Subscribe

Tag: ergonomics

Ergonomics in a Pig Breeding Warehouse

Posted on by David Priestman

For 50 years, Ornestation Mors has been a family-owned business, now responsible for 40% of Denmark’s sales of boar semen for pig breeding. Their slogan says they ‘lend a helping hand’ and, while producing boar semen remains a manual craft, Ornestation Mors knows where their time is best spent – and it’s it is not on manually handling pallets. Instead, PALOMAT® provides an automated helping hand for their daily warehouse operations. The company sought a more efficient and ergonomic way to handle their pallets.

Focus on Order

Boar semen is a core product for Ornestation Mors, but their product range includes over 4,500 different items, from agricultural supplies to coffee, sold and delivered daily, primarily to farms across the country. A large and well-stocked warehouse like theirs involves significant pallet handling. After encountering PALOMAT® at the HI trade fair, they started to reconsider their approach: “We handled our pallets, of course, but there was no order. There was no agreed-upon system for where pallets should or shouldn’t go. That’s when we realized we needed to make a change,” says Kenneth Markussen, co-owner and responsible for warehouse and purchasing at Ornestation Mors.

The company wanted to establish order in their warehouse and move away from manual pallet handling. A productive conversation revealed that a PALOMAT® could bring substantial benefits to the business, even though they had not realized the need before. “PALOMAT® approached me after the trade fair and offered us a trial unit. I was a bit hesitant, but we were allowed to test it for 14 days,” Markussen recounts. The PALOMAT® quickly became a permanent addition to their warehouse team, and employees found the solution efficient, effective, and easy to use.

Increased Efficiency and Profitability

For Ornestation Mors, implementing a PALOMAT® has been marked by user-friendliness and expert guidance. Their pallet flow involves both standard Euro pallets and single-use Euro pallets, which require a versatile pallet magazine – a need this machine met with ease. Initially, warehouse staff were sceptical about whether a new machine could truly ease their workload, given their modest pallet flow. “We don’t handle a huge number of pallets manually, but the ones we do are handled multiple times a day,” Markussen explains.

Despite concerns that a PALOMAT® might not make a significant difference, the potential gains were prioritised. Fortunately, the company quickly realised that the PALOMAT® is easy to use and offers multiple advantages. It speeds up and simplifies pallet handling while creating more order and optimising warehouse space utilisation. Markussen adds with a smile, “Our staff doubted whether we really needed it, but they’ve come to see how useful it actually is. It’s very user-friendly and straightforward.”

With a PALOMAT® in their warehouse, Ornestation Mors discovered just how much time they spent handling pallets. Markussen notes, “We didn’t know we needed a PALOMAT®, but now we have a designated place for our pallets. It’s something we can communicate to our warehouse staff and the drivers who deliver goods overnight. Everyone can operate it, whether they have a forklift license or not. A pallet also lasts longer when handled with a PALOMAT®.”

Ornestation Mors has found a solution that is quick, simple, and efficient for everyone. A bonus benefit is the reduced number of damaged pallets, as they are handled at floor level. The company only noticed the hassle of manual handling once it was eliminated, experiencing great relief when their pallet processes were optimized. The benefits are clear – a PALOMAT® improves employee well-being by eliminating the need for heavy pallet lifting. The business has also gained efficiency and replaced scattered pallets with better order. “Creating order and more space has been the most important thing, along with ergonomics. No one has to pull down a pallet manually anymore – they just use the electric pallet truck to pick up a pallet,” Markussen explains. Now, all employees have a designated, ergonomic spot to drop off and collect pallets at floor level, regardless of whether they have a forklift license.

A Good Investment

The collaboration between PALOMAT® and Ornestation Mors is a story of two local companies leveraging their expertise to create greater value. PALOMAT® has helped Ornestation Mors achieve more order and space in their warehouse, along with a streamlined and efficient pallet-handling process that improves workplace ergonomics for employees. Markussen concludes that the PALOMAT® has been a worthwhile investment for Ornestation Mors and recommends it to other companies: “It has been a great investment in our employees’ well-being and daily ergonomics. I absolutely think it’s been an investment worth it all.”

similar news

Seven Theses on Ergonomics in Logistics

 

Premiere for Yale Reliant Lift Truck

Posted on by Keith McKinley

With Yale Reliant, a package of advanced operator assistance systems, Yale Lift Truck Technologies is putting ergonomics and occupational safety centre stage at LogiMAT in Stuttgart. In Hall 10 F20 from 19 to 21 March 2024 the intralogistics solutions provider will bring its international insight, local knowledge, and previously unseen products and new technologies to show how warehouses can optimise opportunities and outsmart their biggest challenges.

At LogiMAT, visitors can see a live demo of Yale Reliant, a system that can continually monitor people, trucks and loads and can recognise and help avoid hazards. With around 5,000 units already in use in the USA, it is a multiple award-winning solution developed with customer-driven design.

The system combines location-based and event-based functionality. Examples include if the operator lifts a load above recommended heights or where there is increased pedestrian traffic, obstacles or other hazards.

The speed is automatically reduced at the end of an aisle, at junctions or in the event of obstacles. Among other features, pedestrian areas are avoided, the fork height adapts to the surroundings and the sight lines support the driver.

Logistics managers around the world are looking for solutions that support warehouse safety across all lift truck types. With this solution, Yale Lift Truck Technologies is also responding to the trend towards higher goods turnover and the simultaneous shortage of skilled labour in the logistics market.

“With 100 years of experience and a network of independent dealers with local knowledge, we are helping customers worldwide by delivering solutions for the real-world challenges they face today,” says Ron Farr, Director, Warehouse Sales EMEA at Yale. “At the same time, our experience gives us the insight to understand the future intralogistics roadmap and provide the support to guide our customers past the next challenges.”

“Yale Reliant demonstrates how we tailor our advanced technologies as a customised solution. Key customers in the USA are already using the solution and we look forward to launching in Europe with decision makers who are concerned about the growing skills shortage as volumes increase,” he continues. “From order pickers and reach trucks to tow tractors and counterbalance trucks, we offer a wide range of integrated technologies and are one of the few suppliers on the market to offer comprehensive and customised solutions for operator assistance systems.”

Yale Lift Truck Technologies leverages over a century of material handling experience and substantial investment in innovation to bring the most advanced technology-driven lift truck solutions to market. The company offers a full line of award-winning lift trucks, including reach trucks, order pickers, very narrow aisle trucks, pallet jacks and trucks, pallet stackers, tow tractors and counterbalanced forklifts, as well as powerful operator assist solutions, proven robotics and a wide range of power sources to help customers adapt to today’s demanding supply chain. Yale and its independent dealer network support these solutions with comprehensive after-sales service, parts, financing and training.

Exoskeletons Used by Port Employees

Posted on by David Priestman

Logistics and cargo handling activities carried out in the port environment are largely managed manually by workers in order to ensure the required operational standards. With the aim of making their employees’ tasks easier, more efficient and ergonomic, the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Settentrionale (Port System Authority of the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, AdSP MTS) and the Compagnia Portuale di Livorno (Livorno Port Company, CPL), together with IUVO, a spin-off company of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa), and Comau have conducted a pilot study – among the first carried out in Europe and in the world – for the adoption of wearable MATE-XT and MATE-XB exoskeletons designed by the 2 companies. MATE-XT helps to reduce the muscle load of the upper limbs during static or repetitive activities, which require workers to keep their arms raised for extended periods of time, while MATE-XB relieves the muscle effort of the lumbar area when handling loads.

The field tests conducted by IUVO and Comau, in collaboration with the port institutions, were carried out over a period of 6 months with 12 workers employed in the port area of Livorno who wore MATE exoskeletons during their daily work. During this period, the positive effects obtained at both a physical and operational level were measured and validated.

Manual, non-automatable activities such as loading-unloading goods, moving heavy loads along the dock, lashing or unlashing containers on board ships can be extremely tiring for the operators. The support of wearable exoskeletons, such as MATE-XT and MATE-XB, helps reduce physical stress and the risk of triggering potentially disabling musculoskeletal diseases over time. To confirm this, in the initial phase of the project, IUVO and Comau conducted accurate instrumental measurements on the muscle activity of the workers. These same workers were asked, through the compilation of dedicated questionnaires, to directly assess the sensation of fatigue perceived with the use of MATE exoskeletons. The end results have been impressive. Not only did the operators warmly embrace these new technologies, they have recognized the positive impact the exoskeletons can have on their activities and performance. In line with data previously collected and verified by IUVO and Comau, together with companies that have been using this technology for several years, it has been shown that the MATE-XT upper limb exoskeleton and the MATE-XB lumbar device can reduce the effort of operators by up to 30%.

The pilot study and the positive results achieved testify to the commitment of the AdSP MTS and the CPL in promoting the health and well-being of port operators, as well as in experimenting with cutting-edge technologies capable of making the working environment safer and more comfortable.

Duilio Amico, CEO of IUVO and Head of Wearable Technologies at Comau, explained “The study conducted together with important institutions such as AdSP MTS and CPL is one of the first in Europe and in the world that aims to evaluate the effect of exoskeleton technologies for the improvement of ergonomics and safety of workers in the port system. This project confirms IUVO and Comau’s commitment to creating an ecosystem for the development and adoption of wearable robotics technologies that promote the well-being of workers.”

Nicola Vitiello, full professor at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and co-founder of IUVO, underscored, “The pilot study launched in Livorno’s sea port was an important opportunity to continue testing and perfecting the wearable robotics solutions developed with Comau directly in the field, in new applications and sectors. The benefits and enthusiasm experienced by those who wear MATE exoskeletons to carry out their tasks are further confirmation of how this innovative technology can be successfully applied in different areas in the future, significantly reducing physical fatigue and improving people’s quality of life.”

Luciano Guerrieri, President of the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Settentrionale, said, “Safety and the protection of workers’ health are fundamental for our institution. The constant attention to these aspects, combined with openness and interest in innovation, has allowed us to be one of the first port systems in the world to test these cutting-edge technologies, with the aim of reaffirming and improving our commitment to the safety and well-being of our employees.”

Enzo Raugei, Chairman of the Compagnia Portuale di Livorno, added, “The well-being of our workers is central to the Company. We are thrilled to have been at the forefront of implementing innovative technologies in our industry and to have been the first to understand their use in the port business. The safety and well-being of our members and employees is a top priority for our cooperative, and this initiative demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring it.”

XPO Logistics Rolling out Hunic Exoskeleton

Posted on by David Priestman

XPO, a leading provider of innovative and sustainable end-to-end logistics solutions across Europe, has successfully completed a pilot trial of Hunic exoskeleton suit safety equipment at specific business sites and will deploy the technology across the UK and Ireland before the end of this year.

The suits were introduced to XPO Logistics network sites and some dedicated warehouses in January, including Crick (Scania), the Leicester shared user warehouse (Samsung), and the Volkswagen Group UK National Parts Distribution Centre in Dordon, Glen Dimplex, and Daimler in Milton Keynes. Current users at each site are helping to train wider groups on how to use the suits.

Hunic Exoskeleton technology assists wearers with heavy lifting duties, ensuring their posture is correct to reduce the chance of injury. It significantly reduced the fatigue felt by those working in the five XPO depots where the suits were tested. Productivity improved as well: After using the suits at the Samsung operations, there was a 15-20% reduction in unloading time.

Ian Fox, head of health and safety – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said: “The feedback from our XPO colleagues using the exoskeletons during the pilot was hugely positive. The wearers reported significantly less fatigue and effort required in the routine handling activities, which has supported the decision to expand the use and invest in the equipment for the benefit of our colleagues. Additionally, we found that the exoskeleton assists in forming good postural habits that will benefit the wearer even while not using the equipment.”

The Hunic Exoskeleton is designed to prevent the wearer from lifting with incorrect posture. It will only allow the body to move in connection with safe manual handling techniques. For example, it will not allow the back to make an incorrect posture movement. The suit helps the wear undertake repetitive lifting safely while also improving turnaround time.”

XPO’s innovative, end-to-end service offerings include technology-enabled logistics, truckload, less-than-truckload, truck brokerage, managed transport, last mile and freight forwarding. The company tailors its solutions to customer-specific needs across consumer, trade and industrial sectors.

Doosan Launches Heavy-lifting Electric Trucks

Posted on by David Priestman

Doosan, manufacturer of robust high-performance forklift trucks, has launched two new ranges of high capacity electric counterbalance forklift trucks within the NXE Series, providing industrial users with a wide choice of zero-emission, low-noise level, environmentally friendly trucks capable of tackling heavy duty tasks. Both ranges have a compact new design for greater manoeuvrability in tight spaces and are built to Doosan’s exacting standards on durability and robust, reliable performance.

The powerful B80NS
Available in capacities from 8.0 to 10.0 tons, businesses across a broad spectrum of industry – from manufacturing, engineering, and foundries, to building supplies, transport and warehousing – will benefit from the improved capability, power and performance of Doosan’s latest heavy-lifting B80NS electric trucks. The versatility of electric power is now available in a durable and reliable heavy-lifting vehicle, built for working long-shifts in arduous conditions, making it a viable alternative to increasingly regulated IC Engine equivalents – all of which helps to save time and costs.

For those businesses requiring a truck for light to medium duties, Doosan has introduced a low-cost electric truck specified for the task.

The cost-efficient B60NX
The B60NX ‘value’ range, with three models covering a capacity range from 6.0 – 8.0 ton, offers the simple clean performance of electric power in a series of competitively priced high-capacity models – giving occasional users a reliable ‘buy new’ alternative to purchasing a second-hand or reconditioned forklift truck. Designed for light to medium duties, the B60NX range offers all that’s needed to get the job done – without needing to spend large. These compact zero-emission trucks are clean and quiet in operation, delivering safe, reliable performance exactly when it’s needed.

Extra Durable
Durability for outside duty is catered for in both ranges with IP65 rated controllers and motors, offering maximum resilience to water and dust. Also included as standard is an industry leading sealed, oil-cooled disc brake system, which is virtually maintenance free and lasts up to five times longer when compared to conventional shoe brakes. The sealed units protect against outside elements such as dirt, water and grit, ensuring top-rate braking performance for enhanced safety and increased productivity. With zero emissions, low noise levels and a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO), the new models across both ranges will appeal to businesses looking to boost environmental performance, while reducing costs.

Enhanced Productivity
A major productivity-boosting feature across the range is a compact design and tighter turning radius, giving a strong competitive edge over the average diesel truck of the same capacity. Smooth and responsive acceleration are assured with the 96V or 80V AC drive system, where a single or dual, powerful motor gives the unbeatable combination of power, performance and functionality. The all-round efficiency provided promises to boost productivity inside and outside the factory or warehouse.

Safety first
Doosan places a strong emphasis on safety in the design of their trucks, prioritising all-around visibility. The clear-view overhead guard and lower seat position provides 360 degrees of visibility. A prominent safety feature included as standard is the Automatic Speed Control function which adjusts the travel speed for safer cornering.

Stronger Ergonomics
The compact new design is combined with good ergonomics – taking safety, driver comfort, ease of maintenance and productivity fully into account. The spacious cab is designed for operator comfort and to reduce fatigue, with a fully adjustable premium Grammer seat as standard and excellent all-round visibility for safer manoeuvring with greater awareness. Other features included are an adjustable steering column, a low seat position for easy access and plenty of legroom. Everything a driver needs for maximum comfort during long shifts. Further, optional features within the cab include: MP3 radio player, HVAC integrated heating/cooling/ventilation system and a fingertip console with two-axis cross levers or ergonomic fingertip control.

Easy Maintenance
The new design takes ease of maintenance into account too. A tiltable cab (optional) on the B80NS provides simple, clear access to core components, along with improved accessibility to the controller and electric components, and a fast detachable backplate facilitates a swift battery change for multi-shift operations. The B60NX series comes with a full-opening side door, which makes battery replacement simple and straightforward using a pallet truck.

The new Doosan B60NX and B80NS ranges offer everything a business needs to feel confident in making the transition to using electric powered trucks for the heaviest of lifting duties.
Jan Droogendijk, Marketing Supervisor, Doosan Industrial Vehicles, says: “Companies that are currently considering contracts on high capacity IC Engine trucks should at least be looking at the possibility of switching to electric powered forklifts as a way of reducing their long term costs, improving safety and cutting their carbon footprint. Electric trucks have come a really long way in the past few years and are now, with these new additions, a highly viable alternative to IC Engine trucks for most applications.”

Workforce Wearables: Comfort and Mobility

Posted on by David Priestman

A few years ago, Matthew Marino of HeroWear worked with a warehouse stocker named John who had injured his back and was looking to get back to full duty. John’s job was important to him because he had a family to support. Working as a morning stocker, he was on his feet for 8 hours, pushing and pulling pallet jacks full of goods, constantly lifting, bending, and reaching, to stock his aisles before heading home to help his son. It’s no surprise that John became one of millions of Americans who missed time at work because of back pain.

John agreed to try using a back-assist exoskeleton while on modified duty. Matthew trained and supported him throughout his transition from modified to full duty. He used the exoskeleton until he no longer had any work restrictions from his doctor, and he was approved for full-duty work. He said he could feel the exoskeleton reducing strain in his back when he was bending and lifting. The assistance truly worked. Then one day John gave back the exoskeleton. Even though he said it worked, he didn’t want to use it anymore. Why?

While there was no doubt that the exoskeleton helped, John said it prevented him from doing his job and moving the way he wanted. He couldn’t get close to the items he needed to reach because the exoskeleton interfered. He couldn’t move in tight spaces and in between pallets because the exoskeleton stuck out too far around his body and got caught on shrink-wrap.
It helped relieve back strain, but that didn’t matter. Because it got in the way, John was done with the exoskeleton.

John’s story is a powerful lesson: if you are thinking about adopting new technology or new wearables for your workforce, physical assistance is not the only important factor. Whether it’s an exoskeleton that provides physical support or sensors that promote a safer workday, if wearables prevent workers from doing their job how they want to, adoption will be an uphill battle. That’s why comfortable workforce wearables that don’t restrict freedom of movement are more practical for many industries, especially fast-paced logistics environments. Logistics and warehouse workers need to be able to quickly adapt to any challenges they face to get their job done, which means they need full mobility, and zero distractions.

Lightweight, soft exosuits that are built to comfortably fit any body type and be worn all day have incredible potential to help workers who frequently bend and lift. Those are also the kind of workers that need protection. The wear and tear from the frequent forces and awkward postures their spines must endure during all that bending and lifting really adds up physically – not only over the course of a single day, but over the course of a career.

The good news is there are many new wearables for logistics companies wanting to find ways to protect their employees without sacrificing production. Companies have started using workforce wearables, including rigid exoskeletons or “soft-shell” exosuits, to lower the forces that increase the risk of chronic pain. Geodis began using passive exoskeletons for back support in 2017 and DHL published a report saying that soon delivery people “will be using exoskeletons to safely lift heavy weights.”

These companies and many others are using exoskeletons and exosuits that are already on the market and have been scientifically proven to reduce back strain, fatigue, and risk of injury from bending and lifting. But as we learned from John’s story, it’s critical that they are comfortable and don’t restrict freedom of movement. Thankfully, there are exosuits being implemented that are specifically designed to provide assistance without impacting mobility or comfort.

When it comes to the sensor side of workforce wearables, Walmart and Toyota are testing devices that alert workers who are engaging in risky movements. These devices collect data to give employers insights into which jobs, tasks or workers have the highest levels of injury risk, so that workplace design or equipment changes can be made to improve worker safety. They also provide feedback to workers to train them to avoid risky postures and movements. The testing found a reduction in injury risk across North America using the sensors.

But while exosuits must give user’s freedom of movement to be adopted, sensors have their own user-adoption hurdles: the “creepy factor” that some workers may feel toward data collection – including privacy and workplace-surveillance concerns. These challenges are being addressed by sensor providers and companies through privacy features, proper training, and awareness among workers.

The rise of workforce wearables is exciting because they could help fight a major problem: work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). OSHA said WMSDs are frequently the cause of lost or restricted work time and the annual cost from back pain domestically is $253 billion, according to the Bone and Joint Initiative. Amazon has started to direct financial resources to combat WMSDs with its WorkingWell program and Jeff Bezos has said that the company needs to tackle workplace injuries. They had reason to emphasize warehouse safety: Amazon recorded 5.6 injuries per 100 workers in 2019, while the (still-too-high) national average for the warehousing and storage sector was 4.8.

Workforce wearables can help protect workers who may be at-risk of suffering WMSDs, which could turn into chronic pain. But a major hurdle in the “War on WMSDs” is enthusiastic buy-in from the workers to properly use the wearables. We’ve learned from stories like John’s that buy-in is going to be a whole lot easier if the wearables are comfortable and maintain mobility. To enjoy the assistance of workforce wearables, workers must be willing to wear them. When they feel comfortable using a wearable and quickly see the difference it makes by improving their quality of life, the way physical work is done can change forever.

Subscribe

Get notified about New Episodes of our Podcast, New Magazine Issues and stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter.