Ergonomics and its relation to productivity

This past summer The FABRICATOR conducted its “What Keeps You up at Night?” survey that asks metal fabricators what exactly is causing them to lose sleep when it comes to running their businesses. A betting man who had witnessed steel prices climb to four times what they were just a year ago might have placed a heavy wager on material prices as being the No. 1 concern. He would have been wrong.

Fifty-three percent of those who responded to the every-other-year survey ranked the availability of skilled workers as the worry causing them sleepless nights. (Thirty-nine percent named material prices as their top concern.) This marked the same result as every other survey preceding it dating back to 2013.

That shouldn’t come as any surprise for those that actually follow the metal fabricating sector. Company owners and managers have lamented the lack of entry-level talent for years, and the need for new blood on the shop floor is greater than ever. The manufacturing economy is humming with loads of opportunities for those companies that can deliver quality parts and meet deadlines, and baby boomers are retiring at an increasing rate. The folks that have been the backbone of domestic manufacturing aren’t going to be around for the long run.

That leaves a metal fabricator with a predicament. It needs to ensure productivity remains high while at the same time not overburdening older workers, who might be more susceptible to injury when compared to younger co-workers. That’s why the focus on shop floor ergonomics is so important. These investments keep jobs moving toward completion and workers safe from potential lifting injuries.

Mark Grandusky, product sales manager, Gorbel, will discuss this concept during a webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m. Eastern time/1 p.m. Central time. His presentation, “Productivity, Profitability, and Safety: The G-Force Delivers Them All,” will focus on how Gorbel’s G-Force lifting device can help a metal fabricator achieve its production goals safely.

The G-Force, which attaches to a bridge crane, allows a single operator to lift and manipulate a heavy load with a simple movement of the device’s handle. In a “float mode,” the load attached to the lifting device can be moved precisely by the shop floor technician with just 0.5 lb. of force, so that the material or workpiece can be placed just where it needs to be.

The lifting device also is designed for speedy use as well, according to company officials. It can move as fast as 200 IPM.

Grandusky will explore these and other features of the G-Force during the webinar, which will also include multiple camera angles to give viewers a complete understanding of how the lifting device can help shop floor workers. Those with an interest in learning more can sign up for the webinar here.

A tool that can help metal fabricators move loads quickly and easily on the shop floor keeps productivity high and workers safe. Gorbel