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Humantech, Inc. announced a tie between Southwire and The Timken Company as winners in its eighth annual Find It – Fix it Challenge during a live webinar Friday. The Find It – Fix It Challenge recognizes and rewards simple and effective workplace solutions that increase productivity, improve worker morale, and reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. The contest was derived from Humantech's RAPID Team Events®, which are based on the concept of making quick, simple, and visible changes to improve ergonomic issues in the workplace.
The Southwire plant, located in Hawesville, KY, took top honors with its "Trap Head Changeover" entry. The fix focused on improving the posture of the worker during a trap head changeover. Prior to the fix, two workers had to manually remove a 52-pound tube and an 85-pound trap head. To address this issue, Southwire team members designed and built an adapter and a lifting jig, eliminating all unsafe postures and reducing changeover time from 42 minutes to 4 minutes.
"Our ergonomics team did a great job looking at this process from beginning to end and eliminating all the ergonomic issues associated with it. Helping these guys make their job easier and safer is a great win for us, and eliminating the downtime is an added bonus. I'm really proud to work at a company that takes safety very seriously and gives its employees the resources it needs to improve its processes," says B.Jay Howard, OPS Manager.
The Timken Company plant, located in New Philadelphia, OH tied with Southwire with its "Lap Wheel Change Fixture" entry. Prior to the improvement, it took two operators 90 minutes to change a lap wheel. The wheel and flange together weigh 220 pounds, which contributed to several injuries in the past three years. For less than $100 in materials, the company designed a lift rack device that allows one associate to change the wheel in only 20 minutes, reducing the time on task by 78% and minimizing the risk of injury.
"The task of changing the abrasive wheel and flange on the lapping machines was a challenge that our associates faced for 90 minutes every 4 to 6 weeks," explains Ken Kushner, Global EHS Manager for Timken. "Our plant leadership team's focus is on identifying and reducing ergonomic risks. We are proud that this team took another look at this process, even though other improvement ideas had fallen short in the past," he adds.
Honorable mentions for the Challenge were given to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, located in Beaumont, TX, with its "Molly Brown Valves" entry and to Quad/Graphics, located in Saratoga Springs, NY, with its "Caliper Wheel" entry. A new category this year, The People's Choice Award was given to Parker Hannifin, located in Greenfield, TN.
View the photos of the winning entries and the recorded webinar announcing the winners and highlighting the finalists, and visit, "The 30-inch View" blog to see the People's Choice Award winner. The 2015 Find It – Fix It Challenge® will kick off early next summer. For additional information, visit /about/find-it-fix-it-challenge.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT HUMANTECH:
For over 35 years, global companies have relied on Humantech for workplace improvements. By combining the science of ergonomics and our unique 30-Inch View®—where people, work, and environment intersect—we deliver practical solutions that impact safety, quality, and productivity. At Humantech, we know people make productivity happen. Please visit www.humantech.com for more information.
| Product Model | Inside Diameter | Outside Diameter | Thickness |
| 23252BK+H2352 NTN | 240 | 330 | 49 |
| 22252BK+H3152 NTN | 240 | 330 | 49 |