The Linear Motion and Assembly Technologies group from the Bosch Rexroth Corporation (Buchanan, Mich.) is offering a free ergonomics checklist for manual production systems. It's available for download from the company's Web site at www.boschrexroth-us.com/lean.
This seven-step checklist can help manufacturers design manual production systems and workstations that will improve worker efficiency, safety, morale and productivity.
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), cumulative trauma disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis account for more than 16 million lost work days in the U.S. each year, at a cost of more than $40 billion. Bosch Rexroth has developed a deep insight into the design of workplace solutions that provide a natural integration between worker, environment and task, based on more than 15 years of research devoted to continuous time and motion studies.
The Checklist examines ergonomics issues such as Work Height, Size of Grab Area, and Parts Container Layout to help manufacturers optimize the layout and operation of manual workstations. Multiple illustrations and diagrams are included for each step.