Companies are constantly on the lookout for new ways to increase productivity, reduce costs, and enhance safety. One key area helping organizations achieve these goals is ergonomics, the science of designing and arranging things so people can use them efficiently and safely.
However, the ergonomic assessment process has traditionally been manual, time-consuming, and error-prone. Thankfully, recent technological advances have fixed these pain points. This article will explore how automation transforms how companies conduct ergonomic assessments, allowing companies to maximize the benefits of this powerful workplace safety tool.
Traditional ergonomic assessments typically involve an expert physically observing a worker's actions, taking measurements, and noting potential problem areas. The expert would then analyze the data collected, identify risks, and recommend interventions to reduce the likelihood of injuries. However, this manual approach can be time-consuming, subjective, and susceptible to human error.
Consider a worker in a large warehouse whose job mainly involves heavy lifting and moving boxes. To assess the worker's ergonomic risk factors, a health and safety expert comes into the warehouse and observes as the worker performs their tasks. They note how the worker bends to pick up boxes, how high they have to reach to place them on shelves, and how much they twist their body during these actions.
Using a goniometer, an instrument that measures angles, they may measure the angles at which the worker bends and reaches and jots down these measurements manually, along with observations about postures. After the observation period, they review their notes, calculate the risk factors based on the measurements and postures, and identify potential problems. For example, they might notice that the worker often bends at the waist instead of the knees when picking up boxes, increasing the risk of back injuries.
However, the problem with this approach is that the health and safety expert cannot always be present. If the worker's movements change when they aren’t observing, these changes will go unnoticed. Additionally, assessments are influenced by their own subjective judgment and interpretation of what they observe, leading to potential inconsistencies.
Technology is a game-changer that is reshaping ergonomic assessments. Thanks to advancements in AI, machine learning, and particularly computer vision, the process of evaluating a worker's ergonomics can now be largely automated.
Computer vision, a field of AI that enables computers to interpret and understand visual data, has proven to be a crucial asset in ergonomic assessments. This technology can be used to analyze footage of workers performing tasks and automatically identify risky postures or movements that could lead to injury.
Machine learning plays a complementary role. It allows the system to learn from the data it collects and improve its accuracy over time. This ensures that the technology can adapt to new situations and continue to provide valuable insights.
With automation, ergonomic assessments are more precise, objective, and efficient. Automation eliminates the need for a human expert to be present during every task, allowing for constant monitoring without disrupting workflow. This continuous monitoring can also track changes in worker behaviors over time, providing a more comprehensive view of ergonomic risks.
Revisiting our warehouse example above, let's imagine this time that their company has implemented an automated ergonomic assessment system. Instead of having the health and safety expert observe the worker manually, a camera is set up in the warehouse. This camera records as they move around, lift boxes, and place them on shelves.
The computer vision system then analyzes the footage, identifying and measuring the worker's movements and postures, calculating the angles of bends and reaches, and identifying risky movements such as twisting at the waist. It can do this continuously and in real-time, capturing changes in the worker's behavior throughout the day.
Machine learning algorithms analyze this data and generate a risk score for different parts of the worker's body. The system can then provide immediate feedback, alerting workers if they’re adopting risky postures and suggesting safer alternatives. With this automated system, the worker's movements are monitored continuously, not just when an expert is present, and the data is interpreted objectively, reducing the risk of subjective judgment.
The era of manual and subjective ergonomic assessments gives way to a new age of automation, promising greater precision, objectivity, and efficiency. Innovators like TuMeke are at the forefront of this revolution, offering solutions that identify ergonomic risks and empower companies to manage these risks effectively.
TuMeke has developed an innovative solution that uses computer vision and machine learning to perform automated ergonomic assessments. Their platform, accessible through a smartphone or web app, enables companies to carry out ergonomic assessments without needing wearables or other equipment. All it requires is a phone camera or an uploaded video recording for the system to analyze and identify risky postures, visualize joint angles, and provide a comprehensive risk analysis.
In addition, TuMeke offers the Risk Suite, a web platform that allows for managing videos and assessment results across teams and devices. It also provides directional guidance on what to focus on and a dashboard to manage Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk across the company.
Integrating automation in ergonomic assessments offers companies a more objective, efficient, and effective way to identify, evaluate, and mitigate ergonomic risks. As such, these advancements revolutionize workplace safety and ergonomics, reducing injury rates and fostering healthier, more productive workplaces.
Automated systems offer data-driven insights that enable safety professionals to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies for injury prevention. In this way, automation serves as a tool that empowers rather than displaces human expertise. Safety professionals can devote more time to developing and implementing interventions by automating the tedious data collection and analysis tasks.
A pioneer in the field, TuMeke Ergonomics, is dedicated to eradicating workplace musculoskeletal injuries. Their team of engineers, ergonomists, academics, and problem solvers, created a modern ergonomic risk assessment platform. Book a demo today to discover how TuMeke can assist in preventing your next workplace injury.
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