The mundane tasks associated with warehouse work are often cited as key reasons companies have trouble attracting and retaining help: Warehouse work isn’t glamorous, it’s not exciting, and it can be physically exhausting—whether you’re loading and unloading trucks, picking and packing items for an order, or traipsing up and down aisles to count inventory. But there may be a more practical reason job hunters steer clear of work that requires heavy lifting, bending, reaching, and excessive walking: the risk of injury.
The stress and strain associated with warehouse tasks can cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which are among the most frequently reported causes of lost or restricted work time, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Common warehouse MSDs include muscle strains, lower back and shoulder injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendinitis. And today’s fast-paced warehouse environment can exacerbate those problems.
Awareness of the risk of MSDs, along with OSHA standards for mitigating them, has sparked demand for ergonomic tools and equipment designed to ease the stress and strain associated with warehousing jobs. From wearable technologies to step-saving mobile workstations, there are many tools companies can use to create a more comfortable, safe warehouse. Here are examples of two solutions highlighted during the recent Modex material handling conference and trade show, held in Atlanta this past March.
LIGHTENING THE LOAD
Robotic technology has taken hold in warehouses around the world, primarily in the form of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and similar equipment designed to do some of the heavy lifting and repetitive movements required in today’s warehouse and distribution center (DC) operations. But there’s another kind of robotic technology designed to make life easier for workers tasked with lifting, twisting, and bending to handle heavy loads in the warehouse: “exosuits.” These are wearable robotics that help workers carry heavy loads by supporting their bodies and lessening the effort required for lifting.
Massachusetts-based robotics firm Verve Motion is making strides in this area, launching its SafeLift exosuit in 2020. It’s a soft, lightweight device that wears like a backpack and combines real-time motion sensing with robotic assistance to ease the load and improve lifting techniques. The battery-powered device contains sensors that collect safety data at the individual and team levels, allowing managers to track and evaluate performance via a cloud-based platform. The SafeLift suit alleviates roughly 40% of the strain on a worker’s back during a typical workday, according to Verve Motion, while helping to reduce injuries by as much as 85% and improve productivity between 3% and 7%.
Verve Motion enhanced the product this year with the addition of Verve Logic, an advanced analytics platform that takes the sensor data and identifies areas that pose injury risk to employees as they work, simultaneously offering coaching assistance to improve performance and reduce the potential for injury.
“The software delivers a sophisticated suite of actionable reports and insights, [homing] in on vital aspects such as ergonomic risk analysis, trend analysis, and exosuit utilization,” the company said in a statement announcing the release of the platform in March. “This powerful software empowers industrial workers and allows companies to optimize their facilities according to the unique demands of their tasks and environment.”
Used together, the exosuit and analytics platform are making a big impact in the warehouse, according to a customer study by Verve Motion. Ninety-seven percent of workers surveyed said the solution helped with daily tasks and enhanced their job performance; 83% said the solution improved their lifting posture, a key factor in reducing workplace injuries and promoting long-term health; and 98% said they would recommend the exosuit to a co-worker.
MOBILIZING FOR SAFETY
Mobile workstations are another way to ease the fatigue that comes from working in the warehouse: They can help reduce workers’ back-and-forth travel time throughout the facility, essentially allowing them to bring the workstation to the work. They’re kind of like a nurse’s cart for the warehouse, explains Kevin Ledversis, vice president of sales for Newcastle Systems, another Massachusetts-based company focused on improving worker safety, health, and efficiency.
Newcastle Systems showcased its Apex Series powered workstations at the Modex show in March. The electric, height-adjustable ergonomic carts provide mobile power to multiple devices—including laptops, tablets, LCDs, touchscreens, barcode printers, and scanners—at the same time and for more than eight hours. Among their benefits, they eliminate the need for costly cable drops and extension cords, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. And they promote worker comfort: The adjustable height range can accommodate any worker, and the sit/stand option allows workers to alternate between sitting and standing for personal comfort—both of which help minimize physical strain and promote overall well-being.
The carts are frequently used for shipping and receiving tasks and at loading docks, improving processes and productivity, and making workers happier on the job—a factor Ledversis says is critical in today’s competitive work environment.
“For the company, [the carts] save time and money. For the worker, they [help reduce] fatigue,” he explains. “And when you give people [the right] tools, you may retain them longer.”
