Synetik Group

The company wanted to increase the productivity of its operators, many of whom were experiencing discomfort. Operator comfort is a major concern for the company, especially as it is directly linked to absenteeism rates and costs associated with training new employees.

Our ergonomic consultant’s interventions improved operator comfort, reduced the risk of occupational injury, and increased productivity. In addition to promoting worker well-being, recommendations were also made to reduce production cycle times.

Since April 2017, an ergonomist has been present three days a week at this manufacturing company with two plants, one in Saint-Eustache and the second in the United States (Tennessee). In addition to in-plant activities, Bain Magique has over 200 installers across North America. The scope of work covers both in-plant and installer activities.

Background and mandate description:
The project was initiated in June 2017 when the company noticed a significant increase in installer injuries. Bain Magique asked to carry out an ergonomic analysis to determine the main risk factors as well as to develop possible solutions to reduce the risk of injury. The majority of injuries occur in the back and shoulders.

Issues observed:
Analysis of the installers’ work situation identified several issues, including the following:

– The majority of injuries occur among installers with less than a year’s experience. In fact, it was possible to detect that installers with less seniority sometimes have to work 12 to 14 hours a day to complete their work. The company’s mission is to deliver an installation in less than a day, so installers are expected to complete their work before leaving. The accumulation of long working days, 5 days a week, can influence physical recovery and thus lead to a greater risk of injury.

– The vast majority of installers – over 90% of them – do not eat during their shift. Most prefer to finish their work more quickly so they can get home, which means they don’t take breaks and meals. Related to this issue, it has been observed that more than half of all accidents occur between 11am and 1pm, suggesting that a lack of energy, concentration and alertness may be due to inadequate nutrition.

– Some installers in Quebec and certain American states have to travel very long distances to reach their customers. Some of them have to travel 4 to 5 hours a day. When they arrive at their destination, after several minutes of inactivity, they handle the tools and equipment without warming up beforehand.

– Installers have to deal with different locations and layouts every day. Their workplaces are sometimes confined, requiring them to adopt awkward postures. They’re constantly on their knees, carrying heavy materials and equipment, in changing environments (indoor/outdoor, stairs, uneven terrain, etc.).

Actions taken:
1- In order to better support novice installers, as well as to inform and sensitize experienced installers, several interactive PowerPoint training sessions were created. These presentations cover such topics as load handling, use of force and activation exercises. These animated trainings suggest the analysis of images and videos in real contexts encountered by installers. An explanatory brochure on warm-up exercises in the workplace was also created. In addition to explaining the benefits of physical preparation before starting work, an exercise program adapted to installers’ tasks was created for installers.

The majority of workplace accidents among installers occur when handling equipment and accessories (baths, shower doors, etc.), lifting bags of construction debris and working on their knees. Better physical preparation and the use of good work methods were put forward.

2- With regard to the installers’ diet, an initial awareness-raising stage was set up. The aim was to make installers aware of the importance of good nutrition for physical and mental performance, as well as for better recovery. Through three explanatory and pictorial brochures, different aspects of nutrition in their work context were explained. Since their tasks require them to expend a lot of energy, it’s essential that they take the time to eat properly.

In this way, installers gain a better understanding of why it’s important for them to eat well, and of the short-, medium- and long-term effects on their health.

3- In order to support the awareness-raising efforts made earlier, a second step was introduced, namely the distribution of daily snacks to installers. Each day, they receive two healthy, nutritious snacks that they can take with them to their workplace. Synetik was involved in selecting the snack supplier to ensure the quality of the products offered. Finally, an insulated lunch box was given to each of the installers so that they could bring a wider variety of foods with them. In particular, ideas for easy-to-prepare snacks and meals were suggested in the explanatory brochures.

As a result, installers have access to the resources they need to eat well every day. This is crucial to their mental acuity and to reducing the risk of errors and accidents during their working day.

Success factors for this intervention:
Several factors contributed to the success of this intervention:

• Concrete analysis of the reality of installers (observation of several workers, interviews with the population analyzed);
• Understanding of the many risk factors through analysis of the various determinants of workplace accidents;
• Involvement of workers, supervisors and managers in the various projects;
• Implementation of solutions targeting different risk factors.

Synetik ErgoSolution’s ergonomists are qualified and members of the Canadian Ergonomics Association (CEA). Their multidisciplinary team includes ergonomists, kinesiologists and chronic pain specialists, and stands out for its personalized, dynamic approach.

The company has worked for Bombardier Aerospace, Nova Bus, STM, Medtronic and several government institutions, among others. They are therefore well qualified to support PJCCI in its approach to occupational health and safety.”

Kathleen McDuff
PJCCI Communications Coordinator

The company wanted to incorporate ergonomic concepts into the design of their premium sofas, particularly in terms of the anthropometric data of people in North America.

The company wanted to create a temporary assignment program to facilitate the reintegration of injured workers, and to ensure that tasks met the restrictions set by the doctor.

When light work is assigned, in addition to remaining active, the injured employee retains the same salary and benefits as if he or she had continued working as usual, rather than receiving compensation from the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), based on 90% of net income. Maintaining the link between employer and employee in this way promotes the latter’s physical and psychological rehabilitation, as well as a rapid and lasting return to work.

Since 80% to 90% of the costs associated with a work-related injury come from the income replacement indemnity paid by the CNESST, the employer benefits from a significant financial advantage.

“We greatly appreciated the personalized and professional service provided by our trainer, who knew how to give us training that was well adapted to our reality and needs. The knowledge acquired will serve us well in the prevention of MSDs.”

Marc Coulombe, Human Resources Director

” Working with a company like Synetik not only reduces the level of risk, but also provides a professional, dynamic and personalized approach to our needs and realities in order to achieve our health and safety objectives. For these reasons, I highly recommend the Synetik ErgoSolution team.”

Claude Lechasseur, Ergonomist and OHS Advisor, St-Laurent plant