{"id":29726,"date":"2024-02-06T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/?p=29726"},"modified":"2025-08-08T10:38:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T15:38:15","slug":"warehouse-ergonomics-and-productivity-an-inseparable-relationship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/06\/warehouse-ergonomics-and-productivity-an-inseparable-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"Warehouse Ergonomics and Productivity: an Inseparable\u00a0Relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 700px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/order-picking-line.jpg\" alt=\"picking conveyor line in a warehouse with heavy beverage loads at waist height\" \/><br \/>\nImproving the ergonomics of any warehouse operation may be the single easiest way to improve productivity &#8211; and that&#8217;s aside from the obvious safety and labor force protection aspects. Consider all the ways people move and work every day, every week, every year. Those repetitive motions take a toll both on the people doing the work and overall productivity. Ergonomics and productivity are not only related: they&#8217;re essential to each other.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<aside style=\"padding: 10px 20px 15px 25px; margin-bottom: 50px; border-radius: 15px; border: 2px solid #E4DDDD; margin: 4px 10px 4px 10px; box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.19);\" data-type=\"summary\">\n<h4>TL;DR \u2013 Ergonomics and productivity are tied at the hip in the warehouse<\/h4>\n<p>Improving warehouse ergonomics is one of the fastest ways to boost productivity. This post outlines how repetitive strain, excessive walking, poor cart design, and inefficient workstations can drag down operations. Small changes in layout, workstation design, cart use, and employee training can yield big gains in efficiency and worker well-being.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<h3>Day after day, month after month, year after year<\/h3>\n<p>Consider the reality of the way people do something simple. Just walk your plant floor and watch. People are bending, stretching, walking, picking, packing and lifting things. Sometimes these actions are as efficient as you can make them. Other times, simple tweaks will create incremental, measurable gains.<\/p>\n<h4>Observing the reality of the work<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Look for people bending and stretching. Some of these motions aren&#8217;t easily fixed, but at this stage you aren&#8217;t there to solve them, only to document them.<\/li>\n<li>Unsafe practices in lifting, pushing, pulling or other work activities. These you should address as quickly as possible.<\/li>\n<li>People walking longer distances than needed. You can observe this, but to get more data, ask warehouse workers to wear simple pedometers for more exact information.<\/li>\n<li>Talk with your people. What&#8217;s hard? What&#8217;s the thing they dread doing? Where are the snags in the process? What do they fear doing? They&#8217;ll tell you a lot of what you need to know.<\/li>\n<li>Discuss the situation with floor management. What are they seeing? What are the problems from their perspective?<\/li>\n<li>If you have a warehouse management system, you can use its data to correlate what you are seeing on the floor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What we like to think happens during a busy day is usually different than what happens. People may try to adapt if they are being watched, even if the outcome improves their health and their working lives. Find ways to ensure that doesn&#8217;t happen.<\/p>\n<h4>Picking and transport issues<\/h4>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve been in enough picking operations, you know how it works: they&#8217;re similar in many ways but vary wildly in practice. Order picking can be confined to a small area, a large zone or an entire facility depending on the picking schemes.<\/p>\n<h3>Reducing the impact of transport and walking<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 700px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/warehouse-walk-287523143.jpg\" alt=\"warehouse worker, walking and carrying a pallet\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Most storage picking systems are designed around using space, time and effort in the most efficient ways. If you add ergonomics to that mix as a primary goal, it helps you see the relationship between all these aspects of the work. Walking is a waste of time in most operations and is related to space utilization as well as ergonomics. The unbreakable relationship between productivity and ergonomics is very apparent when we discuss internal transit and walking time.<\/p>\n<p>The average warehouse worker puts in about five miles a day. If they match the average human walking speed for a 20-year-old, that&#8217;s close to two hours doing nothing but putting foot in front of foot. Aside from the wasted transport time, these workers are getting tired. They&#8217;re more prone to errors and more likely to get injured some other way.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/03\/when-it-comes-to-order-picking-dont-walk-the-walk\/\">Why &#8220;Travel Time&#8221; Might be your Largest Order Picking Expense<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/07\/how-to-reduce-wasted-walking-time-in-distribution-operations\/\">How to Reduce Wasted \u201cWalking\u201d Time in Distribution Operations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><em>Walking is good for people, but it&#8217;s another matter when you&#8217;re pounding the pavement all day on a hard warehouse floor carrying or pushing things. You&#8217;re less productive, you waste more time and you make more mistakes because you&#8217;re not focused on value-added tasks.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>The ergonomics of carts<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/category\/255\/carts-trucks-vehicles\">Carts<\/a> are a fundamental product transport method, whether you&#8217;re picking, putting away or transporting.<\/p>\n<p>Even in automated systems with zone picking or high-density systems usually use carts because they can plug gaps. Conveyor systems handle the bulk of material flows, but can&#8217;t always address certain zones, areas, or tasks. This can be a slow-moving area, a quick transit of something from one area to another, or tons of other tasks that automation simply can&#8217;t handle. What are some ways to ensure people are using carts the right way?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Push &#8211; don&#8217;t pull &#8211; carts.<\/strong> It&#8217;s sometimes easier to pull a cart behind you than it is to push it, but don&#8217;t allow that. The stress on people&#8217;s shoulders is more when they pull than push and can cause injuries over time. Pull a cart, and it could roll into the worker. The easiest thing to communicate is that you can apply more force when you push, making the process easier.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 20px; border-radius: 15px; border: 2px solid #E4DDDD; margin: 4px 10px 4px 10px; box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.19);\">\n<h3>A guide to warehouse cart specification<\/h3>\n<p>Carts are a simple way to manually transport bulk goods, but you should always evaluate their usage before purchasing. Here are the factors to consider:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 616px; height: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cart-ergonomics.jpg\" alt=\"cart factors for ergonomics\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What to look for in a cart:<\/strong> Look at the wheels and casters. Do they let people easily push and maneuver the cart as needed? The right wheel type is critical. It should work for your floor surface and take into account any debris or obstructions. The right wheels make pushing easier and safer. Make sure handles are set just above waist level for the most effective grip. The cart should allow workers to have their backs straight and close to the cart for faster, more ergonomic movement. This means the handle should be set for that grip.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Workstation design and utilization<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; max-width: 700px; height: auto; border-width: 1px;\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Conveyor-assembly-workstations2.jpg\" alt=\"assembly line with integrated conveyors and workstations.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Workstations should be designed around people and processes, rather than having people adapt to the situation. Adjustable-height workbenches or packing stations ensure workers can perform tasks comfortably without excessive reaching, bending, or twisting. Incorporating ergonomic equipment like anti-fatigue mats can also reduce strain on legs and backs.<\/p>\n<p>Workstations tend to incorporate storage and working surfaces in the same area, which makes ergonomics more difficult.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Working height should be variable. Ideally, your stations should be adjustable-height to fit a range of users. The adjustment mechanism should be easy to trigger.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/category\/3189\/ergonomic-workstation-and-seating-design\">Seated operations must consider legroom<\/a>. It should allow a minimum 30 inches of width, 20 inches of depth and no less than 27 inches of height for knees for both comfort and ADA compliance.<\/li>\n<li>Don&#8217;t use the work surface for storage. It should be reserved for activities and have nearby storage that lets workers easily access the things they need.<\/li>\n<li>Consider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2016\/02\/16\/workbenches-workstations-how-to-optimize-work-flow\/\">the entire flow of work<\/a> into, on, and out of the workspace.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/23\/a-guide-to-workstation-reach-zones\/\">Understand the reach zones for your workers.<\/a> Where do they need things, how often and in which positions?<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your storage places the most commonly needed supplies in the ergonomic golden zone between the waist and shoulders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finding ways to improve the work at the point of assembly or packing is one of the best ways to improve your entire operation, so this area can be critical.<\/p>\n<h3>More on ergonomics<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Ergonomics experts encourage task variation, which helps prevent workers from continual, repetitive motions. They use different muscle groups and make different motions. Rotating tasks throughout the day can help workers use different muscle groups, reducing the risk of overuse injuries. This is a good idea because it also helps cross-train people. The work in picking, packing, shipping and putaway is all a little different.<\/li>\n<li>Provide regular training on proper lifting techniques and the use of ergonomic tools and equipment. Educating workers on the principles of ergonomics and the importance of reporting potential hazards can foster a culture of safety and proactive risk management.<\/li>\n<li>Can you provide ergonomic lifting assistance? Implement lift assist devices like vacuum lifts, hoists, or pallet lifters to reduce the physical strain of lifting and moving heavy items whenever it&#8217;s feasible. One of the best places to consider first is manual palletizing, which is laborious, backbreaking and increasingly easy to automate.\u00a0 <em>Read more:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/10\/ergonomics-and-pallet-handling\/\"> Ergonomics and Pallet Handling.<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Implementing these strategies not only promotes a healthier working environment but also contributes to a more efficient and productive operation by reducing the risk of injuries and improving employee satisfaction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Warehouses and other industrial facilities often consider ergonomic and performance goals to be at odds, but these two factors often improve each other.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-29726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-safety"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2027-04-23 09:40:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29726"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32666,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29726\/revisions\/32666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29726"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cisco-eagle.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=29726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}