, Supporting the States and Investing in Our Country’s Future The United States is facing its deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression, one that calls for swift, bold action. The goals of this legislation are the same as they have been from day one: to strengthen the economy now and invest in our country’s future. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act extends for purchases made in 2009 increased Section 179 expensing for small business equipment purchases, as well as a 50% bonus depreciation allowance for new machine tools and other equipment ordered and placed in service during 2009. ü       The boost to $250,000 in Section 179 expensing is extended for new and used equipment purchases made and placed in service in 2009  The amount decrease to $128,000 in 2010. Moreover, the cap on how much equipment can be purchased to enjoy the write-off remains at $800,000 in 2009.  In 2010, that amount drops to $510,000. ü       The one-year 50% bonus depreciation means you can write off in 2009 an extra 50% of the cost of your new equipment that you buy and start using in 2009 (* Qualifying companies can still receive the 50% bonus depreciation if the new equipment they order has a recovery period of 10 years or more, takes more than a year to produce and costs more than $1 million.  Under those circumstances, they are given until the end of 2009 to place the equipment into service.) Read more and view examples on how these incentives can work for you and your customers. Here are some other documents that are useful in explaining the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Stimulus package spending summary Stimulus appropriations

Office Ergonomics Book Reveals Early-Stage Solutions

Common Office Environments Studied BOULDER, Colo., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chasen Group, a company that provides comprehensive and cost-effective ergonomic interventions to prevent workplace injuries, increase employee comfort, and improve productivity, today announced that John Wiley and Sons, the foremost publisher of scientific and medical journals has published a book titled "Safety Manager's Guide to Office Ergonomics," written by Craig Chasen, president. Mr. Chasen's book is targeted toward company safety managers, HR representatives, facilities technicians, and those responsible for providing ergonomic assistance for employees, but do not have an extensive background in ergonomics. The book focuses on common office environments so that readers can easily duplicate the proven solutions suggested. Drawing from more than 4000 ergonomic evaluations he personally conducted during the last 10 years, Chasen's expertise is documented using case studies with typical challenges and their successful outcomes. "Ergonomics-related discomfort is an increasingly prevalent workplace injury, especially for those who use computers all day," commented Mr. Chasen, a Certified Ergonomic Evaluation Specialist (CEES). "While the impact of those injuries can become extremely debilitating and expensive to treat, the solutions are not complex when implemented in the early stages of symptom development. I wrote this book so more people can learn how to identify and treat ergonomic issues early, resulting in employees who are more comfortable and more productive." The book depicts the typical office ergonomics problems, and provides solutions for resolving ergonomics-related discomfort. It features more than 175 workstation photos that illustrate problematic postures and succinctly show exactly how they can be corrected. The book is now available worldwide through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Target, and many others, including publisher Wiley & Sons: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470257601.html About The Chasen Group Founded in 2001, The Chasen Group conducts ergonomic evaluations for individual employees and employee groups, as well as ergonomics training classes. In addition to onsite evaluations, The Chasen Group specializes in long distance evaluations, where a distant location is successfully analyzed by viewing photos and measurements of the workstation, and speaking by phone and/or online with an affected individual. www.chasengroup.com ergonomicpartners.com

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

FALL PROTECTION FROM GORBEL

Does your company have men in high places without fall protection.  Need a safer and more economical way to provide fall protection?  Well Gorbel has a new product that may be of interest to your company.

TETHER TRACK™ bridge or monorail systems are a reliable, cost-effective way to reduce the risk of injury in elevated work environments. Compared to wire rope systems, TETHER TRACK™ offers shorter free fall distances, reduced risk of secondary fall injuries, longer distances between support centers, and no negative impact on a second worker in the event of someone falling.   

• Capacity: 900 pound maximum arresting force
• Anchor Systems for Fall Arrest
• Mounting styles: Ceiling Mounted, Free Standing Monorail and Bridge Anchor Systems
• These systems are a reliable, cost effective way to reduce the risk of injury in elevated work environments
• Standard systems designed to support multiple workers, each weighing up to 310 lbs with tools
• Heavier systems can also be custom engineered.

Features and Benefits: Unlimited monorail and runway lengths; 15' span for bridge anchor system Less fall clearance distance requiring less clearance from the anchor point Reduced risk of secondary injuries because the system stays firm and minimizes total fall distance Reduced material and labor costs due to the longer distance between supports Uninterrupted protection for additional workers Let us help you out with a fall rptection system.  Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Options and Accessories: Ceiling Mounted or Free Standing Monorail and Bridge Anchor Systems Plain, trussed, or dual trussed track depending on your application Tether Trolleys

Gorbel Website

Check out Gorbels new user friendly website at www.gorbel.com. If you see something you like give us a call. We would love to answer any questions you have about Gorbels line of products.

sales@ergonomicpartners.com or 314-766-4451

Daylight Saving(s) Time

Below is an interesting article about Spring forward and falling back. Dont forget to set your clocks forward this weekend.

13 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Daylight Saving Time
When clocks spring forward, people lose sleep, have more heart attacks, and might not even save energy
By Ben Harder
Posted March 3, 2009
Americans will set their clocks ahead by an hour this weekend, as daylight saving time begins Sunday. "Springing forward" creates another hour of sunlight in the evening. It also has some effects on health and public safety that many people are unaware of. Interesting facts about daylight saving time include:


1. Officially, it's "daylight saving time," not "daylight savings time." But don't feel bad if you thought there was a final "s" on "saving"; far more people Google the incorrect phrase than the correct one.
2. Daylight saving time has mixed effects on people's health. Transitions into and out of DST can disturb people's sleeping patterns, for example, and make them more restless at night. Night owls tend to be more bothered by the time changes than people who like mornings, Finnish researchers concluded last year.
3. There's a spike in heart attacks during the first week of daylight saving time, according to another study published last year. The loss of an hour's sleep may make people more susceptible to an attack, some experts say. When daylight saving time ends in the fall, heart attacks briefly become less frequent than usual.
4. People are safer drivers during daylight hours, and researchers have found that DST reduces lethal car crashes and pedestrian strikes. In fact, a study concluded that observing DST year-round would annually prevent about 195 deaths of motor vehicle occupants and about 171 pedestrian fatalities.
5. A U.S. law signed by President George W. Bush in 2005 extended the length of daylight saving time by four weeks. It now begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March. It ends on the first Sunday in November.
6. Also in 2005, Kazakhstan abolished daylight saving time, citing negative health effects. The country's government reportedly calculated that 51.6 percent of Kazakhs responded badly to the time change.
7. Many other countries observe daylight saving time, but not all do so on the same day. That can create confusion for international travelers, business communications, and more.
8. Daylight saving can also cause confusion close to home. In March 2007, a Pennsylvania honor student was mistakenly accused of threatening his school with a bomb. He had actually called an automated line to get info about scheduled classes. Someone else made the bomb threat an hour later.
9. Two states—Arizona and Hawaii—and three U.S. territories—American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—don't observe daylight saving time. Indiana adopted DST in 2006.
10. Local time determines when DST begins, so America's eastern time zone makes the switch before the rest of the country. This Sunday, cities like New York and Atlanta will be two hours ahead of the central time zone, instead of the usual one-hour difference, from 3 a.m. to 3:59 a.m. EDT. New York City will be four hours ahead of Los Angeles—instead of the usual three—from 3 a.m. to 5:59 a.m. EDT.
11. Daylight saving time was first used during World War I, as part of an effort in the United States and other warring countries to conserve fuel. In theory, using daylight more efficiently saves fuel and energy because it reduces the nation's need for artificial light.
12. The first American to advocate for daylight saving was Benjamin Franklin. He realized in 1784 that many people burned candles at night yet slept past dawn in the summer, wasting early-morning sunlight.
13. The effect of DST on energy use has changed over time and varies from place to place. Experts even disagree on whether DST still saves the nation energy. But so many people like to "spring forward" that it might be hard for officials to end the tradition, even if they determined it's wasteful

Custom lifting application case study

Ergonomic Partners has used the Easy Arm zero gravity lifter with custom lift assist devices

for many applications. Read on for one done by Gorbel which allowed much greater productivity while also protecting the worker against injury and fatigue.

Easy Arm™ Increases Productivity By Allowing Operator To Lift Five Times As Many Parts...
A major tier one auto parts supplier stamps round sheet metal blanks into clutch disc drums for transmissions. The thin blanks range in diameter from 6-14” and weigh up to 4 pounds each. They arrive in a bin and are manually loaded into a transfer press.
Problems:
Back strain and fatigue from continual bending, turning, and carrying blanks to the loading turn table
Cuts to hands, wrists, and elbows
Workers could only handle 25 lbs of blanks manually
Reduced productivity towards the end of shifts due to fatigue
Solution: 330 lb. capacity Q Series Easy Arm™ Intelligent lifting device with a pneumatic gripping tool (by others).

Results:
Workers could now grab five times as many blanks and effortlessly guide them into the spindles on the loading table
Reduced worker fatigue and injuries
Faster cycle times and increased productivity
The Q-360 swivel at the top of the Easy Arm handle allowed operators to load/unload continuously without tangling the hose for the tooling. Programming and float mode are easier to engage with the handle's digital readout.

If you have an application that is a problem in your plant let us show you how we can provide a custom lift assist, or lifting device to take the load off your workers and allow you to make more money.

Give us a call at 314-766-4578 or sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Gorbel Case Study for zero gravity lifter--Easy Arm

We love to pass on case studies from Gorbel applications.  The Gorbel Easy Arm is perfect for so many applications where either speed or precise placement or both are required.  It can be used with custom lift devices integrated into the handle or just used with simple mechanical tooling such as the hook Gorbel provides or slings.  Read on about a recent application:

"We are a very ergonomic-minded company," said the Manufacturing Manager. "While some products may be good for the workers, they can be a tough sell when we try to convince them to use the products. The Easy Arm™ products were very easy to convince our workers to use. The introduction of the Easy Arms into the work flow tied in perfectly to the Six Sigma strategy and the efficiency of the company's work flow." 

Industry: Turbine Motor Overhaul Center 

Application: During reassembly and balance of the turbine engines, parts are called up from a vertical storage unit, loaded manually onto a cart and brought to a work bench for assembly.

Gorbel® Solution: Free Standing Easy Arm - In implementing a Six Sigma manufacturing strategy, the company installed two free standing 150-pound capacity Easy Arms to serve the individual work bays.

With this solution, productivity increased 25% and injuries have been eliminated. 

The Problem: A large overhead crane is in the area, but it is slow, bulky, and a shared resource for multiple neighboring work cells, and therefore delayed the work flow for those waiting on the crane. This prompted many workers to lift parts manually, with larger parts requiring two people to lift. Back injuries were the leading workers compensation problem for the company, and the sequencing of the work flow was not ideal. 

Why Easy Arm™ Was The Smart Solution:

• The Easy Arm™ fit beneath the existing overhead crane
• No special foundation was needed

"We are a very ergonomic-minded company," said the Manufacturing Manager. "While some products may be good for the workers, they can be a tough sell when we try to convince them to use the products. The Easy Arm™ products were very easy to convince our workers to use. The introduction of the Easy Arms into the work flow tied in perfectly to the Six Sigma strategy and the efficiency of the company's work flow."

If you would like us to help with your application give us a call at 314-766-4578 or sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Electromotive/Magnetek Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Magnetek, Inc. Announces the Release of the  New Sway Control System (SCS) Series 2

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. - January 23, 2009 -Magnetek, Inc. today announced the release of its new Sway Control System (SCS) Series 2™ for the material handling industry. This custom software can be embedded in the Company’s IMPULSE®•G+ Series 3 variable frequency drives for new or existing crane control systems without the need for external programmable logic controllers or height measurement devices. Our new Sway Control System custom software improves productivity by allowing the crane operator to concentrate on load engagement and disengagement rather than focusing on minimizing load swing. The system also improves the accuracy of load placement and reduces material damage caused by incidental contact of swinging loads,” said Aaron Kureck, Magnetek product manager of AC/DC Controls/Motors. The new Sway Control System has been designed to integrate seamlessly with existing travel motion features incorporated in the IMPULSE•G+ Series 3 drive.  Since no additional external hardware is required, retrofitting existing crane controls is simplified. Magnetek’s Sway Control System was also designed to eliminate the requirement for an absolute encoder, and is also capable of controlling sway for multiple hoists on the same bridge crane. For more information on Magnetek’s new Sway Control System visit www.ergonomicpartners.com, or call 1-314-402-7775.

Bishamon Solutions highlighted below

We love Bishamon and their solutions for industry.  These are always a simple solution to a problem and are cost effective.  If you have workers bending over, twisting, squatting, etc....take a look at this solution, as well as soultions on our website.  I have not been in a plant where there is not at least one worker whose job could be made easier with a simple solution like a lift table

Bishamon Solutions

“Bishamon LX Series Electric Hydraulic lift tables on the job”

Application:

This firm presents spray equipment in the repair area of their retail stores for upgrading and service. After watching the staff struggling to work on the machines, this observant client presented a unique solution for their application.

Problem:

The machines are rolled into the shop service area. The operator must work on various areas of this machine from the floor. Workers must bend, reach and stretch to make repairs, add components, and complete service for each piece of equipment.

Solution:

Bishamon Lo-Profile Electric Hydraulic Lifts are introduced to this production process. The machines are rolled onto the Lo Profile lift via an approach ramp. The lift table raises the machine to accommodate the specific area the worker needs to address. The result is less bending, reaching and stretching, reduced fatigue and improved productivity.

Contact Ergonomic

Application:

This firm presents spray equipment in the repair area of their retail stores for upgrading and service. After watching the staff struggling to work on the machines, this observant client presented a unique solution for their application.

Problem:

The machines are rolled into the shop service area. The operator must work on various areas of this machine from the floor. Workers must bend, reach and stretch to make repairs, add components, and complete service for each piece of equipment.

Solution:

Bishamon Lo-Profile Electric Hydraulic Lifts are introduced to this production process. The machines are rolled onto the Lo Profile lift via an approach ramp. The lift table raises the machine to accommodate the specific area the worker needs to address. The result is less bending, reaching and stretching, reduced fatigue and improved productivity.

Contact Ergonomic Partners at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or 314-766-4578

Workplace safety and the economy

This is an interesting article. Out in the field we have heard of companies cutting many programs including safety and ergonomics. Lets hope they dont take the short sighted view and put their workers at risk.

Reducing or Ignoring Workplace Safety During Business Downturns Could Be Costly, American Society of Safety Engineers Note
DES PLAINES, IL (December 18, 2008) – “Workplace safety processes must be in place at all times,” American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHMM, of Fairborn, Ohio, said today. “They are even more critical during business downturns.”
Brown is referring to recent reports of some companies cutting safety processes hoping to reduce costs.
“If companies believe they will save money by reducing or ignoring safety for their workers, customers and communities they do business in, they are mistaken,” Brown said. “The ongoing positive results are in and have been for companies that have a strong safety culture and continually invest in and implement effective safety processes. Not only does their bottom line benefit positively, but their company reputation stays intact, employees stay safe and healthy reducing health care, workers comp, training and turnover costs not to mention keeping customers, the communities they do business in, vendors and employees happy. Safety is good business.”
Members of the 97-year-old ASSE -- occupational safety, health and environmental professionals located worldwide -- caution employers against cutting back on workplace safety in time of economic difficulty. President-Elect of the ASSE South Carolina Chapter Laura Comstock said, “Some safety related purchases and testing can be deferred, but other purchases, such as those for employee personal protective equipment (PPE) like hardhats, safety glasses and respirators, are critical to operations.”
It is especially important for companies to show support for their employee safety during challenging economic times, she notes. “Employee morale may be low and employees may be carrying additional workloads, such as working additional hours or doing unfamiliar tasks due to cutbacks,” she notes.
Comstock added, “In order to remain viable long-term, a company must maintain a solid safety process even through difficult times. The most successful companies in the long term also have the strongest safety performance.”
“We realize these are tough times, but during economic down-turns, employers seeking to cut expenses may target variable operating costs such as travel, training and safety,” Brown said. “Money cut from safety processes now could have an enormous cost later; this can be from injury and health care costs, fines, lost production time, employee morale, or worst of all, employee injury or even death. There are better and smarter ways to protect the bottom line.”
The South Carolina ASSE chapter suggests employees can also take measures to help companies save money such as by: following safe working procedures and practices to prevent injuries, related downtime and expenses such as costly fines; by properly using, cleaning and caring for protective equipment such as hardhats and respirators; reusing gloves whenever possible for as long as possible; and by keeping track of safety glasses and reusable hearing protection.
Investing in safety pays and contributes positively to a company’s bottom line. Businesses spend about $170 billion a year on costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses and pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical providers. In addition, a recent investment firm study in Australia showed valuation links between workplace safety and health factors and investment performance. It found that companies who did not adequately manage workplace safety issues underperformed those that did.
Comstock also reminds employers, “When considering training reductions, some safety related training is driven by regulation, is time sensitive and cannot be delayed. Safety training related savings can be generated by streamlining and implementing simple solutions including using online or electronic safety training services, rather than face-to-face classroom safety training.”
“We need to work together during these difficult times, but reducing or ignoring workplace safety should not be a strategic or budget option,” Brown said. “The costs – both tangible and intangible – are far too high and hard to recoup.”

From http://www.asse.org/newsroom/

Mandatory Ergonomic Standards in Michigan?

Well Michigan looks like they will vote in mandatory ergonomics rules. While we love to have companies take care of their workers, it would be nice if we could keep the government out of it.

LANSING, Mich. -
Commissions set up by Michigan regulators have taken preliminary votes to advance mandatory workplace ergonomics standards in the state. Wednesday’s actions upset business groups that say mandatory ergonomics training and reporting would raise the cost of doing business at a time many employers are struggling. California is the only state with its own ergonomics rules. The federal government has voluntary ergonomics guidelines. Business officials say that although there are other steps in the process, the votes practically guarantee rules will be enacted in Michigan. Supporters of the standards argue that ergonomics helps workers. Ergonomics aims to limit injuries caused by heavy lifting, repetitive motion and awkward work positions. Associated Press Janaury, 14th 2009.

If you would like to be proactive, give us a call or drop us an email. www.ergonomicpartners.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Gorbel Easy Arm now in 330# capacity

This is one of our most popular pieces of equipment.  The Easy Arm can be utilized with custom under the hook tooling and lift assists.  The new higher capacity has been long awaited and will provide Ergonomic Partners many more opprotunitys to provide custom lifting solutions for your company

New Features And Higher Capacities Available On The Easy Arm™. Our Easy Arm™ line will be changing soon to include the features of our Q/iQ G-Force“ technology into it's design. The line will include a 165 lb. and 330 lb. unit and will replace the 150 lb. BX-BXi platform. 

Why did we feel the need to expand the line?

• End Users were frequently asking for more capacity
• Our new Q/iQ G-Force“ technology allowed us to add iQ features to the Easy Arm™ for the first time.  

What makes this design a homerun?

• The arm has been ergonomically optimized to allow the operator to work quickly and smoothly without fighting the arm's movement.
• A new leveling feature has been added to ensure smooth movement of the secondary arm.
• This design uses the new Q/iQ G-Force® technology providing a wealth of additional new features.
• Available spans to 14' and Heights Under Hook to 11'

Please contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com or 314-766-4578 for more information.

2009 Indiana Safety and Health Conference & Expo

Conference Date: February 23-25, 2009 Expo Date: February 24, 2009 Location: Indianapolis Marriott East Conference Registration Scholarships Available through INSafe! Click here for application. Who Should Attend: Safety Managers/Directors Industrial Hygienists Occupational Health Nurses or Practitioners Contractors Construction Managers Safety Committee Members Safety Consultants Plant Managers Loss Control/Risk Managers Facility Building Managers Safety Engineers Maintenance Supervisors Personnel and HR Managers Here’s what people had to say about the 2008 Indiana Safety & Health Expo and Conference: “I really enjoyed the conference. I can’t wait to get back to work and put some of the things I’ve learned to practice.” – Craig Koenig, Koch Development (Holiday World) “I had a great time meeting other peers and sharing ideas!  I gained beneficial knowledge I can take back to my employees.  And the participating vendors were great assets regarding the latest products and technology available to improve safety for each of our industries.” – Tim Roberts, Farbest Foods, Inc. “This conference was very good, and I would attend again. It provided a lot of information I can use in daily work functions.” – Cristine McKinley, Caterpillar “I loved the expo. There was a huge variety of vendors. I learned a lot in the sessions.” – Dawn Query, Crown Equipment “I’m very pleased with the top notch speakers and quality of safety information. I’m pleased with the information to take back to our company and share with our employees.” – Karmen L. Glaspy, Corporate Safety and Training Manager, Syndicate Sales, Inc. “The seminars were among the best I had ever seen or sat through!” – Debbie Peetz, Acuity Brands Lighting “This conference is very informative and a great opportunity to meet with other safety professionals.” – Wayne Orcutt, INDOT Conference Organizing Committee: Claudia Niehaus, Senior Safety Consultant, Indianapolis Star/Garnett and 2009 Safety Conference Chair Kerri Begley, CMP, V.P., Conferences & Special Events, Indiana Chamber of Commerce Michelle Ellison, Marketing & Consultation Service Manager, Indiana Department of Labor/INSafe Mark Gabinet, MSc., CSP, CHMM, EHS Manager, Trane Commercial Systems, a business of Ingersoll Rand; CIASSE President Jennifer Gillis, Manager, Conference Center and Meeting Planner, Indiana Chamber of Commerce Bruce Guiliani, CSP, CET, Director of Safety and Loss Control, Heritage Group Safety Sarah Hankley, Project Coordinator, Conferences, Indiana Chamber of Commerce Sean Keefer, Deputy Commissioner, Indiana Department of Labor/INSafe

Would you like to reduce overhead costs?

In these economic times we are all looking for ways to cut our costs.  Some can be done for little or no money, but just prevention.

Decrease overhead costs by reducing workplace injuries

Published: Sunday, December 07, 2008 
Updated: Sunday, December 7, 2008 4:14 AM EST

Workplace injuries continue to be a major concern for businesses, both large and small. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, more than 4 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses occur each year.

These injuries account for approximately $20 billion in workers’ compensation costs per year.

In addition to the direct costs associated with workers’ compensation, there are also indirect costs (decreased productivity, lost work days, training new employees) that also affect the bottom line. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that musculoskeletal disorders (back pain, neck pain, headaches) are costing American companies an estimated $61.2 billion (direct and indirect costs) each year.

These figures are staggering and should be taken seriously by employers. Workers’ safety should be a top concern for all businesses no matter what the size of the company. Focusing on reducing injuries and providing a safe working environment will reduce costs and improve employee morale.

When designing a worker safety program, the first step to take is to consider the risk factors that lead to injury.

There are two types of risk factors involved: work-related and personal.

Work-related risk factors include poor posture at workstations, repetitive motions, lifting excessive loads and exposure to extreme temperatures. Personal risk factors include smoking, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, stress, obesity, lack of sleep/fatigue and muscular imbalances in the body. The more factors present, the more likely the worker will become injured.

The next step in designing a worker safety program is to try to reduce as many of these risk factors as possible.

Work-related risk factors can be addressed directly by the employer, whereas personal risk factors are tougher for the employer to address, but can be addressed creatively. For example, employers could offer wellness programs to their employees.

The wellness programs could consist of the employer paying a portion or all of a gym membership (to reduce inactivity and obesity), offering workshops on how to eat healthy and how to prepare healthy meals (improve nutrition and reduce obesity), offering smoking cessation programs (reduce smoking), providing health insurance that covers chiropractic care (reduce stress and muscular imbalances), and encouraging the employees to take mini-breaks throughout the day (to reduce stress and fatigue). A mini-break is a two to four minute break designed to give the employee a chance to relax his/her muscles and perform a few stretches. These mini-breaks should be taken once every hour.

A study conducted by National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety concluded that “short, strategically spaced rest breaks can reduce eyestrain and musculoskeletal disorders without decreasing productivity.”

Next, the employer should address the work-related risk factors that he/she has direct control over.

Injuries can be reduced by providing an ergonomically-designed workstation. The goal of ergonomics is to fit the job or workstation to the employee. The purpose of this article is not to discuss all the details of setting up an ergonomically-designed workstation, although this next section will discuss some of the basics.

The most important step when designing an ergonomic workstation is to consider the type of job being performed. For a worker who sits all day, it is important to make the workstation adjustable to his/her needs. Chairs should be able to adjust up or down and recline, monitors should be able to tilt and be raised or lowered, and footrests should be provided for shorter employees. If the employee is required to use the phone frequently throughout the day, headsets should be provided to reduce stress on the neck and shoulders. Lumbar support cushions should be provided for the chairs in order to reduce the amount of stress placed on the low back. The use of chairs that have the low back area cut out should be discouraged since they provide no low back support. Items that need to be used frequently should be placed closer to the employee.

For a worker who stands or lifts all day, it is important to consider his/her technique and posture. Workers should be taught to bend at the knees when lifting, keep the object close to his/her body, and avoid twisting while carrying the object. Lumbar support belts should be worn when lifting heavy loads, but should not be worn all day long to avoid muscle-reliance on the belt. Workstations that a worker stands at for prolonged periods should be at an ideal height (i.e. waist level) for the worker in order to reduce stress on the low back and shoulders. If floors are concrete, rubber mats should be provided to stand on to reduce stress on the lower back, hips, knees and feet.

The final consideration of a worker safety program is a well- designed stretching routine.

Stretching improves flexibility, reduces muscular tension, and increases blood flow throughout the body. The stretches should be designed to counteract the posture or activity performed for the majority of the day. For example, a worker who bends over a conveyer belt all day should be encouraged to perform stretches that extend his back (bending backward). Workers who slouch at a computer all day should be encouraged to perform stretches that squeeze the shoulder blades and open up the chest. For a comprehensive stretching program, an employer could consult with a professional who has a background in exercise or rehabilitation.

In these tough economic times, most, if not all, companies are looking for ways to cut costs and reduce overhead. Rather than cutting jobs, employers should consider reducing injuries. A few simple changes could make a huge difference in a company’s bottom line.

DR. JARRETT KAMINSKY is the owner of Professional Chiropractic Associates in Scranton. He graduated from Palmer College with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sport Science. He is certified through Southern California University of the Health Sciences in Functional Medicine.

Contact the writer: dr.kaminsky@live.com

Certification for enclosed track workstation cranes and monorials

Check out the latest update on HMI and MMA certification for enclosed track systems so they meet the ANSI standards. This allows buyers and extra level of confidence when buying these systems. Gorbel has always met or exceeded the below requirments but it is nice to have standards in place.

New Monorail and Hoist Certification

Programs

The Monorail Manufacturers Association (MMA) and the Hoist Manufacturer's Institute (HMI) recently introduced the MMA-Certified Program for enclosed track workstation cranes, monorails and patented track systems and the HMI-Certified Program for manual hoists, manual and powered trolleys, powered chain hoists, and powered wire rope hoists.

The MMA-Certified Program was developed by the MMA to instill confidence in product specifiers and end users through evidence that the MMA-Certified products meet the American National Standards (ANSI) MH27.1 or MH27.2 Specifications, and that the products are properly supported in the market.

The HMI-Certified Program was developed by the HMI to instill confidence in product specifiers and end users through evidence that the HMI-Certified products meet one or more recognized standards, and that the products are properly supported in the market.

The certification consists of two sections. The first section consists of a review by a registered professional engineer to determine that the product design meets or exceeds the design requirements of one or more recognized standards by completing the Declaration of Conformity – Technical. Upon affirmation of this, the Declaration of Conformity - Technical is stamped by the registered professional engineer. The second section addresses service and support. A Declaration of Conformity – Service and Support is signed by the company’s CEO. This Declaration of Conformity – Service and Support affirms that the company provides:

1. Literature and manuals that address safety, installation, maintenance, warranty, and replacement parts.
2. Product training and technical support.
3. Availability of spare parts for the “life cycle” of the product.
4. Qualified service and repair capability.
5. Proof of adequate liability insurance.

The Monorail Manufacturers Association administers MMA-Certified and only those products that have met the technical, support and service requirements can display the MMA-Certified logo. Companies having earned the MMA-Certified status for their products will display the MMA-Certified logo on their products, literature and brochures.

The Hoist Manufacturer's Institute HMI-Certified allows that only those products that have met the technical, support and service requirements can display the HMI-Certified logo. Companies having earned the HMI-Certified status for their products will display the HMI-Certified logo on their products, literature and brochures.

For more information on these certification programs, visit www.MMAcertified.org and www.HMIcertified.org.

If you would like more information about the standards or on workstation enclosed track systems please contact us at  sales@ergonomicpartners.com

Humantech's Find It Fix It winner

Humantech announced the winners of its second annual Find It – Fix It Challenge, which recognizes and rewards simple and effective workplace solutions that result in increased productivity, improved worker morale, and fewer workplace injuries and illnesses. Organizations were encouraged to submit photos and videos of their best ergonomic improvements for judging by Humantech’s board certified professional ergonomists and staff.



For the second year in a row, first place was awarded to Gerdau Ameristeel’s Charlotte, N.C., Facility. This year’s winning improvement focused on the facility’s Reline Ladle/Brick Chute device. Before the fix, Gerdau’s operator manually lowered and stacked bricks to reline the mill’s ladles, requiring 24 labor-hours of bending, twisting and heavy lifting. After no commercial improvement was found, an internal team designed and built a safe, comfortable and efficient brick chute. The improvement saved 12 labor-hours a week (624 labor-hours per year) and has reduced ergonomic injuries and safety issues.



“The device is saving backs, shoulders and time spent on this job,” says Matt Moore, corporate safety director. “The device will not only benefit our company for many years to come, it also holds promise for many others in the steel industry.”



Gerdau Ameristeel has a patent pending on the device.



“It is with great joy and pride that I congratulate our Charlotte organization on this accomplishment,” said Mario Longhi, president and CEO, Gerdau Ameristeel. “The benefits from the improvement are unquestionable.”



Honorable mentions were given to Veyance Technologies for its Extrusion/Mechanical Winch improvement and Genie Industries, Building #7, for its development of an auto cable cutter. The top finalists included Alcoa Fastening Systems; Delta Faucet Company; Genie Industries – Building #6; The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company’s Lawton, Okla., and Luxembourg facilities; John Deere Des Moines Works; Terex Load King Trailers; and Trane Commercial Systems.



The 2009 Find It – Fix It Challenge is slated to kick off in early spring. For additional information about the winners of the 2008 Find It – Fix It Challenge or the 2009 kickoff, visit http://www.humantech.com/aboutus/findfix/.



About Humantech

For nearly 30 years, global companies have relied on Humantech for workplace improvements. By combining the science of ergonomics and our unique 30-Inch View – where people, work and environment intersect – the company delivers practical solutions that impact safety, quality and productivity.

Erogobamanomics? Read on..........

I thought this was an interesting article. Not sure about the ergobamanomics and the future of ergonomics but thought this was interesting...compliments of Assembly Magazine

Ergonomic Milestones by Austin Weber December 1, 2008

Industrial ergonomics is not a new subject. In fact, it has been studied for more than 100 years.
Here’s a brief look at significant milestones:1713Physician Bernardino Ramazinni, the “father of occupational ergonomics,” writes about work-related complaints that he observes among cobblers and tailors in Padua, Italy.1857
The term “ergonomics” is first used by Wojciech Jastrzebowski, a Polish scientist.1911
Frederick W. Taylor publishes Scientific Management. The book summarizes his research on time and motion studies in steel mills and other industrial settings. 1917
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth publish Applied Motion Study. The book explains how hand and arm patterns can be studied to change work habits and eliminate useless steps. 1926
George Elton Mayo begins studying the assembly of telephone relays at Western Electric’s Hawthorne Works in Cicero, IL. The landmark human behavior research examines how fatigue, monotony and supervision affect productivity.1943
World War II prompts interest in human-machine interaction. Design concepts such as fitting the machine to the size of the operator and using logical control buttons evolve.1949
Hywel Murrell, a British scientist in charge of the Royal Navy’s motion study unit begins to popularize the term “ergonomics.”The Ergonomics Research Society is founded in England.1952
Hywel Murrell creates the world’s first industrial ergonomics department at Tube Investment Ltd.1953
The German Society for Work Science is founded.1958
The first ergonomics film, “Fitting the Job to the Worker,” is produced by the British Productivity Council.1959
An international conference held in Zurich, Switzerland, focuses on the application of ergonomics in industry.1970
ASSEMBLY magazine first reports on ergonomics in a short article about the Magnus Organ Corp. (Linden, NJ). The company had recently begun using “ergonomic-designed hand tools” to assemble its products after several years of experimentation by production engineers and an anatomical professor from Sweden. “The professor determined that the middle finger, which is strongest, should operate the trigger,” the article points out. “The tool that ultimately evolved was much lighter than any comparable tool that had preceded it, incorporated a noise silencer, and was designed to hold in the heaviest torque ranges.”Congress passes the Occupational Safety and Health Act.1971
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) establishes its headquarters in Washington, DC.1972
ASSEMBLY magazine begins publishing articles that address ergonomics, such as “Design the Assembly Workplace to Today’s Performance Potential.”1974
Volvo opens a new assembly plant in Kalmar, Sweden. The star-shaped building features an ergonomic production system. Operators ride down the assembly line on automated guided vehicles that can be tilted 90 degrees.1979
The first ergonomist joins OSHA.1981
OSHA begins discussing ergonomic issues with labor groups, trade associations and professional organizations.The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) publishes the Work Practices Guide for Manual Lifting.1983
Eastman Kodak Co. publishes Ergonomic Design for People at Work.The OSHA Training Institute offers its first course on ergonomics.1984
The growing popularity of personal computers prompts widespread interest in ergonomic issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome and lumbar back support.1987
OSHA cites Chrysler Corp. assembly plants in Belvidere, IL; Newark, DE; St. Louis; and Toledo, OH, for ergonomic hazards.1989
After two years of negotiations with OSHA and the UAW, Chrysler begins to implement the first comprehensive ergonomics agreement in the U.S. auto industry. A pilot study begins at Chrysler’s Belvidere assembly plant to address cumulative trauma disorder hazards. It involves engineering controls to reduce or eliminate job-related stressors such as force, position, repetition and vibration.1990
Ford Motor Co., OSHA and the UAW sign an agreement that requires Ford to reduce ergonomic hazards in 96 percent of its plants through a model ergonomics program.General Motors Corp. (GM), OSHA and the UAW sign an agreement that brings ergonomic programs to 138 GM plants and more than 300,000 employees.GM opens a new assembly plant in Spring Hill, TN, that features skillet conveyors. They allow operators to raise or lower cars to the position that is most comfortable and convenient for them to work on. The plant also features electric power tools that minimize torque reaction on operators.1991
OSHA publishes Ergonomics: The Study of Work as part of a nationwide educational outreach program to raise awareness of cumulative trauma disorders.1994
OSHA begins working on a controversial ergonomics standard.1997
OSHA launches an ergonomics page on its Web site.1999
Manufacturers such as Boeing, Caterpillar, Ford, General Motors and John Deere begin using digital simulation tools to study how assemblers interact with various tools and parts. By using virtual people, stresses and strains can be calculated to determine the overall impact of assembly line design with respect to human factors.2000
OSHA issues an Ergonomics Program Standard.The Washington Department of Labor and Industries issues an ergonomics standard. It requires employers to evaluate jobs to identify potential ergonomic risks, such as awkward, heavy lifting and highly repetitive motion.2001
The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S Senate repeal the ergonomics rule. President George W. Bush also repeals the ergonomics rule.The National Safety Council begins to administer the Z365 ergonomics standard. It is intended as a guide for manufacturers to “voluntarily keep workers safe from work-related musculoskeletal disorders.”2002
A landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Toyota vs. Williams, is the first major ruling that involves carpal tunnel injuries. The court rules that a former assembly line worker with carpal tunnel syndrome is not entitled to special treatment on the job. Ella Williams had sued Toyota Motor Manufacturing North American Inc. under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. But, the justices ruled unanimously that Toyota’s Erlanger, KY, plant did not have to tailor a job to suit the worker’s wrist, arm and shoulder problems.OSHA announces a Comprehensive Plan on Ergonomics.2003
Lean manufacturing initiatives begin to take effect in many companies. Ergonomics becomes less of a standalone discipline and more of a lean manufacturing initiative, because many ergonomic principles are consistent with the goals of lean manufacturing, such as waste reduction and simplified movement. Lean elements, such as cellular production, 5S and visual controls, all address ergonomic issues. Many manufacturers install flexible, modular conveyors and workstations that can be easily reconfigured.2004
Kenworth Truck Co.’s Renton, WA, facility receives the 1st annual Assembly Plant of the Year award from ASSEMBLY magazine. Among other factors, the plant is cited for taking a proactive approach to ergonomics. Assemblers use a wide variety of fixtures, tools and material-handling devices to eliminate fatigue and reduce the threat of injury.2008
ASSEMBLY magazine coins the term "ergobamanomics" as it speculates on how president-elect Barack Obama’s new administration will address ergonomic issues.

We could all use a lift once in a while--check out what Honda engineering has come up with!

This is really cool. Think of all the people who work all day on their legs and could use some type of relief so they can perform their job better.

Ergonomics: Honda Innovates
by Austin Weber
December 1, 2008




This motorized device reduces the load on assemblers’ leg muscles and joints.

Assemblers at the Honda Motor Co. (Tokyo) plant in Sayama, Japan, are using a new contraption to eliminate the risk of repetitive-stress-related injuries. The walking assist device helps support bodyweight to reduce the load on an individual's legs while walking, going up and down stairs, or working in a semicrouching position. The Sayama plant builds a variety of Honda vehicles, such as the Accord sedan and the Odyssey minivan.

The 6.5 kilogram device is designed for people who are capable of walking and maneuvering on their own, but who can benefit from additional leg and body support while performing assembly tasks. It reduces the load on leg muscles and joints (in the hip, knees and ankles) by supporting a portion of the person’s bodyweight.

The ergonomic tool, which operates for 2 hours at a time with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, has a simple structure consisting of seat, frame and shoes. Each leg has a motor.

An operator puts on the device by wearing a special pair of shoes and sitting on a narrow seat that resembles a unicycle. A mechanism directs the assisting force toward the user’s center of gravity. The ability to control the assist force in concert with the movement of the legs make it possible for the device to provide natural assistance in various postures and motions.

Honda engineers began working on the walking assist device 10 years ago. The R&D effort that created the ASIMO humanoid robot, including the study of human walking, provided them with insight that was used to develop the ergonomic tool.

During their research, the engineers developed a mechanism where the seat and frame follow the movement of the body and legs. Assisting force is directed toward the end user’s center of gravity, just as with human legs, which enables the device to provide assistance in various movements and postures.

The ergonomic tool supports a portion of an end user’s bodyweight by lifting the seat as the frame between the shoe and seat bends and extends, just like knees, with the force from the motor. As a result, the load on leg muscles and joints is reduced.

Natural walking is achieved by changing the amount of assisting force applied to the right and left legs through the control of two motors based on the information obtained though sensors embedded in the shoes of the device.