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The Current Situation - Safety
There are various job safety standards including ANSI B11, Robotic Standard (ANSI/RIA R15.06), as well as various EN, CSA and JIS standards that apply to the manufacturing sector.

Despite these standards, the workers on the plant floor are subject to various hazards. In addition, workers may face repetitive tasks and lifting and fitting heavy objects. Workers may also operate powerful, high-speed machines that may cause injuries. In 2002, work-related injuries and illness for all manufacturing industries was 7.2 per 100 full-time workers. In comparison, work-related injuries and illness for the private sector overall was 5.3 per 100 full-time workers.

Job-related injuries can have major impacts. For example, a serious injury, which shuts down a line for several hours, can have a dramatic financial and production impact on companies using Just-in-Time-Inventory.

According to the 2004 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, in 2002 serious work related injuries and illnesses (those that kept the worker of the job for 6 days or more) cost US businesses $49.6 billion. This figure is merely the direct cost paid to the injured employees and their medical care providers; in 1996, Lee Smith of Colorado State University estimated that the indirect costs of workplace injuries were about 20 times the direct cost. The top three serious workplace injuries (those which result in the employee missing 6 days or more) cost US businesses $24.7 billion in 2002 or 49.9% of the $49.6 billion. These three injuries are:

  • Overexertion. These are injuries caused by excessive lifting, pushing, holding, carrying or throwing an object. Overexertion accounted for $13.2 billion or 26.6% of the total financial burden.
  • Falls on the same level. These injuries are caused by slipping and tripping on water, ice, grease, holes and other potential fall hazards and landing on the same level of floor. These injuries accounted for $6.2 billion or 12.5% of the total financial burden.
  • Bodily Reaction. These injuries are caused by bending, climbing, slipping or tripping without falling. Bodily Reaction injuries accounted for $5.3 billion or 10.8% of the total financial burden.

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