The Rise of Exosuits

August 27, 2024|Distribution Centers/Warehouse, Material Handling, PPE, Safety

A new era of safety for warehouse workers.

By: Karl Zelik, Contributor

Exosuits reduce musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks due to overexertion. Photo courtesy of HeroWear.

It comes as no surprise that the physical work required in warehouses can lead to serious injury if not approached with proper training and safety measures in place — especially as automation has rapidly increased and created higher physical expectations from workers to keep up. Companies are now looking for innovative solutions that can make jobs safer and easier after the National Safety Council found that four out of five workers are open to trying new safety technologies.¹

One such solution that is growing in popularity is exosuits. Safety technologies like exosuits are being used by tens of thousands of workers at more and more companies today to reduce injuries and alleviate discomfort from physical demands, repetitive movements and overexertion. Exosuits — also called exoskeletons or exo technologies —come in many shapes, sizes, prices and complexities. These advancements are emerging as a versatile and effective safety solution that complements traditional ergonomic controls.

CHALLENGES IN WAREHOUSE SAFETY

High labor costs, worker shortages and an aging workforce present a unique opportunity in need of innovative solutions. Increased labor costs are partly due to work-related overexertion injuries, costing U.S. businesses $12.8 billion annually.² The most common and costly injuries for warehouse workers are low back disorders from material handling, and automation can compound the problem by increasing throughput and putting even more strain on workers.

A 2023 study of Amazon warehouses³ found that while it did reduce severe injuries, automation was associated with a 77% rise in repetitive-stress injuries due to higher demands on workers and an accelerated work pace. Only a subset of work processes can be automated from the factory to the front door, meaning that numerous workers at different points along the supply chain are experiencing increased rates of repetitive stress and injury due to automation. While proper training and traditional ergonomic controls can help reduce some strain, wearable solutions like exosuits are proving to be a valuable new way to help prevent long-term worker injury, reduce costs and keep workers healthy and productive.

THE BENEFITS OF EXOSUITS

Exosuits benefit worker safety and health in several ways. First, they reduce worker-reported bodily discomfort, which allows men and women to do their jobs without hurting as much day in and day out. Second, exosuits can reduce fatigue. Exosuits act as an extra set of muscles that can alleviate strain and make tasks like bending and lifting less demanding. Workers who routinely wear exosuits often report being less tired at the end of the day, which also carries over to benefits in their personal lives after work. Third, exosuits reduce musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks due to overexertion. For instance, back exosuits are projected to reduce back injury risks in material handling by 20-60% based on an ergonomic risk assessment study published in 2022 in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics. Initial data from long-term industry case studies suggests this may even be a conservative estimate of the injury reduction potential of exosuits.

The impact of exosuits on worker safety and well-being are based on dozens of academic research studies that measured how exosuits affect MSD risk factors, as well as mounting evidence from industry case studies that track injuries and other worker and operational impacts. Industry studies have involved multi-week and multi-year field trials from top companies across a variety of sectors — automotive, manufacturing, food and beverage, warehousing and logistics, retail and many others.

Alongside safety, productivity and retention can be positively impacted when workers use exosuits. For example, a multi-national grocery chain found⁴ that exosuits reduced warehouse worker fatigue and discomfort which helped increase productivity (cases picked per hour) by 8% with a projected return on investment (ROI) of 13 times over five years. Additionally, studies from top colleges like Vanderbilt University⁵, Clemson University⁶,and Iowa State University⁷ found that exosuits enhanced physical endurance and cognitive task performance, which likely explains the increased productivity observed in the workplace. To put it simply, people work better and feel better when they are not as sore and tired and a less physically demanding work environment helps maintain worker health and well-being. Exosuits are also expected to increase retention, which helps workers stay in their roles longer and helps organizations to build a cohesive and experienced team, saving thousands of dollars in turnover costs due to hiring, training, overtime and lost productivity.

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS

There is a common misconception about the cost of exosuits being a major barrier to adoption. The reality is that none of the benefits above matter if the costs to implement exosuits are prohibitively expensive. This was a legitimate concern five to 10 years ago, when few commercial exosuits existed and prices were at a premium. However, nowadays exosuit costs range widely. There are some exosuits that do require large up-front expenses or long-term commitments, but others are much more affordable — similar to the price of a top-class fall protection harness (on the order of about $1,500). Assuming two to three years of exosuit usage, this cost equates to about $0.30 per hour to relieve millions of pounds of strain from a warehouse worker’s body each year.

There is also a common mistake organizations make when evaluating the cost of exosuits — they look only at the hardware cost but fail to account for the cost to implement and oversee exosuit roll-outs. For long-term acceptance, workers must be properly fit and trained to use exosuits, and the devices must be cleaned and maintained. Furthermore, introducing any new technology requires change management, which requires considerable time, effort and communication with various stakeholders.

The key to evaluating — and achieving — ROI is factoring in both exosuit product costs and implementation costs, then assessing these relative to safety and operational benefits. Exosuit costs may be upfront or may be recurring, for instance, some manufacturers offer exo-as-a-service pricing models. The best way to understand the costs and benefits of exosuits is to use a comprehensive ROI calculator⁸ and work with experts who have experience matching the right types of exosuits to the right jobs and implementing exosuits within different companies at various scales. These experts can help map out the road to exosuit success within your organization.

The exosuit market has been growing rapidly year over year and is projected to grow immensely over the next 5 years. Many companies are investing in this tech, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 50 corporations. Workers’ well-being is a top priority for companies because of the impact it has on recruitment, retention, workers compensation costs, operational performance, employee morale and the bottom line. Now is the perfect time to learn more about the rise and impact of solutions like exosuits. WMHS

Karl Zelik is Chief Scientific Officer at HeroWear, a workforce wearable company that designs and manufactures exosuits and related services that reduce fatigue and physical strain on workers across multiple industries. Their first product, the Apex, was developed in conjunction with the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology at Vanderbilt University. Learn more at https://herowearexo.com.