一个符合人体工程学设计的工作场所对于提高老龄劳动力和底层工人的安全至关重要

An ergonomically designed workplace is imperative to improve worker safety for the aging workforce and the bottom line   BY KATIE KUEHNER-HEBERT 

有一个符合人体工程学设计的仓库，以及培训工人如何安全地进行体力劳动，可以提高工人的幸福感和工作效率，也可以潜在降低工人的薪酬成本。

Having an ergonomically designed warehouse and training workers how to safely perform

physical tasks can improve their wellbeing and productivity—as well as potentially minimize

workers’ compensation costs.

 （索斯沃斯关于人体工程学的研究，可点击链接获取更多信息）

CNA Insurance co .的数据显示，实际上，在所有工人的补偿金索赔中，约有三分之一乃至一半与手动物料处理任务有关。此外，手动材料处理是造成工伤损失的最大单一原因。受伤的原因诸如举升、搬运、推或拉东西的方向不对，举起的重量超出工人的能力。 

Indeed, about a third to as much as half of all workers’ comp claims are associated with manual material handling tasks, according to CNA Insurance Co.Moreover, manual material handling is the largest single cause of lost workday injuries. One out of every four workrelated

injuries happen because someone lifted, carried, pushed or pulled something the wrong way, or lifted beyond his or her capacity. 

MHI成员Southworth公司的业务发展总监兼EASE委员会主席Jim Galante说:“至于工伤损失的原因，没有什么能与之相比。”EASE委员会是MHI的一个工业组织。 

“With respect to the cause of lost time injuries in the industrial workplace, nothing comes close,” said Jim Galante, director of business development for MHI member Southworth Products Corp. and chair of the EASE Council, an MHI Industry Group. 

“工人索赔不断上升，导致企业的保险费不断上涨，并在三到五年内保持高位，即使在此期间没有额外索赔，”加兰特说。

“Workers’ compensation claims are escalating, causing companies’ insurance premiums to rise and remain elevated for three to five years, even if they have no additional claims during

this time,” Galante said.

他引用美国劳工统计局(Bureau of Labor Statistics)的数据说，产业工人的老龄化加剧了索赔成本。大约25年前，仓库工人的平均年龄是27岁，但今天的平均年龄是48岁，而且这一趋势将至少持续15年。

Claims costs are being exacerbated by the fact that the industrial worker has aged, he said, citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 25 years ago, 27 was the average age of a warehouse worker, but today the average age is 48, and this trend will continue for at least 15 years. 

他说:“随着工人年龄的增长，他们的体力和灵活性会下降，体力劳动的能力也会下降。”“他们的柔韧性较差，更容易疲劳，往往导致更多的受伤。”

“As workers age, their strength and agility decrease, as does their ability to do physical work,” he said. “They are less flexible and they fatigue more quickly, often resulting in more injuries.” 

另一个加剧员工薪酬索赔成本的问题是肥胖。杜克大学医学中心(Duke University Medical Center)的一项分析发现，与非肥胖员工相比，肥胖员工申请工伤赔偿的次数是后者的两倍，医疗费用是后者的7倍，因工伤或疾病而损失的天数是后者的13倍。 

Another issue exacerbating workers’ comp claims costs is obesity. A Duke University Medical Center analysis found that obese workers filed twice the number of workers’ comp claims, had seven times higher medical costs from those claims and lost 13 times more days of work from work injury or work illness than did non-obese workers. 

加兰特说:“肥胖的人通常不具备处理许多手动材料所需的肌肉量、灵活性或有氧能力。”“工程干预通过将工作定位到对工人有利的位置，起到了巨大的作用。” 

“Obese people typically don’t have the muscle mass, agility or aerobic capacity needed for many manual material handling tasks,” Galante said. “Engineering interventions make a huge difference by positioning the work to the advantage of the worker.”

他说，减少弯曲、伸展和搬运材料的设备不仅大大减少了受伤的可能性，还将提高效率和生产力。

Devices that reduce bending, reaching, and carrying material not only substantially reduce the possibility of injury, they will also increase efficiency and productivity, he said. 

例如，定位器将托盘装载到合适的高度——人体工程学的“神奇窗口”离地面76到102厘米。旋转托盘的定位器使负载的物品更加接近工人;减少步行是提高效率的关键。 

For example, positioners hold pallet loads to a proper height—the ergonomic “magic window” of 30 inches to 40 inches from the floor. Positioners that rotate pallets bring loads close to workers; reducing their walking is key to increasing efficiency. 

另一个工程干预的例子是高铰链倾斜装置，它使工人能够拿取容器底部的产品。

Another example of an engineering intervention is high hinge tilters, which enable workers to gain access to products at the bottom of containers. 

加兰特说:“使用倾斜器可以很容易地挑选成千上万的小部件——当容器倾斜时，高铰链会使容器上升。”

“Picking thousands of small parts are made easy by using tilters—the high hinge causes the container to elevate as it tilts,” Galante said.

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MHI成员动力技术有限责任公司的运营副总裁、EASE委员会副主席Amy Blueter说，现在更多的制造商都在使用外骨骼、可穿戴设备和自动化设备，这减少了对工人的开销需求。

Amy Blueter, vice president of operations at MHI member Kinetic Technologies LLC and the EASE Council vice chair, said that more manufacturers are now leveraging exoskeletons, wearables, and automation, which reduces the need for workers to reach overhead. 

Blueter说:“外骨骼系统的使用主要在大型制造企业中增加，但我们开始看到这一趋势在广泛传播。”“此外，机器人和自动导航车辆的使用也在增加，这有助于减少手工任务、相关伤害和工人索赔。”

“The use of exoskeletons is growing primarily among big manufacturing companies, but we’re starting to see this gain more steam widespread,” Blueter said. “Moreover, there’s an increase in the use of robotics and automated guided vehicles, which helps to decrease manual tasks and associated injuries and workers’ comp claims.”

EASE委员会的成员们正在帮助公司通过最大限度地减少人体工程学带来的压力来减少工人的补偿要求。

Members of the EASE Council are helping companies reduce workers’ comp claims by minimizing the stress of bad ergonomics.

 她说:“通过这样做，工人的效率和生产力得到提高。”“随着工作变得更容易，员工们会更快乐、更健康，他们也不会受伤，因为所有东西都处于与他们身体相对的正确位置。”

“By doing this, workers’ efficiency and productivity increases,” she said. “Workers are happier and healthier as their workday gets easier and they’re not getting hurt because everything is in the proper position relative to their bodies.”

 此外，他们不太可能辞职或提前退休，这弥补了劳动力短缺的问题，Blueter说。

Moreover, they are less likely to quit or retire early, which offsets the labor workforce shortage problem, Blueter said.

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（本文英文由KATIE KUEHNER-HEBERT撰写, 原载于MHI Solutions，中文由索斯沃斯市场部翻译）