IntroductionChallenges Facing the Industry Today:Competition From Overseas CompaniesShortage of Available WorkersAnnual Turnover Rates Ranging From 30% to Over 100%

IntroductionChallenges Facing the Industry TodayLearning Curves of Several Months to Attain Needed Skill Levels for Many JobsDifficulty in Applying Modern Automation Technologies to Fabrics Processing

ErgonomicsImproving Ergonomic Conditions Can Improve Productivity and Safety - Enhance CompetitivenessReduce Worker Compensation CostsProvide More Reliable WorkforceMay Include Allocating High Risk Jobs to Machines Where Possible .

Injuries and Illnesses Among Textile and Apparel Workers 70% of Sewing Machine Operators Using Foot Controls Report Back Pain35% Report Persistent Low Back Pain25% Have Suffered a Compensable Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD)81% of CTDs Were to the Wrist14% of CTDs to the Elbow5% of CTDs to the Shoulder

Injuries and Illnesses Among Textile and Apparel Workers49% of Workers Experience Pain in the NeckAbsenteeism Increases as Working Conditions WorsenLoss of Workers Due to Injuries or Turnover is Associated With Working Conditions

Tasks Associated With Injuries and IllnessesHand Sewing and Trimming are Stressful to All Upper LimbsStitching Tasks are Associated With Pain in the Shoulders, Wrists, and HandsIroning by Hand is Associated With Elbow PainGarment Assembly Tasks are Associated With CTDs of the Hands and WristsFoot Operated Sewing is Associated With Pain in the Back

Static Postures and CTDsAnalysis Reveals That 40% of Operators at Sewing Machines Stoop Forward > 20o Throughout the Machine Cycle60% Tilt Their Heads Forward > 20o Throughout the Machine Cycle - Why?Visual Demands of the WorkGeometry of the Work StationInadequate Seating

Postural Stress and LightingPrecise Stitching Tasks are Visually DemandingThread and Fabric Often Offer Little or No Visual Contrast36% of Operators Feel Lighting is InadequateSurveys Found Light Levels at Less Than 60% of Recommended Levels Operators Lean Forward to See Their Work

Seating

Straight Backed Wooden or Metal Chairs are Typical in the IndustryChairs Often Lack CushioningChairs Often Lack Adjustable Back RestsChairs Often Lack Height Adjustability

PsychoSocial ConsiderationsPsychomotor Demands are High (Speed, Accuracy, Coordination)Positive Attitudes Toward Work are Inversely Related to Increased Monotony and FatiguePositive Attitudes Toward Work are Directly Related to Job Satisfaction

Work OrganizationAs Many as 100% of Piecework Operators in High Manipulation Jobs Have Symptoms of CTDsWorkers in Piecework are 4 Times as Likely to Develop Severe Disabilities as Hourly WorkersWorkers in Piecework are 9 Times as Likely to Develop Arthritic and Osteoarticular Disorders as Hourly WorkersAs Duration of Employment in Piecework Increases, So Does Severe Disabilities

Duration of ExposureMachine Operators Experience Cumulative Damage to the Neck and Shoulders Over TimeRisk for Persistent Neck and Shoulder Pain Increases With Years of Employment as a Machine OperatorWork for More Than Eight Years as Machine Operator Increases Risks For Neck and Shoulder Pain

Solutions - A Comprehensive Ergonomics ProgramTraining for Supervisors and ManagersAwareness Training for EmployeesJob Analyses and Implementation of ControlsWorker Involvement and ParticipationMedical ManagementRecommended by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

WorkStation Redesign - Sewing Machines30 Fixed TableTop HeightPoint of Operation Between 4-7 Above TableTopSewing Machine Tilted 11o Toward OperatorFor Jobs of Longer Duration Sewing - Bench Mounted Arm RestsAdjustable ChairAdjustable Foot Rest With Movable Machine Control

Work EnhancementsFoam Padded Edges to Sharp Table EdgesProvide Cloth Upholstered Adjustable ChairsAngle Packing Boxes to Workers With Tilt EquipmentProvide Anti-Fatigue Matting for Standing WorkersImproved LightingRequire Rest PeriodsJob Rotations

Automated Materials HandlingEliminates Heavy Lifting by Operators or Bundle BoysUses Pre-Programmed Hanging ConveyorMoves Only One or a Few Work Pieces Per HangerComputer Controlled - Movement Tracked by Bar-Coded Hangers and Series of ScannersDelivers Work to Queue Near Operator

Automated Materials HandlingStrong on Pre-Programmed Use But Weak on Flexibility (Short Term Changes, etc.)Technology is Rapidly ImprovingFuture Models Will Direct More Work to the Queues of the Most Productive Workers and Less to Slower Workers or Beginners

Modular Manufacturing ConceptConventional Textile/Apparel Industries Use the Progressive Bundle System - Each Operator is Assigned to a Single OperationIn Modular Mfg. a Complete Garment is Produced in a Modular CellCells May Have 10 Operators and 20 MachinesOperators Are Not Assigned to a Single Operation But Move Between Workstations

Modular Manufacturing ConceptTeams of Operators are Responsible for Work Planning and Management, Product Quality, etc.Employees are Empowered - Boosts MoraleA Variety of Motions are Used by Each Operator - Reduces Risk for CTDs and Relieves Static Postures Can Be Reconfigured Rapidly, Providing Great Flexibility

Modular ManufacturingSignificantly Reduced AbsenteeismNecessitates Better Ergonomic Designs of Workstations to Accommodate Different OperatorsMany Operations Converted to Standing Workstations Instead of Seated WorkstationsEmployees Paid on a Group Incentive System