ERGONOMICS IS THE SCIENCE
OF DESIGNING THE WORKPLACE AND WORK ORGANIZATION
TO FIT THE WORKER, OR THE EMPLOYEE,
RATHER THAN HAVING THE WORKER'S BODY
BE FITTED INTO THE JOB AT HAND.
>> THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
HAVE IDENTIFIED OVER 615,000 LOST WORK DAY INJURIES
EVERY YEAR DUE TO MUSCULAR SKELETAL DISORDERS.
THESE ARE THE SOFT TISSUE INJURIES,
THE UPPER EXTREMITY INJURIES,
AND ESPECIALLY THE LOWER BACK INJURIES.
THEY CAN BE VERY DEBILITATING, VERY SERIOUS,
VERY COSTLY,
BUT MOST IMPORTANT, THEY'RE PREVENTABLE.
AN ERGONOMIC PROGRAM DOES NOT NEED TO COST A LOT OF MONEY.
A LOT OF IT IS COMMON SENSE,
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IMPLEMENT
PREVENTIVE PROGRAMS
DESIGNED THROUGH ERGONOMIC TECHNIQUES.
♪ Instrumental ♪
>> WHEN I LOOK AT KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
FOR AN ERGONOMICS PROGRAM,
I BELIEVE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU HAVE TO HAVE
IS THE SUPPORT OF TOP MANAGEMENT.
TOP MANAGEMENT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO A LOT,
THEY JUST HAVE TO BE THERE TO SUPPORT IT,
ENCOURAGE IT,
AND LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THEY BELIEVE IN IT, AS WELL.
THE GROUP THAT REALLY HAS TO BE THERE TO MAKE IT WORK
IS THE GROUP THAT'S RUNNING THE PLANT,
THAT'S DESIGNING THE PRODUCT,
IT'S ALL THOSE PEOPLE.
SO, IT'S THE PEOPLE ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE FLOOR,
THE MACHINE FLOOR,
IT'S THE MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
IN THE MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS,
IT'S THE DESIGN ENGINEERS.
IT'S ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY PUT THAT PRODUCT,
THAT PLANT, THAT WHOLE SYSTEM TOGETHER.
TO GET THE BENEFITS OF GOOD ERGONOMICS,
THE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN IT.
AND WHEN THEY'RE INVOLVED IN IT,
THINGS REALLY HAPPEN,
AND YOU SEE MOTIVATED, EXCITED EMPLOYEES.
>> THE UNION NEGOTIATED THE ERGONOMIC COMMITTEE
AND MASTER CONTRACT IN 1990.
AND THE REASON WE TOOK IT TO THE TABLE
IS OUR MEMBERS WERE GETTING HURT ON THE JOB,
AND THERE WERE NO VIOLENCE, NO ACCIDENTS,
BUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME,
THEY WERE WORKING AND WINDING UP HURT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY,
AND ONCE YOU GET CARPEL TUNNEL,
AND SOME OF YOUR OTHER CTD'S,
THERE'S NO CURE.
SO YOUR LIFE IS CHANGED, OR RUINED FOREVER.
SO WE WANTED TO PREVENT THAT.
>> ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO
I STARTED BECOMING AWARE OF THE EMPLOYEES COMPLAINTS
AS TO WRIST PROBLEMS, SHOULDER PROBLEMS,
BACK PROBLEMS,
AND SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE
A PROCEDURE IN PLACE FOR ERGONOMICS AT THE TIME,
I STARTED TO KEEP MY OWN LOGS
OF WHAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS DOING,
THE TYPE OF WORK THEY WERE DOING,
AND THE TYPE OF COMPLAINTS.
THE SAFETY COMMITTEE DECIDED TO LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM,
AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE CONSULTANT FIRMS OUT THERE
THAT WOULD COME IN AND TRAIN THEM
SO THAT THEY COULD PROPERLY LOOK AT THE JOBS
AND KNOW HOW TO EVALUATE, AND HOW TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEMS.
>> AT MELROSE PARK, WE FOCUS ON A SERIES OF GOALS.
WE ALSO FOLLOW A NUMBER OF MEASURES OF SAFETY
AND PRODUCTIVITY.
ERGONOMICS IS ONE OF THE AREAS WE TRACK,
AS WELL AS THE OVERALL HEALTH AND SAFETY.
WHAT WE SAW IN 1996, FOR EXAMPLE,
IS WE HAD NO REPETITIVE TRAUMA,
OSHA REPORTABLE INCIDENCES.
THAT'S A SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT OVER PAST YEARS,
BUT IT'S ONLY COME THROUGH AN AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM
COORDINATED THROUGH OUR COMMITTEE.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE OUR WORKER'S COMPENSATION COSTS
SO THAT THEY'RE ONLY ONE-FIFTH OF THE STATE AVERAGE.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE LOST TIME CASE RATE,
AND THE INCIDENT FREQUENCY RATE,
IS MUCH LOWER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE.
THIS SHOWS THAT WE CAN REDUCE OUR COSTS,
AND ALSO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY
OF THE WORKFORCE.
SOME OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO DO
IS LOOK AT THEIR OSHA-200 LOGS,
OR THEIR INJURIES AND ILLNESS RECORDS.
AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHICH ONES OF THOSE
ARE ACTUALLY ERGONOMICALLY RELATED.
THEN YOU'RE TALK TO MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS
TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS THEY HAVE.
THEN YOU WANT TO GET OUT INTO THE PLANT,
DO SOME VIDEOTAPING,
LOOK AT THE TOOLS THAT THEY'RE USING,
AND TALK TO THE EMPLOYEES, ASK THEM,
"DO YOU REPORT THESE THINGS TO THE COMPANY OFFICIALS,
SUCH AS THE TINGLING IN YOUR FINGERS,
THE NUMBNESS IN YOUR HANDS, YOUR ARMS?"
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND FIND OUT IF THEY'VE BEEN TRAINED
REGARDING ERGONOMICS.
DO THEY HAVE A MEDICAL DEPARTMENT?
WHAT KIND OF MEDICAL FACILITIES DO THEY HAVE?
♪ Instrumental ♪
>> WHEN AN EMPLOYEE
FEELS PAIN, OR DISCOMFORT IN THE WORKPLACE,
THEY'RE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THIS TO THEIR SUPERVISOR.
AND SUPERVISORS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ERGONOMIC TRAINING
TO ASSIST THEM IN RESPONDING TO THESE EMPLOYEES.
THE ERGONOMICS PROGRAM ALLOWS THE SUPERVISOR
TO ADJUST THE WORKSTATION, CORRECT WORK METHODS,
AND IF THE EMPLOYEES PROBLEMS
ARE NOT RESOLVED WITH THOSE MEASURES,
THEN THEY ARE REFERRED TO THE NURSE
FOR EVALUATION AND TREATMENT.
DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING THERE?
UH-UH.
I WANT YOU TO GO AHEAD, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE,
AND SQUEEZE THIS FOR ME.
JUST SQUEEZE IT AS HARD AS YOU CAN.
OKAY, THAT'S GOOD.
THE CHANGES THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE WORKPLACE
ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE LESS THAN YOU ARE IMAGINING.
>> THE OLD CHAIR WAS JUST A STRAIGHT CHAIR.
AND IT DIDN'T MOVE UNLESS YOU GOT UP AND TURNED IT,
SO THAT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT.
YOU COULDN'T ADJUST THE BACK,
YOU COULDN'T ADJUST THE HEIGHT.
SOME OF THEM YOU COULD,
BUT IT TOOK TWO OR THREE PEOPLE.
SO, WITH THE NEW CHAIRS, LIKE I SAID,
IT'S A WHOLE LOT BETTER.
YOU CAN JUST LIFT THE THING AND IT GOES UP AND DOWN,
AND THAT'S A WHOLE LOT BETTER.
WE ALSO HAVE BUNDLE TRUCKS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PICK UP THE WHOLE BUNDLE.
YOU'RE ABLE TO PICK UP ONE GARMENT AT A TIME,
AND THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO
PICK UP THE WHOLE THING AT ONE TIME.
THAT MAKES IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER IN HANDLING,
AND YOU CAN ALSO JUST PUSH THE TRUCK UP
FROM ONE OPERATION TO THE NEXT.
ANOTHER THING WE HAVE ARE FOLDING TABLES
THAT YOU CAN ADJUST THEM UP AND DOWN,
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL NOT THE SAME HEIGHT.
SO WHEN YOU'RE FOLDING,
YOU'RE ABLE TO LET THE TABLE UP FOR TALLER PEOPLE,
AND DOWN LOW FOR SHORTER PEOPLE.
>> IN THE LAST SIX YEARS,
WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER A 50% DECREASE
IN THE NUMBER OF ILLNESSES THAT WE HAD REPORTED BEFORE THEN.
WE ARE AVERAGING ABOUT A LITTLE OVER TWO ILLNESSES
FOR EVERY 200,000 HOURS WORKED.
THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA
AS FAR AS THE FREQUENCY IS CONCERNED.
DOLLARS, WE STARTED PARALLEL TO RATES,
WE NOTICED AS OUR RATES WENT DOWN,
AS FAR AS ILLNESS IS CONCERNED,
OUR DOLLARS DID ALSO.
PLUS, OUR PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER.
IN DOING SURVEYS WITHIN THE PLANT MYSELF
I FIND THAT THEY ARE,
THEY TELL ME THEY ARE LESS TIRED NOW
THAN THEY WERE YEARS AGO WHEN THEY FIRST CAME TO WORK.
IT'S JUST SMART BUSINESS TO GO AHEAD
AND GET INVOLVED WITH THE ERGO PROGRAM
BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER, YOU'LL HAVE PROBLEMS.
♪ Instrumental ♪
>> IN THE BEGINNING,
MOST OF THE PEOPLE WE'D COME IN CONTACT WITH
IN OUR SMALL TOWN,
WHEN IT HAD TO DO WITH A GOVERNMENT AGENCY,
OR ANY KIND OF AN INSPECTION,
EVERYTHING WE'D HEARD WAS THAT THESE WERE PEOPLE TO AVOID,
AND YOU DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM.
AND THE ONE TIME WE DID HAVE A SURPRISE I■CTION,
AND IN THAT PROCESS,
THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THEY POINTED OUT THAT WERE WRONG,
AND THERE WAS REALLY A LOT MORE TO BE GAINED
BY ASKING THEIR OPINION AND SAYING,
"WHAT SHOULD WE DO HERE?
HOW SHOULD WE CONSTRUCT THIS FINISH ROOM
SO IT WILL REDUCE OUR PREMIUMS,
OR BE SAFER IN THE CASE OF ASKING OSHA?"
WE THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY BENEFITED,
AND BECAUSE OF THIS,
WE KIND OF MADE THIS SHIFT FROM THEM BEING THE ENEMY,
TO THEM BEING A RESOURCE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP US.
>> DAVID CARROLL, OUR SAFETY DIRECTOR,
HE HAS BOOKS FROM OSHA, AND DIFFERENT PLACES,
AND HE SHARES THEM WITH THE SAFETY TEAM,
AND THEN WE CARRY THIS BACK ON TO OUR TEAMS.
WE HAVE HAD AN IMPROVEMENT IN ERGONOMICS.
IT HELPS LIFTING ON THE PANEL PROCESSING.
WE USED TO LIFT ONE SINGLE PANEL AT A TIME OF PLYWOOD.
NOW WE USE A FORKLIFT WHERE WE PICK IT UP,
AND WE HAVE A LIFT THAT WORKS IT UP ONTO THE TABLE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND PICK UP AS MUCH.
ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE PLANT,
ALL THE WORKERS I'VE TALKED TO,
HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED THE ERGONOMIC INNOVATIONS,
AND IT'S HELPED THEM WORK-WISE AND HEALTH-WISE.
>> OUR INITIAL ANALYSIS OF OUR NEED FOR ERGONOMICS,
OR TO INCORPORATE ERGONOMICS,
HAD TO DO AN AWFUL LOT WITH JUST REVIEWING THE WORK CENTERS.
WE HAD FORMS THAT WE USE FOR OUR WORK CENTERS,
AND THOSE FORMS COULD BE FILLED OUT -
"HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU HAVE TO REACH?
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU HAVE TO LIFT?
HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO LIFT?
DOES THE WORK CENTER REQUIRE BENDING OR REACHING?
AND SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES CAN BE REDUCED
WHEN YOU REALLY DOCUMENT
ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE FOR EACH WORK CENTER
TO COMPLETE THE JOB, THE PRODUCTION JOB AT HAND.
OFTEN TIMES BUDGET CONSTRAINTS ARE AN ISSUE WITH ANY COMPANY,
AND IT CERTAINLY IS IN OURS,
AND SO THE THINGS WE COULD FIX VERY EASILY, OR QUICKLY,
OR PERHAPS THE PERSON COULD FIX IT THEMSELVES,
WE GAVE THEM THE TIME TO DO THAT, AND THE RESOURCES.
AND TYPICALLY IT DIDN'T COST VERY MUCH,
INITIALLY, FOR SOME OF THE SMALLER IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'VE PUT IN PLACE SOME FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE LIFT TABLES
THAT CAN LIFT THE TOTAL PARTS -
WHERE A SHORTER PERSON CAN REACH IT,
OR A TALLER PERSON DOESN'T HAVE TO REACH DOWN QUITE AS FAR,
AND A VACUUM LIFT IS VERY HELPFUL TOO
IF YOU HAVE AN AREA FOR A VACUUM LIFT.
WE FIND THAT WHEN A PERSON COMES TO WORK AT 7:00,
THAT BY 9:00, THAT FIRST BREAK,
THAT'S TYPICALLY THE AMOUNT OF TIME
WE'D WANT THEM TO WORK IN A CERTAIN WORK CENTER,
CERTAINLY NOT EVERY WORK CENTER,
BUT THE ONES THAT ARE ESPECIALLY TAXING
ON THE HANDS, THE EMOTIONS, AND THE ARMS, AND THE LIFTING,
AND THEY'RE ROTATED TO THE NEXT WORK CENTER WITHIN THAT TEAM
IF IT'S APPROPRIATE.
WE FIND THAT THAT GIVES PEOPLE A VARIETY OF THINGS TO DO,
THEY ENJOY THEIR JOBS MORE,
BUT IT ALSO LETS THOSE MUSCLES HAVE A REST,
THAT SPECIFIC GROUP OF MUSCLES THAT THEY MIGHT USE,
WHETHER IT MIGHT BE LIFTING, OR USING A SCREW GUN,
OR A NAIL GUN, OR PERHAPS IN A SPRAY BOOTH,
WHERE THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF TRIGGERING.
THEY NEED TO LET THAT REST.
BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE CHANGED,
AS FAR AS ANGLED TABLES, AND SOME OF THE WORK CENTERS,
WE HAVE LIFT STATIONS,
PEOPLE DON'T GET AS TIRED,
AND THEY CAN PRODUCE AS MUCH STARTING EARLY IN THE DAY
AS THEY CAN LATER IN THE DAY.
SO I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY COST US,
ESPECIALLY IN THE LONG TERM.
WE FIND THAT MOST OF THE ERGONOMICS THINGS WE'VE PUT IN PLACE
HAVE REALLY BEEN HELPFUL,
NOT JUST IN REDUCING INJURIES, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT,
BUT ALSO IN PRODUCTIVITY.
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR
WHEN I'M LOOKING AT AN ERGONOMIC PROGRAM
IS TO SEE THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE INVOLVED -
THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED TRAINING,
THAT THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROGRAM,
THAT THEY RECALL THE TRAINING,
THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED,
AND THAT THERE IS SOME MECHANISM
WHERE THE EMPLOYEE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH MANAGEMENT.
♪ Instrumental ♪
>> A FEW YEARS AGO,
I SAW A PATIENT WHO WORKED AT SEQUINS INTERNATIONAL
PERFORMING A JOB CALLED "SPOOLING."
SHE WAS COMPLAINING OF RIGHT SHOULDER PAIN.
AND DESCRIBED THAT HER JOB REQUIRED HER
TO GO LIKE THIS ALL DAY LONG.
SO SHE WAS TURNING A CRANK WITH HER RIGHT ARM,
AND WITH HER RIGHT SHOULDER ELEVATED AND IN CONSTANT MOTION.
IT TURNED OUT SHE HAD A CONDITION CALLED "ROTATOR CUFF TENDINITIS,"
AND BECAUSE THIS CAN BE SERIOUS,
LAURIE KELLOG, FROM THE UNION HEALTH AND SAFETY DEPARTMENT,
WENT OUT TO SEQUIN.
>> WHAT I STARTED WITH WAS JUST
CONFIDENTIAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS SURVEYS OF THE WORKERS.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT ALMOST 75% OF THEM
WERE EXPERIENCING PRETTY SERIOUS PAIN OF SOME KIND OR ANOTHER,
AND SOME OF THEM VERY SERIOUS PAIN.
AND I TOOK THAT INFORMATION TO MANAGEMENT
WITHOUT GIVING ANY NAMES, JUST THE AGGREGATE RESULTS,
AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT
WHAT A SERIOUS PROBLEM THERE WAS IN THIS FACTORY,
AND HOW THE UNION COULD HELP.
>> I'VE WORKED HERE ALMOST 30 YEARS.
I'VE DONE MOST JOBS IN THE FACTORY,
SO I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH MOST OF THE PROCESSES.
I HAVE BEEN PLANT MANAGER.
I'M CURRENTLY HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT WE HAD A PROBLEM
IN A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT
CALLED THE "SPOOLING DEPARTMENT,"
I WASN'T SO SURE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS BEING CAUSED WITHIN THE FACTORY.
>> I STARTED OFF WITH VIDEOTAPING THE JOBS -
ALL DIFFERENT POSITIONS, EACH OF THE WORKERS.
AND THOSE VIDEOTAPES WERE USED TO FURTHER EDUCATE MANAGEMENT,
THE SUPERVISORS, AND THE WORKERS.
WE DID EXTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
WITH THE SUPERVISORS AND THE WORKERS
SO THAT EVERYBODY COULD GIVE THEIR IDEAS
ABOUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE JOB,
AND HOW TO FIND SOLUTIONS.
>> SHE CAME DOWN,
WE LOOKED AT SOME VIDEOS, AND GOT SOME EDUCATION -
SUPERVISORS, AND SOME OF MANAGEMENT -
AND REALIZED, AT THAT POINT,
THAT THE PROCESS WE WERE ASKING THE WORKERS TO DO
WAS CERTAINLY ADDING TO THIS CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME PROBLEM.
THE CLASSES WE HAD WERE VERY HELPFUL, EDUCATIONAL,
BECAUSE IT TAUGHT US TO EXPLAIN
WHERE THE SYMPTOMS WERE COMING FROM,
WHERE WE HAD THE SYMPTOMS,
AND HOW WE WERE TO GO ABOUT IT.
>> IN REVIEWING OSHA-200 LOGS,
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE
THAT OFTEN WHAT WILL BE WRITTEN IS A SYMPTOM,
SUCH AS RIGHT SHOULDER PAIN,
SO THAT, FOR EXAMPLE,
THE GARMENT WORKER I SAW
WHO CAME WITH RIGHT SHOULDER PAIN
TURNED OUT TO HAVE A ROTATOR CUFF TENDINITIS,
BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS RIGHT SHOULDER PAIN.
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
MIGHT BE REPORTED AS WRIST, HAND, OR FINGER PAIN,
OR EVEN NUMBNESS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT SYMPTOMS OF PAIN, NUMBNESS,
TINGLING, SORENESS,
ANYWHERE FROM THE NECK DOWN INTO THE ARMS,
CAN BE DUE TO SPECIFIC UPPER EXTREMITY MUSCULO SKELETAL DISEASES.
>> SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T COMPLAINED ABOUT PROBLEMS
THAT EXIST WHEN THEY SEE IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEING MADE
WILL THEN FEEL CONFIDENT
THAT THEY CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PAINS THEY HAVE,
SO I KNOW THAT WHEN I TALK TO SOME PEOPLE
ABOUT PUTTING IN ERGONOMIC PROGRAMS,
INITIALLY, THEY TAKE A BIG HIT ON THEIR COMP INSURANCE
BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU OPEN UP PANDORA'S BOX.
BUT THE LONG-TERM, IT ENDS UP REVERSING.
WE HAVE GONE FROM ONE YEAR HAVING $96,000 IN COMP CLAIMS,
18 CASES BEING CARPAL SYNDROME,
TO IN 1996 WE HAD $4,500 IN COMP CLAIMS IN FIVE CASES,
NONE OF THEM BEING CARPAL SYNDROME.
(speaking Spanish)
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'VE LEARNED
ABOUT THE ERGONOMICS PROCESS
IS THAT THERE'S ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE
WHO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE,
AND CAN FIGURE OUT THE SOLUTIONS,
AND THAT IS THE WORKERS WHO ARE DOING THE JOBS.
AND YOU HAVE TO GIVE A LOT OF ROOM
FOR THEM TO CRITICIZE, BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS,
TO MAKE COMPLAINTS,
TO BE HONEST ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS THEY'RE FEELING,
AND THEN REALLY RESPECT THE SUGGESTIONS THAT THEY MAKE
FOR IMPROVING THE MACHINES.
AN ERGONOMICS PROJECT
REALLY HAS TO INCLUDE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.
THERE HAS TO BE A PLAN FOR LOOKING AT MEDICAL ISSUES,
AND MEDICAL MANAGEMENT -
HOW ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BE DEALT WITH
WHEN THEY HAVE INJURIES?
THERE NEEDS TO BE A PARTICIPATORY PROCESS
FOR JOB ANALYSIS AND JOB REDESIGN,
AND THERE NEEDS TO BE EVALUATION AFTER THE PROJECT,
AND AS YOU GO ALONG IN THE PROJECT.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING,
HOW PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO IT,
WHAT THEIR FEEDBACK IS,
AND WHETHER THEY LIKE CERTAIN CHANGES,
OR WANT TO SEE OTHER THINGS CHANGED.
THERE NEEDS TO BE AN OPEN STRUCTURE
WHERE THERE IS FULL PARTICIPATION BY THE WORKERS,
AND MANAGEMENT, AND SUPERVISORS.
>> IF THERE'S A MESSAGE TO GIVE ANYBODY
ABOUT TRYING TO TAKE A LOOK AT
WHAT'S BEING DONE IN YOUR FACTORY,
AND SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS,
CERTAINLY ERGONOMICALLY,
THE MESSAGE I WOULD SAY IS THAT
AS SMALL AS YOU MIGHT BE, THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU CAN DO,
AND IT DOESN'T ALWAYS REQUIRE LARGE SUMS OF MONEY.
THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF COMFORT.
THIS IS AN ISSUE OF HEALTH.
WE LEARNED IN THIS PROCESS
THAT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE YOUR WORKERS
INTO MAKING A BUSINESS SUCCESSFUL,
YOU CANNOT ASK THEM TO EXTEND THEMSELVES ON ONE END
IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE ON THE OTHER.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE CAME FROM.
>> THE PEOPLE JUST BECAME SO MUCH HAPPIER IN THE WORKPLACE
AND DOING THEIR JOB.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE THEY GOT RID OF ALL THE ANNOYANCES,
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT BOTHERED THEM
DAY IN AND DAY OUT ON A DAILY BASIS,
AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT ANYMORE,
OR BE DISTURBED BY THAT ANYMORE,
SO THEY COULD CONCENTRATE ON THINGS
THAT IMPACTED THE BUSINESS ISSUES.
WE KNOW THESE PROGRAMS WORK.
WITH MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT, TOTAL EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT,
DEDICATION TO THE JOB,
YOU'LL GET EXCELLENT RESULTS.