IMPROVE ERGONOMICS IN YOUR WAREHOUSE: 5 TIPS!

FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?

Ergonomics is the science that focuses on the design of workplaces and tasks so that they are optimally adapted to humans. The goal of ergonomic work is to make the workplace as efficient and comfortable as possible for your employees, while keeping physical and mental strain as low as possible.

Ergonomics in your warehouse

In a warehouse or distribution centre, there are several factors that contribute to ergonomic challenges, such as lifting heavy goods, standing or sitting for long periods and performing the same operations repeatedly. Addressing these factors can improve ergonomics in your warehouse.

5 TIPS FOR IMPROVING ERGONOMICS IN YOUR WAREHOUSE

Have you made the decision to redesign your warehouse or are you opening a new one? Then it is important that you think about ergonomic solutions. Are you wondering in what ways you can ensure that your employees can work in the most responsible and healthy way possible? We share some useful tips in this article.

Tip 1. Provide ergonomic workstations in your warehouse

One of the most important aspects of ergonomics is the working height. Matching the height of the work table to the height of workers can reduce the physical load of work. This is why it is important to integrate adjustable workbenches and adjustable packing tables into your assembly or packing process. This allows workers to adjust their workstation and equipment to the correct height, leading to better working posture, which can prevent neck, back and shoulder complaints.

Tip 2. Keep products rolling by using flow racks

When optimising workplaces, not only working height but also storage efficiency must be taken into account. Flow racks are storage systems where goods are placed on rollers and roll forward by gravity when a product is removed from the front. This eliminates the need for employees to bend down and reduces reaching and walking distances.

Moreover, this can ensure productivity is increased by speeding up the process. As the products roll forward, the product is immediately within reach and no extra time needs to be spent moving the products.

Tip 3. Reduce internal moves

There are distribution centres where employees walk around 20 km a day. This takes a lot of energy and it can therefore be a challenge to keep this up every day. This is why it is important to optimise and reduce walking routes. Unlike fixed workstations, mobile powered workstations can be moved wherever they are needed in your warehouse or distribution centre. This results in reducing walking routes since employees do not have to walk back and forth to their fixed workstations. The ergonomic design, on the other hand, creates a comfortable workplace with the benefit of a small footprint.

Another way to reduce your internal transport movements is by using an eltro puller. A good example of this is the 360-drive. The 360-drive is ideally suited as a puller for our material handling carts. It features a high load capacity, large radius of action, small turning circle and ergonomic design. By using the 360-drive, the operator can stand and does not have to sit down. In addition, the 360-drive promotes an active working posture, reduces fatigue and helps eliminate human error in the working environment. The 360-drive also reduces the need for employees to walk which results in less physical exertion and reduces fatigue.

Tip 4. Make the order picking process less intensive with an electric order picking cart

The order picking process can often be heavy and intensive, which can lead to physical complaints. One of the most important factors in creating an ergonomic order picking environment is to reduce unnecessary movements and minimise heavy physical work and undesirable positions. An electric order picking cart is a useful tool for efficient and ergonomic order picking. These carts are designed to make the work of order pickers easier, allowing them to pick more order in less time and with less physical strain.

By using a powered cart, the order picker barely has to push or pull himself. This drastically reduces the physical load of order picking and employees suffer fewer physical complaints.

In addition, these electric warehouse carts can be fitted with a pick-to-light system. The pick-to-light system ensures that a light is switched on at the location of the product to be picked. This also reduces walking distances. By using a pick-to-light system, you are able to apply multi-order picking or bulk order picking. This means you can take several picks during one run.

Tip 5. Get ergonomic tools for your warehouse

Workplace lighting is an important aspect of your working environment. If one is not given the right tools to function optimally, one can suffer from physical complaints and fatigue. This is why good lighting is essential. In fact, good lighting can lead to less eye strain and fewer headaches.

A second important tool to improve your workers' ergonomics is an ergonomic workplace chair. An ergonomic chair is often underestimated. This is because the ergonomic surface ensures that blood flows well through the body without creating bottlenecks. These chairs are specially designed to support your body's comfort and reduce tension and fatigue during long periods of time. In addition, the risk of back and neck pain decreases significantly as the chair is adjustable.

The last ergonomic tool we recommend are anti-fatigue mats. Anti-fatigue mats are ergonomic workplace mats designed to reduce stress on joints and muscles resulting from prolonged standing. In addition, these mats further provide:

• Fatigue reduction
• Increased standing comfort
• Stimulating blood circulation
• Reduction of back pain