(57ao) Ergonomics in the Design Process - the Missing Link
AIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety
2020
2020 Virtual Spring Meeting and 16th GCPS
Global Congress on Process Safety
Managing Hazards Throughout the Manufacturing Lifecycle
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 11:00am to 11:20am
During the design phase, it is rare that ergonomics is included as a priority in the decision process. How many times have we seen valves controlling processes placed eight feet off the ground where operations personnel are required to place chains to articulate them. This is often the cause of injuries we see surface in PHAs. These hazards are often disregarded as unavoidable because it was part of the original design, however if ergonomics would have been considered in the original design, then the valve would have been properly placed where operations personnel could easily access the valve without causing injury.
This paper will discuss the importance of incorporating ergonomics principles into the design of process equipment with the goal of reducing the potential for employee injury.