Reducing manual effort of up and downloading activities at Coats Odorhei

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.

before after

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.


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.


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.


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.


Warehouses were equipped with electrical motor pallets and picker trucks to make easier the work of the employees.


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.


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


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


Absenteeism in 2004 on the first five categories of diseases

DIAGNOSIS TOTAL %

Other diseases 489 43.3%


Dorsopatii 174 15.4%


Other diseases osteo arthritis and tissue

111 9.8%

TOTAL 2004 1129 100.0%

Centralizarea absentismului anul 2004, primele cicnci categorii de boli care au avut cel mai mare procentaj

14

06

26

5

19 16

27

411

2521

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

IAN FEBR MAR APR MAI IUN IUL AUG SEPT OCT NOI DEC

luna

nu

ma

r d

e c

azu

ri

alte boli

alte boli

Dorsopatii

alte boli

Alte boli osteo-artic.si tesutconjuctiv



DIAGNOSIS TOTAL %


Dorsopatii 422 24.2%




TOTAL 2005 1746 100.0%

Centralizarea absenteismului anul 2005, primele cinci categorii de boli care au avut cel mai mare procentaj

17

3642

35 36

71

52

31 29

38

21

14

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130


luna

nu

mar

de c

azu

ri

alte boli

Dorsopatii

alte boli

alte boli

alte boli



DIAGNOSIS TOTAL %Other diseases 615 35.2%Other diseases 441 25.2%Other diseases 268 15.3%Dorsopatii 262 15.0%Other diseases 162 9.3%TOTAL 2006 1748 100.0%

Centralizarea absenteismului anul 2006, primele cinci categorii de boli care au avut cel mai mare procentaj

5

30

59

24

39

1420

25

8 1015 13

0

20

40

60

80

100

120


alte boli

alte boli

alte boli

Dorsopatii

alte boli

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Reducing manual effort of up and downloading activities at Coats Odorhei