Modificação no processo de descarregamento de aparas com avaliação das melhorias ergonômicas

Abstract

Process innovation has become a key approach for the companies to reduce waste, increasing its efficiency in order to survive the constant competition of the market. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the change of the scrap paper unloading process based on an ergonomic and a time study comparison. The study was developed from the necessity of the company to improve the ergonomics and productivity of the process, never measured before. For the ergonomic evaluation, it was used the OWAS technique, and for the time study, the standard time observation method. The analyses were made before, to measure and ratify the necessity to change the process and after, to show the ergonomic and productivity benefits the implantation of a crane brought to the process. Before the operation change, during the execution of the process, it was detected class 2 postures with a standard time of 4.96 Min/100Kg unloaded. After the change, the OWAS posture classification showed only class 1 postures, which means no need of ergonomic attention. Beyond that, the standard time for material unloading changed to 7.49 Min., independent of the amount unloaded. From that information, it was possible to measure an approximate global reduction of 22% of the unloading time, not counting the employees’ productivity increase brought by the ergonomic improvement. The results presented here helped to prove the necessity to change the operation and brought information about the process capacity before and after the change. That information can be used to future job adaptations improving employees’ productivity and, as a consequence, efficiency for the company.