|
|
The Current Situation - Safety |
Job-related injuries affect quality and may have financial impacts as well. A serious injury, which shuts down a line for several hours, can have a dramatic financial and production impact especially as more companies switch to Just-in-Time-Inventory. The manufacturing sector has various job safety standards, including ANSI B1, Robotic Standard (ANSI/RIA R15.06), as well as various EN and JIS standards, to reduce job-related injuries. Despite these standards, in 2002, work-related injuries and illness for all manufacturing industries was 7.2 per 100 full-time workers.
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. The 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. Injuries from falling on the same level accounted for $6.2 billion or 12.5% of the total financial burden.
- Bodily Reaction. 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. Injuries from falling on the same level accounted for $6.2 billion or 12.5% of the total financial burden.
Continue >
|
|
|
