Ergonomic Safety in Highly Mobile Office Environments at Clorox

Donna Abts, PT, CEESEH&S, Ergonomics Program Manager and Medical Program ManagerThe Clorox Company

NECE ConferenceDecember 4, 2013

Agenda

• Clorox’s Story

• Business Case

• Stakeholder Buy-In

• Explore Strategies for Change Management

• Creating Employee Buy In and Program Implementation

• Training

• Track/Measure Injury Incident Rates

• Key Learnings

Clorox’s Story For Mobile Work Environment

• Leverage real estate portfolio

• Short and long-term growth and change

• Collaborative setup to drive innovation

• Create livelier, more inviting and inspiring workplace

• Attract and retain Knowledge Worker

Driving The Collaborative Workplace

Our research shows that two-thirds of employees must now collaborate more than they did three years ago, and 60% of employees now coordinate with 10 or more people on a daily basis.

Stakeholder Buy-In Is Essential

Our Strategies for Change Management

• Discovery and strategy development

• Design, construction and employee engagement

• Relocation

• Adaption

Preparation for Change: The Discovery Process

• Asking – electronic surveys and interviews

• Observing – assessing workplace occupancy, utilization and patterns

• Engaging – Employee workshops for prioritization, problem solving & solution building. Leader workshops to generate support for and alignment around key elements.

There are three main elements to the Discovery Process

Our Workplace Survey

Q: Please indicate the amount of time you spend working from the following locations.

In your personal workspaceIn the building at a colleague’s personal workspaceIn the building in a conference room or meeting area.In the building at other locations such as labsOutside your building but not at homeHome Other

• Individual work spaces utilization

• Meeting room utilization and occupancy

• Other type of workspace utilization

• Patterns and peaks

• Sensor maps

Observation and Utilization Study

Discovery Outcome

Other spaces10% of time

Individual workspaces were used 30% of time

Meeting rooms were used 40% of time

Discovery and Development

1000employees

to

1.5ergonomists

Goal for new mobile workspace2:1

Development Process OutcomeCharacteristics•Neighborhood-focused way of working•Desk workspaces found in neighborhoods•Fluid and flexible•Residential, mobile and remote groups in different densities of people to seat patterns

Planning Implications•Steepest workspace adoption/learning curve•Need neighborhood protocols•Validate assessment of each group

Worker Profile•Supports anyone, anywhere, anytime

Design Process – Space Planning

Balanced Space •Individual•Team

Multipurpose•Dynamic, variable open/closed•Enable employees to self select how/where they work

Fosters Behavior•Engagement and collaboration

Adaptable•Maximizes flexibility

Development Process

Work From Home Policy

Development Process – Furniture Selection

Selection Process•Vendor team - designer, sales, and ergo person

•LEED criteria and to address ergonomics

•ANSI/HFES 100

Construction and Engagement

Neighborhood Setup

Desk Ratios

Engagement - The Way We Work

The way we are working now and will be in the future.

Mobile Equipment

• Mobile keyboard that splits and peaks

• Laptop stand

• Lap desk

• Travel mouse

• Travel power cord

• Travel laptop lock

• Backpack or rolling bag

Personal Accountability

Personal Responsibility

Engagement to Safety and Ergonomics

• Active Participation

• Monitor your co-workers’ and your own workplace safety

• Comfort and Ergonomics are intertwined. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Make the adjustment.

Employee Guidelines

Campus Norms•First-come, first-served•Clean up and allow someone else to use the space if you are away from the desk more than 2 hours

Neighborhood Norms•Individual neighborhoods developed community norms

Engagement by Training - Summary

Pre-move brown bag group training• Individual elbow height

• Furniture pilot – what works and what doesn’t

• Lifting and moving

Post-move (in new space)• Group training in neighborhoods

• Individual 1:1 ergonomic

Pre-Move Ergonomics Training

Web-Based OES Ergonomic assessment and training

Get Up and Move Frequently

Your best posture is your next

posture.

Training Tips for Packing and Moving Safely

• Keep in mind this is a new activity for your body, proceed with caution.

• Always use good posture and body mechanics.

• Load and unload boxes carefully.

• Use core muscles.

• Push, don’t pull when using a cart.

• Don’t lift something that is too heavy. Ask for help.

25

Moving and Packing – Lifting Zones

40-60 inches

37-48 inches

24-36 inches

13-24 inches

0-12 inches

Ideal

Every time you lift:•Keep your spine neutral•Bend at your hips and knees•Use your legs•Tighten stomach muscles•Keep item close to your body.

Moving Day!!

26

Welcome to the New Environment

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Adjustable Work Surfaces

Electric Sit/Stand Work Station

Crank Adjustable Sitting Work Station

All About the Elbow - review

When you are working at a mobile desk:1.Choose appropriate height desk. It is all about working at the elbow height.

2.Adjust the chair. Lumbar, seat height, seat pan depth, arm rests.

3.Externalize monitor (eye level), keyboard and mouse (elbow level)

Desk Height Details

Desk• Pick a desk that is height appropriate for you

• High desks range from 29” and aboveHeight labels are orange

• Medium desks range from 27.5 – 28.5” Height labels are green

• Low desks range from 26-27.5”Height labels are blue

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Clorox’s Ergonomics Tools & ProgramsTools & Resources

• Safe Start – a national behavior-based training program• myLearning/ClarityNet – an online safety and HR training tool by Coastal

Technologies Corp• myLearning/OES Office and RSIGuard – web-based injury risk assessment and

reduction software tools by Remedy Interactive, Inc.• RIVO (safeguard)• Stay Well – HR driven program

Internal Programs• BRAVO – Peer to Peer group• Including Safety in Employee Performance Reviews• Love the Lab• Observations• Risk Predictions• Take 2

Wellness Classes

• Health = Wellness, Healthy Behaviors and More!

• Equipment and services available at the new Wellness Center.

• Fitness center offering Yoga, Aerobics, and Zumba classes.

HIVE café – Healthy Eating

Seating, informal meeting area Healthy Food Selection

Key Learnings

Recordable Incident & Lost Time Rates

OSHA Recordable Incident Rate (RIR): Calculation that describes the number of employees per 100 fulltime employees that have been involved in a recordable injury or illness

Number of Recordable Cases x 200,000 / # of Employee Hours Worked

Lost Time Case Rate (LTC): Calculates the number of cases that contains lost work days

Number of Incidents with Lost Time Cases x 200,000 / # of Employee Hours Worked

=

=

36

Global R&D Injury Rates

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14-Q1

FY14-Q2

Recordable Clorox World Class Repetive Motion Lost Time

Last Recordable Injury: 5/7/13Last Lost-Time Accident: 5/7/13

Safety = Actively Caring for People

Injuries per 100 employees for 12-month period

Desk-Related Injuries

We also had 5

neck pain incidents from lack of monitor

arms.

Date of Injury Reason

5/2012 Injury Building B Recordable Neck

10/2012 Injury Building C Recordable Neck

2/2013 First Aid  Building A Low Back sitting

5/2013 First Aid Building F Low Back sitting

6/2013 First Aid Building A Low Back sitting

7/2013 Recordable Building B RMI right wrist

Move Is Complete But Our Job Is Not Done!

• Everyone needs to be careful. No one is immune!

• People who have had issues in the past need to be particularly diligent.

• Don’t wait!

• If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.

Who needs to be particularly careful?

Questions