Ergonomics

Ergonomics
◉ The study of people's efficiency in
their working environment.
◉ Ergonomics is about how people,
based on their physical capabilities,
can best organize and conduct their
activities.
 Ergonomics

◉ Ergonomics, which is also known as

human factors, is a systematic order
which is in the process of understanding
and improving human communications
with types of products, equipment,
environments and systems.
 Ergonomics
◉ Ergonomics is aimed at developing and
applying knowledge and techniques to
enhance system performance.
◉ It also focuses on the health, safety, and
well-being of the individuals involved.
◉ The concentration of ergonomics is further
taken across work, leisure and other aspects
of our daily lives.
 Ergonomics
"Ergonomics is the science of human
engineering, which involves designing a
workplace that fits a person physical
dimensions, with the intent of preventing
work-related injuries and illnesses and
increase comfort and productivity"
 Origin of the Word Ergonomics

◉ Derived from the Greek words

ergo (work) and nomos (natural
laws).
Wrong work place design
 Wrong work place design

◉ Not enough space for moving it may

injure the spine.
Solutions :
• Provide worker with Adjustable table,
◉ The table doesn’t allow enough room adjustable chair

underneath for the worker's to move

and Uncomfortable chair.
 Wrong work place design
◉ Sits for long hours on uncomfortable chair with
no back support .
◉ bend her neck and back .
◉ Pulls the materials with left hand as she sews.
◉ Press pedal for sewing machine all-day with
bare feet.
◉ Pressure on the back of leg.
 Wrong work place design

◉ Solution: Provide adjustable treadle so

the worker can place it in a comfortable
position and get as close to the table as
possible

◉ Use job/task rotation through tasks that

do not require constant leg pressure and
awkward leg posture.
Fine work
 Fine work
◉ Acute visual requirements, coupled with
intense wrist, hand, finger movements
excessive bending for back and neck

◉ Bad ventilation

◉ Insufficient lighting may cause eye

fatigue and headache.
Solution:
• Use adjustable task lighting to
make it easier for the worker
to see product during set up
 Not sufficient work place
design

◉ The machine stands on workers

hollow that prevent them from

moving easily.

Solution :

• We should redesign the work place and put the

machine in more suitable place
 Not sufficient work place
design
◉ Repetitive motion for very long
hours & bending wrist may case
carpal tunnel syndrome.

Solution :

• To prevent ergonomic injures workers should be

encouraged to rotate tasks or take frequent, short
breaks to stretch and relax muscles.
 Bad design poor hand
grip may cause
◉ Cuts ,strain, blisters stress on
fingers

Solution :

• Using good grips tools.

• Avoid using more force than the job requires ,use
partially automated tools to reduce force and
repetition of pinch grip.
 Quality check point

◉ Require workers to stand for very

long period of time that may
injure the spine

Solution :

• Provide sit/stand workstations, which encourage

changing posture & provide external support or
frequent movement.
 Packaging
◉ Over exertion on arm and shoulders
it may cause fatigue.
◉ Bending the spinal.
◉ Repetitive motion.
◉ Standing for long hours.
◉ No space for moving his feet.
 Packaging

Solution :

◉ Provide table next to him so he wont

stretch his arm.
◉ They Should redesign the work place
to provide the worker external
support or frequent movement.
 Packaging
◉ Workers repeatedly bend at the
waist and reach into transportation
containers to load the materials ,
causing stress on the back and
arms injury.
Solution :
• Use height-adjustable carts to reduce the need to
bend or reach into the carts or provide her with
good chair.
 Handling materials

◉ Awkward postures, Repeated torso

twisting while lifting which may
result in back and shoulder injuries.

◉ Lifting objects with arms fully

extended or lifting from floor level or
above shoulder level.
 Handling materials

Solutions:

◉ Design stations to allow most lifts at

waist level

◉ Use mechanical lifts, ceiling tracks or

carts to transport the fabric to reduce
the risk of injury to the workers.
 Handling materials

◉ Ladder not safe with no breaks so

the worker may fall down.

◉ over exertion on arm & stress on

shoulders joints.
 Material loading

◉ The worker is climbing on the

shelves to load the stock garments

its dangerous & he may falls and
may break some bones .

Solutions:

• provide the workers with a suitable ladder .

 Bad ventilation & hot
place
◉ They should isolate the ironing

section because it affect the other

sector bending and stress on
shoulder
 Lightening

◉ Poor lighting at work can lead to:

eye strain, fatigue headaches, stress

and accidents
 Lightening
◉ On the other hand, too much light
can also cause health and safety
problems such as “glare” headaches
and stress.

◉ Both can lead to mistakes at work,

poor quality and low productivity
Solution: Good lighting and avoid in terms of improved
productivity, and a reduction in errors.
 Noise

◉ Too much worker with so many

machines.
Unsafe floor
 Unsafe floor

• There is a role in the factory that force

worker to clean the work place around them
and its an attempt to maintain workplace
clean .
• Baring feet Lake of cleaning tools Bending &
flexion harmful dust.
solution:
• Must provide enough cleaning tools provide face masks
◉ Un healthy work environment
that may pollute the place and
affect the worker negatively.
◉ Uncomfortable environment for
work
◉ Uncovered cables
◉ Storing stuff in wrong place may
disable the workers movement
and may cause injuries
◉ Worker awareness
◉ Safety Precautions
 Ergonomics concept

 To ensure the continuous

development and productivity of
companies, employers must ensure
the comfort and health of their
employees by adopting an ergonomic
approach to the design of workspaces.
Leather Production Systems
 Leather Production Systems

 The leather production systems are a

combination of production processes,
materials handling, personnel and
equipment that direct workflow and
produce finished garments
 Leather Production Systems

 The names of the production systems are

based on the various factors like utilization
of a number of machines to assemble a
leather product , layout of machines, total
number of operators involved to produce a
leather product and number of pieces
moving in a production line during the
production of a garment.
 Types of Leather Production Systems

◉ Straight Line System

◉ Conventional Bundle System

◉ Progressive Bundle System

◉ Unit Production System

◉ Modular Manufacturing System

Straight Line System
 1.Straight Line System
◉ Very successful and popular mass production
system in the 50’s but not so today
◉ Production unit is single leather product ,
assembled in sequence and passes from
operation to operation.
◉ Layout planned and chutes are custom made
with operator seated behind/opposite the next
one.
 1. Straight Line System

◉ Work fed by gravity chutes or pushing

along bench, conveyor can be used.
◉ All operations takes same time to
complete. Each operator make same
amount of money determined by
output at end of the line.
Conventional
Bundle System
 2. Conventional Bundle System

◉ A common system of mass production in

the 60’s
◉ Production unit is a bundle of cut parts to
be assembled into certain number of
product. Specific quantity of parts in the
bundle is determined by number of fabric
plies and weight of bundle.
 2. Conventional Bundle System

◉ The operator receives bundle from

central store, unties bundle, perform the
sewing, cuts ticket and reties bundle.
◉ She the returns bundle back to store
where it waits until the next operation
and the process repeats until the product
is completed.
• Operators of specialized skills are independently working
at own pace and paid by piece rates.
Progressive Bundle System
 3.Progressive Bundle System
◉ Widely used system in the 70’s
◉ Engineered operations are laid out in
sequence.
◉ Each operators does her bundle and
passes it directly to the next operators, as
the product are gradually assembled as
they flow sequentially in bundle form.
 3.Progressive Bundle System

◉ If bundle truck/clump truck used, bundle

tying is often not required.
◉ Inter-process bundles are temporarily stored
in between neighboured operations.
◉ The amount of machinery for each
operations is determined by the output
required.
Unit Production System
 4. Unit Production System
◉ Major advance made in the 80’s when computers
were used to plan, control and direct the work
flow through the system.
◉ The production unit is a single garment. All
parts of a product unit is clamped by a carrier
which automatically transports from station to
station along the overhead transportation
system.
 4. Unit Production System
◉ The work stations are so designed that the components are presented at the
earliest position for handling.
◉ Many operations can be performed without removing the work from the
carrier.
◉ After sewing, disposal is automatic as the operator press a button and the
carrier progresses to the next operation according to a pre-determined
sequence.
 Modular
Manufacturing
System
 5. Modular Manufacturing System

◉ Used successfully in Japan, Europe and US since 90’s

◉ Groups operators into teams or modules of 5-17 crossed trained

operators.

◉ The team work on one product at a time with operators standing at

their work stations and rotate to different machines as they work.

 5. Modular Manufacturing System

◉ It can assemble an entire product or sub-assembly of more complex

product. Arrangement follows a logical operation breakdown.

◉ 25The team inspects their own work, besides inspiring teamwork and

improving morale, it enhances quality and reduces worker turnover.

 5. Modular Manufacturing System

◉ Layout is usually in a U-shape with more

workplaces than operators.

◉ Operators move between operations

within module whenever extra WIP
exists.
 5. Modular Manufacturing System

◉ Team paid as a group for work quantity and quality, or a time basis

instead of the traditional piecework system.

◉ Time spent per product is also little; e.g. T-shirt 3 mins, Pull-on pants 6

mins., unstructured jacket 25 mins., lined blazer 40 mins., tailored coat

120 mins.
THANK YOU !!
By: Biniyam.Solomon