1. Ergonomic Workbenches Support Your Lean Processes
Both Ergonomics and Lean initiatives have productivity gains as a common goal. Ergonomics focuses on employee productivity, while Lean processes look at the overall productivity of the organization. There is a clear overlap between Lean and Ergonomic initiatives, and they both complement each other quite nicely. To meet the overall productivity in the workplace, lean professionals can benefit from ergonomic principles. For instance, designing workstations with respect to workers’ capabilities and limitations can decrease worker fatigue and fewer human errors. Alternatively, Ergonomics professionals can benefit from Lean principles to improve worker’s productivity. As an illustration: waste reduction is a significant component of Lean initiatives that can bring various benefits to workers, such as decreased unnecessary motion, walking, handling, and force that all improve the workplace ergonomics.
Ergonomic workbenches play a critical role in creating an ergonomically sound industrial work environment. Planning the workbench correctly by placing tools and supplies in the appropriate reach zones will help reduce waste in the form of unnecessary repetitive motions. A poorly adjusted workbench, for example, will force the employee to frequently bend or reach to get to components, connection points, and tools. Those motions would be considered unnecessary. The extra time a worker spends on reaching, searching, or bending over time adds up to a noticeable waste of working time. Thanks to adjustable height workbenches and a well-thought-out positioning of accessories for storage, tool support, and IT equipment, you can save considerable time. And by avoiding superfluous motions, the ergonomics of a task improve as well.
2. Employee Retention and Wellbeing
In today’s economy, employee retention, especially for industrial workers, is a critical success factor. If a task is unnecessarily tiring or includes many straining motions, chances are that your employees become less engaged and, as a consequence, start looking for a new job more quickly. A high employee turnover is costly for your organization, and keeping experienced employees with your company longer can be a significant competitive advantage. Adjustable height workbenches contribute to increased worker wellbeing, which will pay off in increased employee retention. Investing in custom benches suited to their needs will make your employees feel more appreciated. To enhance this effect, it is a best practice to consult with employees directly on how you can improve their workbench set-up. The truth is, employees work better when they feel appreciated. An ergonomic workbench will significantly improve employee satisfaction, which will, in turn, improve your bottom line. Investing in adjustable workbenches for your employees means adopting a smart, new attitude. It means your focus is on not just getting the job done but getting the job done right. Developing an ergonomic philosophy for our workspace will spill out into other parts of your business and encourage prosperity and success.
3. Workbench Customization for Optimized Performance
Many modular workbenches offer considerable flexibility in finding an excellent set-up for a wide range of typical tasks. In the planning process, good 3D workbench configurators can help lay a station out and to review it from all angles. As tasks change, so can the workbench set-up adjust quickly. But depending on the task, it is likely that a standard modular workbench can’t offer the perfect solution. This is when it is worth asking your workbench supplier for a custom solution. They can be as simple as just an adjustment in the size or angle of a shelf or as elaborate as a large station with an integrated conveyor, a tilting work surface, or an L-Shaped configuration, to just name a few. No matter if you have a small or large-scale operation, chances are that a custom solution will reward you with a quick ROI in productivity thanks to gains in productivity, accuracy, and employee health. At BOSTONtec about 60% of our orders are custom to make sure our workbenches fit the application perfectly, and our customers can reap the full benefits.
Invest in Height Adjustable Workbenches
Injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders happen regularly at industrial job sites. But workers’ health is not all that’s lost. Because of a lack of ergonomics, many job sites every year don’t work as efficiently as they could. Height adjustable workbenches just could be the first step your company takes to forge a new path. For more information, contact us today.
