This may require employees to work in awkward pos- tures, perform the same motion over and over again or lift heavy loads — all of which could cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders wmsd. These injuries often start as minor aches and pains but can develop into disabling injuries that affect our activi- ties of daily living such as laundry, hobbies knitting, golf, etc. Ergonomics aims at preventing injuries by controlling the risk factors such as force, repetition, posture and vibration that can cause injuries to develop.
Some fundamental ergonomic principals that should be fol- lowed in our workplaces are: 1. Use proper tools Tools should be appropriate for the specific tasks being performed. Bend the tool — not the wrist! The tool should fit comfortably into your hand.
If the grip size is too large or too small it will be uncomfortable and will increase the risk of injury. Tools should not have sharp edges, create contact stresses in your hand, or vibrate. Keep repetitive motions to a minimum Our workstations or tasks can often be redesigned to reduce the number of repetitive motions that must be performed. Using a power-driven screwdriver or tools with a ratchet device can reduce the number of twisting motions with the arm.
Some tasks can be automated or redesigned to eliminate repetitive movements and musculoskeletal injuries. Avoid awkward postures Your job should not require you to work with your hands above shoulder height on a regular basis.
Arms should be kept low and close to your body. Bending and twisting of your wrists, back and neck should also be avoided. Use safe lifting procedures Avoid lifting objects that are too heavy. Use more than one person or a mechanical device to reduce the load. Your workstation should not require you to lift objects above your head or twist your back while lifting. Keep the load close to your body and ensure that you have a good grip. Heavy and frequently lifted objects should be stored between knee and shoulder height — not on the ground or above your head.
Get proper rest You need to rest your body and mind in order to prevent injuries. Give your muscles a rest during your coffee breaks, lunches and weekends by doing something different from what you do in your job. For example, if you stand all day while performing your job you should sit down to rest your legs and feet during your breaks. If you sit down when working you should stand up and walk around during your breaks to give your back a rest and to increase circulation in your legs.
Remember: musculoskeletal injuries can be prevented. The remainder of this booklet takes a closer look at some common ergonomic problems and solutions in the clothing industry. We identified common ergonomic problems in each of the four departments: cutting, assembly, pressing and finishing.
We looked at work practices that create hazards for workers and also techniques that reduce the risk. Since we looked at just four to seven jobs in each plant, there may be additional ergonomic solutions that we did not see. However, the list of what we did find is extensive and provides many suggestions for reducing the risk of injuries in clothing plants. These solutions may not be appropriate in all situa- tions. Management and workers need to jointly assess jobs in their plant to determine the right solutions for the specific problems they face.
Bolts of fabric lifted by hand are very heavy and create a substantial risk of low back injury. Loading with a fixed assist accompanying the spreader. Bolts are rarely in the proper location to be picked up by the fixed assist — operators have to manoeuvre the bolt by hand. Placing spreader bar in the bolt of fabric. Note: poor posture required due to low location of bolt, but a good technique is used for ensuring the bolt is in position sloped skid.
This bar is sometimes very heavy and awkward to place in the bolt. Loading with a movable assist or hoist.
Spreaders that require the bolt of fabric to be threaded with a spreader bar — some bars are very heavy. Bolts located on the floor require the operator to adopt a stooped or squat posture to thread the bar. When no spreader bar is required the operator has to lift one end of the bolt at a time to attach the hoist. Loading with a ramp. Gravity can be used to load the spreader.
The bolt of fabric is lifted onto a ramp by a forklift truck. The bolt then rolls directly into the spreader without manipulation by the operator. The problem with this technique is that it can only be used with certain types of spreaders. This technique is not the best. If it is necessary, limit the risk by: limiting the weight of the bolt, using two people to lift the bolt, using the turntable on the spreader to assist with lifting one end of the bolt at a time, using hand-made bolt stands to assist with lifting to a tall spreader.
This technique has a lower risk of injury than loading by hand. Place the bolts on a sloped skid so they are in the proper position for loading. Bolts should be located near waist height of the opera- tor to improve posture when placing the metal spreader bar through the bolt. Electric hoists are better than manual hoists. The bolt of fabric should be delivered at approxi- mately waist height. If no spreader bar is required the operator should not have to lift the bolt at all, for example the ends of the bolt could overhang the skid or bolt jack so that the hoist could be attached without lifting.
Spreader loaded with a fixed assist accompanying the spreader. From an ergonomics perspective, the ramp is the best technique for loading the bolt of fabric into the spreader. Long reaches are required to cut across the width of the fabric each time a layer is com- pleted or flaws are removed from the fabric. Spreading with a fixed holder that holds the bolt in place at the end of the spreading table.
A long reach is required to cut across the width of the fabric. Manual spreading. Using a spreading machine that the operator pushes back and forth on the spreading table. Automated spreading. Operators either ride on a plat- form or walk beside the automatic spreader as it moves along the table. Operators often have to smooth the fabric while it is being spread. The table is often too low and operators have to bend their backs while smoothing. This is a risky posture when maintained for extended periods of time.
Operator reaching to smooth fabric during automated spreading. Use two people, one on each side of the table, who cut towards each other. This reduces a lot of the reaching and poor postures when cutting across the width of the fabric. Spreading with a fixed holder. Two people, one on either side of the table, should cut towards each other. Use a fabric catcher to eliminate the need for the operator to pick up and manipulate weights to hold the fabric in place.
A blade attached to a wooden stick or a small round electric saw with a long handle are tools that can elimi- nate the extended reach. Automatic cutters can also be attached to manual spreaders. Left: Fabric catcher. Right: Blade and wooden stick.
Determine first if manual smoothing is required for all fabrics. If not required, this task should not be performed. Make sure the table and platform are at appropriate heights for the operator, and the operator has something to lean on to support his or her upper body weight while smoothing the fabric. However, not all workplaces are using the latest technology. Not all plants want or need high-tech cutting machines. We considered all of the different techniques for cutting fabric while looking for ergonomic problems and solutions.
Excessive reaching caused by improper workstation height. Inability to get close to the blade. Poor waste disposal. Guarding is an issue with this technique. Die cutters. Workstations that are too high require the operator to work with raised arms. Workstations that are too low require them to bend down. Controls often require poor thumb postures. Feeding fabric into the die cutter sometimes requires a lot of forceful pulling.
Electric saws. Excessive reaching with shoulders and back. Poor wrist postures. Hand or arm vibration and contact pressure on the hand when stapling the pattern to the fabric or perforat- ing the layers of fabric. Extreme postures required when cutting with an electric saw. Automatic cutters. Sometimes it is difficult and requires awkward postures to align the cloth being fed into the automatic cutter. Controls are not accessible and do not encourage operators to advance the fabric to the end of the table, which would reduce the amount of reaching.
The tracks that the automatic cutters move along create a tripping hazard. Automated cutter that would benefit from controls in a more accessible location. Note: controls to advance the out-feed table are at the far side of the table. A good height for the cutting surface is several inches below elbow height.
The input and the deposit surfaces should be at similar heights and easily accessible. A good orientation for the press is parallel to the operator so the controls are accessible. The best location for controls is directly in front of the operator, at approximately elbow height. This is a good technique for large, heavy dies so they do not have to be picked up each time a new section of fabric is cut.
Die cutter at a good working height and a good orientation. Note: a raised platform was used to bring the operator to a good height. Improve shoulder and back posture by setting the table and saw at a good working height for the operator. Extend the handle and cut from both sides of the table to reduce excessive reaching. Avoid poor wrist posture with an adjustable angle handle. Maintain saws and use a vibration-dampening handle to reduce the amount of vibration. The best weights for holding down the pattern are small and have handles on the top.
Clamps are also good for holding the fabric in place. A pattern tacker is good for stapling the pattern to the fabric; it can be manipulated with one hand and causes less contact stress on the hand than an office type stapler.
Adhesive spray can also be used to attach the pattern to the fabric. Place anti-fatigue mats the length of the table to reduce foot and leg fatigue. Follow other good safety practices such as properly adjusted guards, chain-mail gloves for straight-blade saw operators, and regular maintenance on the blade to ensure it is sharp and lubricated to minimize the force required to push it through the fabric. Small weight and clamp for holding the pattern and fabric in place. Pattern tacker Garbage pail on wheels and anti-fatigue mats running the length of the cutting table.
Good solutions for the in-feed table include air tables, tables no wider than necessary, and using two people to align the cloth. A good out-feed table has narrow sides to allow the operator to get close to the cut fabric if it is necessary to work from the sides of the table. Working from the end of the table is preferred. Place the controls in an accessible location to encourage the operator to advance the fabric toward the end of the table rather than to reach for it. The out-feed table should also be adjustable in height to meet the requirements of each operator.
Locate waste bins at the end of the table, running the entire width of the table and providing space for feet underneath. Install tracks flush with the floor to eliminate the tripping hazard. For low-ply cutters, folding the fabric in half before cutting creates pieces that are mirror images of each other.
This folding procedure reduces the reach neces- sary to remove cut pieces from the table. Typically, a worker removes the piles by hand and stacks them on rolling carts.
The cut pieces can be slid off the table directly onto the cart with very little lifting by the operator. Carts with multiple shelves located close together are also good. Another type of cart has three shelves. Only the top two are used and the middle shelf slides out from either side to allow easier access to it.
Good carts for stacking cut fabric. We will look at ergonomic problems and solutions for each of these components. Supply and removal of garments Supply — methods used to hold the various pieces of the unfinished garment at the workstation prior to the opera- tor assembling them. Removal — deposit of the garment once the operator has completed the job. The operator has to reach to both the supply and removal locations at least once in the work cycle. Large boxes that are low to the ground create an awkward reach and bend during each pickup.
Tables are often made of overturned or full boxes. Tables are in poor locations, unstable or garments fall off them so operators have to reach to the floor to pick them up.
Workhorses are too low creating an awkward reach for the operator and are too smooth, causing the garments to fall off. Attachments to the sewing table. Wooden bars attached to the sewing table are used as the supply location. These bars are sometimes located too far from the operator, are too small or allow the garments to slip off them.
Rolling carts. Problem carts are large and very low creating an extended reach and bend when picking up unfinished garments at the bottom of the cart. Rolling shelving units are too low and sometimes require the operators to lift the garment over the high rail on the end of the unit.
This makes the carts very difficult to manoeuvre. Bend and reach to pickup unfinished garments from a large cart. Stackers deposit the garments at a low location that requires someone to bend down to pick them up to move them on to the next workstation.
Non-automated rail system. Inflexible system with poor work organization requires operators to manually remove full hangers from the rail to transport them to another workstation.
This is a very awkward and heavy lift and carry. Automated rail system. Sewing tables larger than necessary do not allow the operator to get close to the hanger. A lot of force is required to hook and unhook the garments from the hangers. Hangers fall off the rail and the operators have to lift them back on. Buttons that control the movement of the hangers are often too far away from the operator or in awkward locations.
This system creates specialized, repetitive tasks and segregated workstations. Place small boxes on a platform to supply the operator with the necessary pieces at a good height and within easy reach. Tables should match the height of the sewing table, or be slightly lower if bundles are placed on them. Use friction tape if the fabric or table is too slippery. These should be approximately the same height as the table, close to elbow height of the operator, and provide sufficient friction so that the garments do not fall off.
Bars extended from the sewing table work well if they are close to the opera- tor, at a good height and have friction tape on them to help prevent the garments from falling off. A trough located on the back of the sewing table is a good deposit area when the operator has a short reach to slide the garment into the trough. Attachment to sewing table used for holding unfinished garments.
If loading from large piles, the height of the table should automatically adjust with the height weight of the pile. The workstation should be adjusted to accommodate different workers for example, an adjustable platform. Then, we will talk about special considerations for each of these tasks.
Ironing surfaces that are too low force the operator to assume a flexed back and neck posture while working. Surfaces that are too high require operators to work with their shoulders and arms elevated. Floor surface. Pressing operations are performed stand- ing up and many pressing workstations do not have anti- fatigue mats on top of hard floor surface.
Foot pedals. Operators use foot pedals to either activate vacuum suction on hand ironing tables or to activate Manual press with high foot pedals. Foot pedals not close to the floor require the operator to balance on one leg. Small pedals are difficult to locate. Input and Output. Hanging garments are located too high and require extended reaches to pick up and deposit garments. Garments piled on boxes or carts are in a position that is too low and requires bending and reaching.
Inadequate lighting creates shadows and glare on some pressing surfaces increasing the visual demand on the operator. A good working height permits opera- tors to work with their shoulders relaxed and their backs in an upright position. A working height that is easily adjustable is ideal. This enables an individual operator to adjust the height throughout the day to change the body parts that are carrying greater stress.
It also allows the workstation to be adjusted to accommodate different operators. Tilting the work surface toward the operator is often possible with pressing operations and can improve posture and visibility. Ensure that pressing operations have anti- fatigue mats covering the entire working area.
A good pedal for hand ironing that we saw was an almost vertical kick plate that extended the length of the table.
The operator could simply slide her or his foot forward to activate it. Good pedals for manual and automated presses are close to or even with the floor; frequently used pedals are most accessible and are directly in line with the foot.
Hand pressing workstation with a good foot pedal. A good practice that we saw for hanging garments was rolling racks with accessory bars that hung several inches below the height of the rack.
This reduced the reaching during input and output. Two good practices when using carts for holding piled garments are: 1. Position the press perpendicular to overhead lights or use multiple light sources to improve visibility. A steaming button too far from the handle of the iron requires an extended thumb posture to activate. Iron with steam button too far from the handle. Some irons are not balanced by a spring from a rod above the workstation.
This makes the iron more difficult to locate during a very rapid work cycle and the operator has to use additional force to pick up and manipulate the iron. Some irons are not balanced properly and require excessive force to reach all areas of the garment. Upright steaming. Operators use the iron with the hot surface in a vertical position to steam a garment. The operator has to support the entire weight of the iron and sometimes has to resist the counter force of the balance.
Catchers acted to support the weight of the garment while it was being pressed. When heat guards are not in place, the handles of steam irons and the steam they produce are very hot. Steam buttons directly beside the handle of the iron can be activated with a good thumb posture and some require a very light touch.
Iron with the steam button close to the handle. A good balance supports the weight of the iron just above the work surface, from a track that runs parallel to the work surface. The track is on a slight angle that returns the iron to an ideal position for the start of the next cycle.
Possibilities for improvement include balancing an iron in a vertical position or using a light- weight steamer rather than an iron. Catchers that support the weight of garments being pressed reduce the force the operator has to use to manipulate the garment. Hand pressing workstation with a good catcher and a balanced iron. Height of workstation could be improved. Some irons have a handle that is a comfortable size for the operators hand and is made of a heat-resistant material; they have a shield in place to protect the hand from steam.
Hand controls are located too high and require excessive force to activate. Multiple Workstations. Some manual press operators work from more than one press or alternate between manual and hand pressing.
When not designed properly this causes unnecessary lifting and carrying through cluttered walkways. Both the closing of the press and the steam can be activated with one well-designed foot pedal. A good design we saw for multi- ple workstations was two manual presses parallel to each other with sufficient but not excessive space between them. The operator turns around and walks several paces when switching from one press to the other. Controls that are inaccessible require awkward postures and excessive force to activate.
Foot space. Contact area. Automatic shirt-press operators often rest against the press while they load the shirts. Some presses have hard, sharp edges that create contact stress when the operator rests on them. Good hand controls that we saw were two large, easily activated buttons that had to be activated together. They were approximately hip width apart, in front of the worker at waist height.
An automatic shirt press that is tapered at the bottom provides room for the feet and allows the operator to get close to the work area. A pillow attached to the hard, sharp edge of the press reduces contract stresses. Placing foam around the edge is also recommended. Operators who feed fabric into the fusing ma- chine from a seated position do not have enough knee space, causing them to sit further away from the fuser and reach with a flexed back posture.
Standing operators have to carry fabric from the worktable used for organizing fusing materials to the fuser. Materials are hot when the operator has to pick them up and they have to bend down low to reach them.
A good fusing workstation includes a worktable that is directly inline with the fuser so fabric can be slid Fusing workstation with worktable directly inline with fuser. They should both be at a good working height for the operator. A fusing workstation with an automatic catcher and stacker at the out-feed area allows the fabric to cool before it is touched, and it presents the fabric at a good height for pickup.
A non-existent or inappropriate work surface results in the worker using his or her lap as the work surface. This creates poor neck and back postures that are maintained for extended periods of time and increases stress on the legs and feet. Hand sewers sit on poor chairs. The chairs are not adjustable; they provide little or no back support and limited cushioning.
Hand sewers must pick up the garments prior to performing their task and deposit them once they have completed it. Typically sewers stand to remove the garment from a high rail and place it on the rail again upon completion.
Hand sewers are not provided with a footrest to help relieve the stress on their legs and back while seated. Some are working in poorly lit areas, which can encourage poor posture and result in eyestrain. Workers are using inappropriate tools such as large, heavy scissors for cutting thread. A workstation that could benefit from some ergo- nomic im- provements. A good work surface observed for this task is a large, smooth table that supports the weight of the garment.
It should be located slightly above the elbow height of the sewer. Workers who are seated for extended periods of time, require an adjustable chair with proper back support and good cushioning. Garments need to be delivered at a height that does not require high, extended reaches.
The best footrest we saw was a low shelf on the table in front of the worker. The footrest should be independent and adjustable so that it can be placed in the most appropriate location.
Hand sewers should be working in a well-lit area. They should use small clippers for cutting thread. A hand sewing workstation with a large work surface. The height of the work surface and the chair could be improved. Work surfaces that create problems include rolling racks for hanging garments and flat tables. Rolling racks are typically too high and require reach- ing above shoulder height.
Flat tables encourage poor neck or shoulder and wrist posture depending on the height of the table. Rolling racks create difficulties for input and output, as they are typically too high. Boxes sitting on the floor create problems because they are too low. Support surface. Final inspection is usually done from a standing position. Concrete floors can lead to fatigue in the legs, feet and back. Often no seating option or footrests are provided. Inspectors use large scissors that are heavy and awkward to use and therefore require a lot of force to operate.
Inspectors work in poorly lit areas or ones with inconsistent lighting. This can accentuate poor posture and eyestrain. Work organization. Inspectors work at a very rapid pace and do not take scheduled breaks. This does not give the body time to recover and is a risk factor for injuries. Some inspectors have little variation in their tasks. They rarely have to get up from their workstation since garments are delivered directly to them. Others have to carry large bundles of garments through crowded walkways.
Final inspection workstation which could be improved with a new work surface. The inspector should select the desired height for the easel and clips.
A large, inclined table improves the posture of the neck and arms. A rolling rack at an appropriate height reduces the extended reaching. Preferable to this are rolling carts that the garments are draped over, located between waist and elbow height of the inspector.
Provide good quality anti-fatigue mats for inspectors. Give inspectors the option to use a stool and to alter- nate between sitting and standing throughout the day. Hand tools. Small, sharp clippers are more suitable for the task as they are easier to use and lighter than large scissors. Ensure that clippers are available by storing them on a shelf or hanging them directly beside the work surface.
Inspection areas should be well lit and task lights should be provided if the inspectors feel they are necessary. Improve visibility by contrasting the colour of the garment being inspected with the colour of the work surface. Operators can meet or exceed production expectations and still work at a comfortable pace and take scheduled breaks.
A final inspection workstation with a good work surface, stool and anti- fatigue mat. In some cases, inspectors move from their work area to get more garments to inspect. This change in posture can be beneficial if a safe technique is used for transporting the garments.
A final inspection workstation with a large inclined work surface and the option to sit or stand stool is not visible in the picture.
Work surfaces are often flat tables that are not height adjustable and are not at a height appropriate for the worker. When the table is too high the worker has to use an elevated shoulder posture and when it is too low a poor neck and back posture is the result. Packaging tables are often too deep and require excessive reaching to locate tools and supplies. This is particularly true for the shirt folding tables.
Rolling carts are much too low and require the packer to work with a very flexed back posture. Overhead racks are too high and require elevated arm postures and heavy overhead lifts. Cardboard boxes located on the floor. Extremely high rolling racks. Garments are placed in very large cardboard boxes that packers can barely reach over, or placed on high, over-filled racks.
Workers must lift and carry awkward, heavy boxes. Many packers are required to stand on concrete floors without anti-fatigue mats. Some swift tackers require excessive force to operate and create contact stresses in the hand.
Hangers are often very difficult to open and close. Irons are heavy and require a poor thumb posture to operate the steam.
A good shirt-folding table that we saw had been adjusted to an appropriate height for the packer by placing wooden spacers under the legs. The packer could reach all items at the back of the table without an ex- tended reach. The tabletop had small recessed areas close to the front of the table to hold small, frequently used items. We also saw a good automated bagging station. It was at an appropriate height for the worker. The bagging operation was semi-automated; air was used to blow the bag open.
The bag was automatically sealed and it slid down a ramp into a box. Semi-auto- mated bagging workstation. A good input method is a shelf located at the back of the work surface. It should be low and close to the operator. Storage bins can be located beside the bagging station so that garments can be transferred from the bins to the bagging station with limited reaching or lifting.
If rolling carts or boxes are used they should present garments to the packer between waist and elbow height. A good output method is to place the packaged garment on a shelf directly beside the operator. This shelf feeds the garments directly to the next operator in the line. Another good method we saw was to place packaged garments into a box that the garments fit into perfectly. This allows the packer to put the garment into the box and not have to arrange it neatly by hand.
Conveyors can be used to transport full boxes, which greatly reduces the amount of lifting required. The packers placing garments into very large card- board boxes should be able to easily reach over the side of the box.
The overhead rails should not be over-full and require excessive reaching. Conveyors to transport full boxes of garments. Place anti-fatigue mats over the entire floor in the work area. Foot pedals for activating swift tackers or folding tables should be located on the floor and should be very thin but large enough for easy operation. Some hangers are more difficult to use than others. If packers rotate among different garment styles throughout the day they will not be using the difficult hangers for extended periods of time.
Choose irons that are lightweight and do not require awkward thumb postures to activate the steam. We need to continue to identify problems and, more importantly, implement solutions to reduce the risk of injuries in situations where we know problems exist.
Find out more! A copy of the full report for this project can be obtained from the Canadian Office of unite. Call us at or The report includes more de- tailed results from our ergonomic assessments, informa- tion on lost-time injury trends in the clothing industry, and the results of our questionnaire on work organization at 29 clothing plants. Taking a holistic view, they make a strong argument for integrating in the workplace of the new control centers in the context of society as a whole, including global concerns such as environmental protection, energy conservation, and sustainability.
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