5 Easy Ergonomic Solutionsfor Awkward Posture Tasks

Awkward Posture DangersEmployees working with awkward posture is one of the leading factors of musculoskeletal disorders in a food processing plant. Reaching across a conveyor, lifting heavy loads, twisting and bending at a work station, raising product overhead are common tasks in a food processing plant — and all raise

the risk of employee injury.

Prolonged reaching, stretching, bending, twisting, kneeling, squatting, and working overhead (the seven categories of awkward posture) affects the muscle groups in use and makes work tasks more demanding. The constant and increased demand in turn can cause damage to the muscle groups,

ligaments, tendons, and joints.

Reduce the Risk of InjuryReducing awkward posture at workstations in your food processing plant not only reduces the risk of

employee injuries, it also reduces your risk of paying out the high costs of employee injuries.

While it may seem like a daunting task — after all, every employee is different and requires workstations to be a different heights — reducing awkward posture is easier than you think.

Here are 5 ridiculously easy ergonomic solutions for awkward posture:

Utilize Mechanical FeedConveyors or DumpersEmployees who use containers or shovels to dump products into bins or vats are often subject to reaching and working overhead. Lifting product above their head, twisting and reach over to dump into a bin or vat will eventually lead to injury.

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#1A simple solution: use mechanical feed conveyors or dumpers to take product and move it into bins or vats. This reduces the risk of employee injury by putting the lifting and repositioning tasks on a machine.

A small investment: Fusion Tech can design a conveyor or dumper to reduce the risk of employee injury and fit seamlessly into your plant. Download our Sanitary Conveyors Catalog or check out our Dumpers page.

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Reduce the Height ofStacked Boxes or ProductReaching overhead to pick up a box or product is a recipe for disaster. The prolonged motion of reaching and lifting can cause serious damage to shoulder and back muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.

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#2A simple (and free) solution: reduce the height of stacked boxes or products. A shorter stack will reduce the amount of overhead reaching and protect your employees from injury.

Raised Work Platformsand Ergonomic StandsThe differing heights of your employees can cause a problem: no one piece of equipment will ever be at the perfect height for every employee. Some employees will need to reach overhead. Others will need to stoop. Both solutions position your employees at awkward postures and increase the risk for injury.

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#3A simple solution: Positioning employees at the correct height by investing in raised platforms and ergonomic stands. These platforms are adjustable to fit every employee, no matter their height.

A small investment: Fusion Tech can design a raised work platform or ergonomic stand to position your employees at the right height next to your equipment. Check out our Work Platforms and Ergonomic Stands pages for more information.

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Invest in NarrowConveyorsReaching across a conveyor to grab or place product often positions your employees in awkward postures. Most conveyors can be too wide to allow employees to reach product without having to over reach — which not only places them in awkward positions, but also raises the risk of employees falling onto moving equipment.

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#4A simple solution: Purchase narrow conveyors. Narrow conveyors keep product within reach of employees and reduce the risk of needing to over reach.

A small investment: Fusion Tech can design a narrow conveyor to reduce the risk of employee injury and fit seamlessly into your plant. Download our Sanitary Conveyors Catalog to learn more.

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Include Diverter orPush BarsA simple solution: Another way to reduce the risk of injury caused from employees reaching over a conveyor is to invest in diverter or push bars. These bars, easily added to your conveyors, move product towards your employees, keeping them from needing to over reach.

A small investment: Fusion Tech can design a diverter or push bar to reduce the risk of employee injury and fit seamlessly into your plant. Download our Sanitary Conveyors Catalog to learn more.

#5

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Reduce Your RiskFusion Tech is a leading designer and manufacturer of custom ergonomic solutions and equipment to keep your employees safe. We do it all — everything from ergonomic stands and platforms to lifts

and tilters. Click the button below to see how we can design a solution to reduce the risk of employee injury causes by awkward posture.

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About Fusion Tech

About Fusion Tech Fusion Tech Integrated, Inc. is a custom metal fabrication company with 15 years of experience and expertise in creating steel solutions for a variety of clients in the food processing, pharmaceutical, transportation, mining, renewable energy, and agricultural industries.

We specialize in providing innovative solutions for the food processing industry.

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