Back Pain? Nobody has time for that!
Back Pain? Nobody has time for that!
“Oh my aching back!” is a statement all too common with ergonomic concerns (physical stress, strain, overexertion, repetitive motion, awkward postures, heavy lifting) plaguing the workforce for decades. As we all continue to age it should be no surprise that work-related injuries will continue to rise.
According to one study back pain affects about 62 percent (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) of industrial workers. This percentage should not be a surprise and should serve as a wake up call to employers. It is a known fact, repetitive motions required on a daily basis puts a tremendous amount of stress on the lower back which can lead to other health-related issues.
Employee safety is key for efficiency and productivity. As automation becomes more sophisticated companies are recognizing the competitive and safety benefits. The conversation is shifting to not if, but how is your company automating?
It’s critical for organizations to look at different ways to make employee safety a priority for both the young and old. A key first step is to automate the manual and tedious tasks so workers can be redeployed to areas where they will be safe, engaged and more productive in their work.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there were 888,220 nonfatal injuries and illnesses that caused a private industry worker to miss at least one day of work in 2019. Also reported, 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2019 with manufacturing among the top industries to account for most of these injuries. These figures translate to massive financial losses due to the loss of trained employees as well as workers compensation claims. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf
Organizations leveraging technology to automate strenuous and repetitive tasks are at the forefront in addressing safety and ergonomic issues. Businesses spend billions a year on injury and illness. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration state that companies can reduce these costs by 20%-40% by simply improving safety procedures.
An improved work environment not only increases safety among workers it also results in company savings through less paid time off due to workplace injury and insurance claims. Employers can definitely benefit from the efficiency and accuracy that automation brings. As noted by the World Economic Forum, robots are perfect for physically demanding or dangerous tasks for humans to carry out and, economically, they can work around the clock at a lower cost than human workers.
While automation eliminates the demand for physical and manual work, it allows employees additional time to devote to projects that require more creative thinking. Although having workers avoid a dangerous environment lessens the risk of injury on the job, it also reinforces to the employee that their well-being is at the forefront and they are an asset to the organization, resulting in increased employee moral.
Automated processes will also boost organizational efficiency. Tasks are completed at a faster pace and in a more consistent way increasing quality and creating less waste. Although some would argue that to implement automation is costly upfront, the overall expense saved in maintenance, time off, compensation claims and happier and healthy employees is much more cost effective in the long run.
In a nutshell, automation will increase productivity through safety and efficiency, which gives companies a competitive advantage and provides a better workplace. Delta has created hundreds of innovative designs and process solutions that have provided clients decades of success. Delta Technology can help businesses explore ways to increase workplace safety without a negative impact to production and revenue. If you are a manufacturer looking for the best way to incorporate automation into your products and production process, Delta Technology’s comprehensive platform and automation experts can help!