From data to decision: A case study on ergonomics in manufacturing automation

Summary

Manufacturing process development is often technology and business oriented. The development of human work in this context is often neglected to a certain extent. With the use of ergonomics tools and methods, it is possible to identify targets for development and justify development investments also from the human work improvement perspective. For that purpose, physical ergonomics data were collected through video observations. In addition, occupational health and safety (OHS) and productivity indicator data were collected. In a series of group interviews, participants representing management and designers discussed the strengths and weaknesses of these data when it comes to decision-making on manufacturing development and related investments. As an outcome, the company decided to invest in production automation in the welding unit to avoid ergonomic problems and to increase productivity.