Reducing manual effort of up and downloading activities at Coats Odorhei

MSDs cause ill health  It is obvious that East European companies did not have robust politics to monitor the rules for preventing the negative effects on the employees’ health.  Ergonomical regulations were not respected for decades, proper lifting equipment was not used when handling materials.  The underlying idea of this study is to present solutions for preventing these negative effects.

Presentation of up and down loading activity at Coats Odorhei  Coats Odorhei have respected the European legislation and the Health&Safety politics of the mother company from United Kingdom right from the moment of its set up.  When starting the production at COD, as mechanic devices for handling weights were used three electrical forklifts, four hand pallets and two other lifting equipments with specific destination and trolleys for transport of dyed thread in the dye house and final winding.  The other transport activities were done manually due to the insufficient number of handling and transporting equipment.

Problems of absenteeism low spirit – some findings of the risk assessment and of discussion with the employee  The analysis concerning the medical examination at employment and made by the company’s consultant physician and the absenteeism statistics revealed the fact that a significant part of the middle aged employees suffers from skeletal-muscular diseases.  At monthly risk assessment carried out by the members of Health&Safety Committee during the four years of activity there were revealed some offences were noticed in the risk assessment records and discussed at the monthly Health&Safety meeting attended by the management, representatives of maintenance department and departmental managers.

Presentation of the implemented solutions  Based on the risk assessment and on organizational/technical actions:  The wheel system of the carriers of transport was changed: the degraded friction beaming causing difficulties in carrier handling was replaced by wheel beaming. beforeafter

The equipment acquisitioned for the improvements  There were acquisisioned new cranes to reduce the overuse of forklifts; as an example: in the dispensing room of chemicals there was installed an electric hoist of 2 t for handling the drums of hydrosulphid.

The equipment acquisitioned for the improvements  Another solution implemented was the acquisition of a slide bridge of 1 t to handle the big dyeing supports, fact that led to increasing the lifting capacity of crane type equipments.

The equipment acquisitioned for the improvements  Packing tabels were equiped with a system for adjusting height.

Way of work  Use of different stairs for feeding the winding machines with plastic supports and use of other trolleys of different type.

Way of work  Device for lifting and rotating of drums with lubricant used at final winding.

The equipment acquisitioned for the improvements  Finished goods warehouse was supplied with trolleys of different types and sizes equipped with shelves and stairs of few steps to make easier the downloading from the upper shelves.

The equipment acquisitioned for the improvements  Warehouses were equipped with electrical motor pallets and picker trucks to make easier the work of the employees.

The equipment acquisitioned for the improvements  Use of electrical forklifts of different types including those equipped with monitoring camera, which can work up to 8-9m height.

Organizational measure  Training delivered to employees from all departments related to manual handling of weights in line with Coats Health& Safety Guide.  Planned rotation of employees at different production areas

Special treatise  Editing the ergonomic study “Identification of specific risks of activity at Coats Odorhei” by eng. Laszlo Hodgyai, coordinator of Heath & Safety Committee and presented at INCDPM Bucureşti.

Organizational measure  Besides the physician specialized in medicine of work, the company has a consultant physician providing weekly consultation for all employees.

Organizational measure  The company organizes and provides financial support for several sport activities (football, basketball, table tennis, aerobic, modern dance) to encourage the employees to adopt a healthy life style.

Results and benefits of the implemented solutions  Reduced frequency of manual lifting of weights  Reduced arthritis-muscular effects.  Elimination of extreme, sudden and repetitive movements  Persons of weaker physical construction are able to perform difficult activities of increased physical effort without having skeletal-muscular problems.  Employees deliberately attend Health&Safety activities and sport activities that help preventing skeletal-muscular diseases.  Reduced monotony and repetitive movements

Results and benefits of the implemented solutions  Absenteeism in 2004 on the first five categories of diseases

Results and benefits of the implemented solutions  Absenteeism in 2005 on the first five categories of diseases

Results and benefits of the implemented solutions  Absenteeism in 2006 on the first five categories of diseases

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