An ergonomic study for 6s workplace improvement

This paper presents a workplace ergonomic study in a high-end server manufacturing environment to assess ergonomics risks and enhance the Lean transformation. Operators perform heavy and repetitive lifting and movement of products could place stress on their back and upper extremities. Forceful exertions to move a manual forklift in the workplace area could lead to fatigue and possible damage to muscles and other tissues. The objective of this study is to reduce ergonomics risks to an acceptable level and provide operators with the right tools and proper work environment. Digital human modeling based on the Jack software, is used for risk assessment. Results are analyzed to provide proper solutions. Ergonomic risks assessed include: force and posture risks, noise, vibration, temperature, and illumination. Lean process is implemented in the workplace to reduce the Lean wastes that include waiting time, transportation, and non-value-add processes. Ergonomic improvements are introduced to complement and support the Lean process implementation. Three main ergonomic risks are found to be high and could affect the operators: energy expenditure, posture, and back force. Several modifications are implemented to reduce these risks: the manual forklift is replaced with an automated forklift that is easy to move and requires less human effort, the workplace area is expanded to provide more work space, and the operators are provided with proper tools to perform the task without risk.