AI-Enhanced Ergonomic Risk Assessments for the Warehouse Industry

Early detection and prevention reduces the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and leads to fewer medical claims and lower healthcare expenses. Image courtesy of TuMeke.

Smart technology and new tools can streamline the risk assessment process and deliver tangible results.

By: Matt Jeffs, DPT PSM REAS, Contributor

Traditional ergonomic assessments typically involve manual evaluations and standardized checklists to identify potential risks in a work environment. The process is time-consuming and inefficient, which affects productivity in warehouses and distribution centers.

Traditional methods of ergonomics assessments are clearly not scalable. Each assessment tool can take 30 to 40 steps to complete. Even with daily use, an ergonomist might reduce this to 15 to 30 minutes per assessment through repetition and process efficiency, but using the same tool daily is unlikely and often leads to longer completion times.

Further, the mental energy required to use these tools adds to more than just the time factor. Ergonomists and EHS professionals often handle multiple cases simultaneously, dividing their already-limited attention and resources.

Reacquainting, reorienting and relearning an assessment tool that hasn’t been encountered repeatedly causes a lag in both time and performance. The cognitive load required to generate a starting risk score is high, impacting ergonomists’ ability to manage other tasks effectively.

However, with technology, new tools can streamline the process and offer tangible results to safety professionals and businesses alike.

STREAMLINING ERGONOMICS ASSESSMENTS WITH AI

AI streamlines the multi-step process to a simple point-and-shoot task using a smartphone, reducing the evaluation time to mere seconds. This preserves mental energy and cognitive resources for more crisp, critical steps. Ranking risks is faster and allows for quicker response times.

Additionally, AI-driven ergonomic solutions provide substantial economic benefits by reducing healthcare costs through early detection and prevention of injuries; improving employee retention by enhancing workplace comfort; and increasing productivity through optimized workflows. Predictive analytics help to mitigate risks and contribute to a business’ overall financial stability and growth.

AI tools, like recommendation engines (e.g., ErgoGPT), expedite the problem-solving process by instantly providing suggestions, allowing for more iterations and layered interventions. AI ensures a more efficient and thorough approach to solving ergonomic issues. It also makes the cost of retrying much lower and far easier.

AI streamlines the multi-step process to a simple point-and-shoot task using a smartphone, reducing the evaluation time to mere seconds. Image courtesy of TuMeke.

THE BENEFITS

The benefits of AI systems include reduced healthcare costs, improved employee retention, increased productivity and proactive risk management.

Reduced healthcare costs

AI systems can continuously monitor and analyze employees’ movements and postures, identify risks and provide real-time feedback to correct potentially harmful behaviors before they lead to injuries.

The benefit of early detection and prevention is a reduction in the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and other work-related injuries, leading to fewer medical claims and lower healthcare expenses. Businesses save on direct medical costs and associated expenses, including workers’ compensation and disability claims. Long-term healthcare costs are also lowered, as conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome or back pain are minimized.

Further, indirect costs like absenteeism, reduced workers’ comp claims, insurance premiums and training temp workers are mitigated. This can result in significant cost savings, especially in industries with high injury rates, like construction, manufacturing and wholesale.¹

Improved employee retention

AI-driven ergonomics can create personalized workstations that adapt to individual employees’ needs, increase comfort and reduce physical strain. Improvements in workplace design, tools, and processes lead to enhanced employee comfort and satisfaction, resulting in a consistent workforce with lower turnover rates.

In turn, employee morale is heightened, and temporary staffing costs are reduced as are recruitment, hiring and training costs. High retention rates also preserve institutional knowledge and maintain productivity levels, contributing to overall financial stability for the business.

Increased productivity

AI can analyze workflow patterns and suggest ergonomic improvements to optimize task performance, minimize unnecessary movements and reduce physical strain.

The benefit of these optimized workflows is an increase in efficiency and reduced downtime due to fatigue or injury. Higher productivity leads to greater output and profitability. Additionally, reducing the physical demands on employees can extend their career longevity, maximizing the return on investment in their training and development.

Proactive risk management

By addressing risks before they result in injuries, businesses can avoid costly disruptions and maintain continuous operations. AI-driven systems can predict potential ergonomic issues and recommend proactive measures to mitigate risks.

Predictive analytics enhance safety, ensuring compliance with occupational health standards and avoiding fines or legal expenses. This proactive approach can significantly reduce the financial burden associated with workplace injuries.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Seasoned ergonomists know ‘silver bullet’ solutions are rare. Most often, effective interventions require multi-phase, multifactorial interventions that create lasting safety culture changes. This phase demands time, attention and effort, which are often limited for busy EHS professionals. As a result, the need for iteration is always present.

AI enables quick iterations and fast turnarounds. If initial interventions prove less-than-effective, the cost of re-evaluation is minimal — as is the cost of retrying with new solutions. This flexibility encourages experimentation and adaptation to the ever-changing workplace environment. The absence of significant sunk costs allows for continuous improvement and responsiveness. WMHS

Matt Jeffs is Education Director at TuMeke, whose AI-driven platform streamlines assessing and mitigating workplace musculoskeletal risks. https://www.tumeke.io/