Global ergonomics is core business at GE

From jet engines to power generation and medical imaging to plastics, GE employees worldwide are renowned for turning imaginative ideas into products and services to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems.

As it strives to achieve worldwide leadership in each of its businesses and exceed its customers’ expectations, GE recognises the importance of its workforce as the key to its success and has developed a global ergonomics programme to protect its workforce, creating a safe and productive environment and ensuring the optimum conditions for innovation.

System Concepts, one of the UK’s leading ergonomics, usability, accessibility and health and safety consultancies, plays a key role in implementing the programme across hundreds of GE sites.

With more than 300,000 employees worldwide operating in more than 100 countries, rolling out the ergonomics initiative was an enormous task so a standardised approach has been developed for use across all GE businesses.  For ease of implementation and ongoing monitoring and support, GE worldwide was split into four specific ‘zones’ and System Concepts was appointed to cover the UK, Europe and Asia.

The ergonomics initiative is a key element of Global Star, a Health and Safety Excellence Recognition Programme which promotes the development and implementation of safety and health management systems.

The programme incorporates industrial, manufacturing and office ergonomics issues and is implemented at every business worldwide led by site specific co-ordinators.  One of System Concepts’ main tasks is to carry out on-site training courses, providing additional support for the ergonomics team as they work towards achieving Global Star.  The Health and Safety Framework, which has 21 elements (including Element 17 Ergonomics) is an important part of the Global Star process.

The process used as a checklist to ensure all standards have been attained in the framework is STEPS (Standard Ergonomics Problem Solving)*, another GE initiative which contains four key elements, requiring a form to be completed for each stage.  All the methodology is supplied online via GE’s intranet site to allow global access to every operation.

Before implementing STEPS, the first priority for the ergonomics team is to identify high-risk areas using the Ergonomics Risk Factor Identification form, accident/incident reports and employee feedback.  Once an area has been identified, the team will then follow the STEPS process.

The first stage in STEPS is Data Collection, which requires the team to analyse the particular task and the environment in which it is carried out by assessing a range of factors such as workstation dimensions and body postures.  The next task part is Ergonomics Problem Solving, when the team looks at the risk areas in much more detail, tries to identify which parts of the body are affected, the risk factors and compiles a list of solutions to reduce or eliminate these risk factors.

Stage three is Justification, where the cost of implementing the solutions is assessed against the risks to the operationoperator, in terms of injury and product quality.

Finally, an executive summary is produced which requires the team to complete the Ergonomics Study Case Form, highlighting the problems and risks identified, the solutions recommended and identifying how the recommendations will reduce injuries and improve quality.

System Concepts is carrying out GE’s Corporate Ergonomics Training Course
to assist in the implementation of the STEPS process.  The consultants work on site at each facility to ensure all employees have the same training on STEPS and are up to speed with this key corporate policy.

Where required, the consultancy also carries out customised ergonomics training courses and workshops to provide additional support for the ergonomics teams and can also offer tailored ergonomics training courses to help GE sites achieve Global Star.   

A recent course was carried out at GE Electrical Systems, Baglan Bay Power Station in Wales and employee feedback revealed that participants found the content and structure made a significant contribution to their work in implementing the Health and Safety Framework.

System Concepts also recently undertook a two-day site visit to GE Aircraft Engine Services in Wales, to identify where the ergonomics team required additional support after completing a customised two-day GE Ergonomics Principles training course.

The team had already made substantial progress in addressing the checkpoints in Element 17 of Global Star.  With System Concepts’ help the ergonomics team advanced further, reviewing its approach to identifying
high-risk tasks, and carrying out an ergonomics assessment.  The consultancy then guided the team through the completion of the STEPS forms as part of this process.

Finally the checkpoints in Element 17 were reviewed and areas requiring further training were identified to assist in the team’s mission to attain Global Star.

Christian Johnson, Manager of Ergonomics and Safety Programs at GE commented, “Implementation of world-class and sustainable health and safety management systems is a crucial part of GE’s global strategy and a requirement of all our operations.  System Concepts has a strong track record of working with other leading international organisations and has become a key part of our team, providing outstanding ergonomics support and expertise to assist GE companies in attaining key corporate goals in health and safety.”

*Day, Donald: “Participatory Ergonomics – A Practical Guide for the Plant Manager”, in Ergonomics in Manufacturing, Karwowski and Salvendy (eds.), 1998, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, ISBN: 087263485X