Ergonomics: The Overlooked Productivity Stealer In Your Warehouse

When looking for ways to optimize productivity in a warehouse or DC, often the emphasis is on time- and labor-saving features and functions of hardware and software with less attention given to ergonomics, which is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. Unless your company plans to run a totally automated warehouse, it’s important to look beyond equipment speeds and feeds and consider ergonomic factors, such as equipment design and feel and the workflows employees follow to complete their daily tasks. A few tweaks could make a world of difference not just in productivity, but safety too.

A Look at Warehouse Injury Stats

There are more than 700,000 workers in the warehousing and storage sector in the United States who perform a wide variety of tasks. These include labeling items, breaking bulk shipments down into smaller components, inventory control, light assembly, order entry and fulfillment, packaging, pick and pack, price marking and ticketing and transportation arrangement. Occupations vary, also, including industrial truck and tractor operators; laborers (e.g., freight movers); shipping and receiving clerks; stock clerks and order fillers. One thing many of these workers share in common is a high rate of strains and sprains.