Comments on: Safety and Lean Manufacturing http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/ Thoughts and insights from the shop floor. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:58:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mark http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-7313 Mark Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:11:46 +0000 http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-7313 Jill - Not research findings, specifically. The person who brought me to the understanding was Franz Schneider of <a href="http://www.humantech.com/" rel="nofollow">HumanTech</a> (see the comments above yours here). He related his experience teaching ergo at a Toyota plant, and their follow-up had been to apply kaizen methods to ergo, and they ended up saving a lot of time. However, there is common sense. If you take side-by-side comparisons of the actual motions, with and without application of ergonomics, there are longer motions, more motions involved with bad ergonomics than good ergonomics. Rather than making it a case of rational justification, go down and have them watch a work cycle and break down every single motion they see. How many of those motions add no value? How many of those motions could be eliminated while improving ergonomics at the same time? "Time is the shadow of motion." The way to save time is to study motion itself, and focus on reducing unnecessary motions. Of the motions which DO actually add value, how many could be improved by making the ergonomics better? And, at the end of the day, the human body is a well understood machine. We know, in great detail, how well it can perform. While we would not operate a piece of capital equipment beyond its "redline" why do we routinely do so with people? Jill -
Not research findings, specifically. The person who brought me to the understanding was Franz Schneider of HumanTech (see the comments above yours here). He related his experience teaching ergo at a Toyota plant, and their follow-up had been to apply kaizen methods to ergo, and they ended up saving a lot of time.

However, there is common sense. If you take side-by-side comparisons of the actual motions, with and without application of ergonomics, there are longer motions, more motions involved with bad ergonomics than good ergonomics.

Rather than making it a case of rational justification, go down and have them watch a work cycle and break down every single motion they see. How many of those motions add no value? How many of those motions could be eliminated while improving ergonomics at the same time? “Time is the shadow of motion.” The way to save time is to study motion itself, and focus on reducing unnecessary motions.

Of the motions which DO actually add value, how many could be improved by making the ergonomics better?

And, at the end of the day, the human body is a well understood machine. We know, in great detail, how well it can perform. While we would not operate a piece of capital equipment beyond its “redline” why do we routinely do so with people?

]]> By: Jill http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-7271 Jill Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:55:09 +0000 http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-7271 Mark, In your 2008 post you stated that "Motions with poor ergonomics nearly always take longer than motions with good ergonomics. To put it a little more clearly: Ergonomic improvements are kaizen." This seems incontestable from a logical perspective, but cynics always ask for the evidence that this is so. Do you have any evidence or research findings that support improved safety via better ergonomics? Mark,
In your 2008 post you stated that “Motions with
poor ergonomics nearly always take longer than motions with good ergonomics. To
put it a little more clearly: Ergonomic improvements are kaizen.” This seems incontestable from a logical perspective, but cynics always ask for the evidence that this is so. Do you have any evidence or research findings that support improved safety via better ergonomics?

]]> By: Mark http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-2451 Mark Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:36:13 +0000 http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-2451 Mike - Thanks for the comment. I would hope you and I have good alignment on the concept since I am essentially repeating what I learned from Franz Schneider(!) :) Mike -
Thanks for the comment. I would hope you and I have good alignment on the concept since I am essentially repeating what I learned from Franz Schneider(!) :)

]]> By: Mike Wynn http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-2446 Mike Wynn Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:42:01 +0000 http://theleanthinker.com/2008/03/18/safety-and-lean-manufacturing/#comment-2446 Mark - great post and thanks for raising this issue! I'd like to add one point: within TPS, the priorities are actually very clearly laid out - Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost. You can't expect a manufacturing cell or production line to be stable if the individual workstations are not optimized for human operators. Another point to consider is that by focusing on the ergonomics of a particular workstation, the opportunity for actual shopfloor engagement is much higher because improvements are being made that directly affect the operator (positively) by removing pain and fatigue from the job. Mark - great post and thanks for raising this issue! I’d like to add one point: within TPS, the priorities are actually very clearly laid out - Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost. You can’t expect a manufacturing cell or production line to be stable if the individual workstations are not optimized for human operators. Another point to consider is that by focusing on the ergonomics of a particular workstation, the opportunity for actual shopfloor engagement is much higher because improvements are being made that directly affect the operator (positively) by removing pain and fatigue from the job.

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