saudi turf team Anti-Fatigue Matting in Workstation Design

saudi turf team Anti-Fatigue Matting in Workstation Design

With the age of the standard workforce getting older, it is very important to use anti-fatigue mats and matting to put operators in a good ergonomic position. Unfortunately, injuries related to repetitive lifting are commonplace in most current manufacturing facilities. This is mostly due to the fact that the operators work cell was not laid out correctly in the first place. Following is a guideline to reference when laying out a new work cell.

There are many things to consider when laying out a new work cell. The four main items are part pick/placement height, walking distance to complete a work cycle, time spent standing and tools needed to complete the job.

First, the time spent standing in a work cell can take a toll on an operator's body. When an operator stands or walks on hard flooring for more than two hours a day, it greatly increases the chances of foot, leg, or lower back pain. In a situation where this occurs, it is recommended that anti-fatigue or ergonomic matting is placed in the work cell. With the new materials on the market today, there is little excuse why you could not put a ergonomic mat in almost any environment.

Currently, there is matting specific for the following environments; autoclavable mats, food production mats, welding mats, chemical resistance mats, clean room mats, grease resistant mats and many more. A comfortable employee can not only make the working environment more positive, but can also reduce the number of breaks needed due to fatigue.

Next, when laying out a new work cell, the amount of steps needed for an operator to complete a single cycle is very important. There are two main reasons for this:

1. Each step an operator takes results in increased cycle time. More steps equals increase cycle time, which, in turn, means less production. In a manufacturing facility that runs three shifts, an extra 

2 seconds per cycle could mean a drastic increase in production.

2. Each step an operator takes means more energy exerted by the operator. Not only can you increase your productivity just by laying out your work cell to reduce the steps needed to complete a job, but when an operator expends less energy to do a job, he/she is more fresh near the end of the shift.

Many industrial applications require the operator to do some sort of repetitive movement/lifting. Typically, this is the main cause for injury in an industrial application. The amount a weight an operator has to lift combined with the heights they have to lift from should be taken into consideration. There are several ways to analyze if your workcell could potentially have problems, but a simple way to calculate if you might have a problem is to use the NIOSH (National Institute of Organizational Safety and Health) Lifting Calculator.

The common sense approach will also work, if the application is going to require repetitive lifting of components weighing over 25 lbs, it is probably wise to put some sort of lifting device in place. A correctly designed lifting device will not only take the lifting load off the operator, but can also increase productivity. To work in conjunction with the lifting device, a lift table is commonly used.

A lift table alone may be all you need to correct a bad ergonomic situation. By consistently picking and placing in a good ergonomic position (above the waist and below the shoulders), the operators save the time from not having to bend over. Many injuries occur from lifting below your waist or above your shoulders. Hence, a lift table can be an inexpensive way to prevent operator injury due to strain.

Lastly, in many assembly environments operators are required to use hand tools in order to complete their task. The most typical type of tool is the small tool typically weighing under 5 lbs. Hand and wrist injury are typically seen in these areas.

In situations like this, a small tool balancer to support the weight of the tool will take the weight off the operator. Tools like this can put a large amount of torque on operators over time. In situations like this, a torque reaction arm could be considered. A torque reaction arm is a rigid arm that takes the torque of the gun off the operators.