Work Improvement in Small Enterprises (WISE): good

examples from Asia [CD-ROM] [Publications]

Compilation of PowerPoint presentations on: 1) Work station design;

2) Physical environment; 3) Productive machine safety;

4) Welfare facilities; 5) Materials storage and handling.

Work-stations- Four essential rules -

1. Easy-reach rule: Keep materials, tools, and controls within easy reach

2. Elbow rule: Work at elbow height and with enough leg space

3. Jigs and fixtures rule: Use clamps, jigs, vices and other fixtures

4. Easy-to-distinguish rule: Make displays and controls easy to see and understand

Easy-reach rule1. Keep materials, tools and

controls within easy reach

2. Put materials in containers, pallets or racks within easy reach

3. Provide “homes” for tools

Before improvement After improvement

Elbow rule1. Perform work operations at elbow

height

2. Use foot platform for small workers, and use work-item stand for tall workers

3. Use good chairs with backrest for seated workers, and use stools for occasional sitting for standing workers

4. Provide enough leg space for both sitting and standing work

5. Allow workers to alternate sitting and standing

Before improvement After improvement

Jigs and fixtures rule1. Use jigs and other fixtures to

hold work items

2. Use suspended tools which are easily moved

3. Use gravity chutes or rollers to save efforts

4. Use rotatable work-stand for multiple operations

Easy-to-distinguish rule1. Keep important displays and

switches within easy reach

2. Make displays and switches easily distinguishable

3. Attach simple worded labels in the local language

4. Make the emergency switch easily visible

Work-stations- Four essential rules -

1. Easy-reach rule: Keep materials, tools, and controls within easy reach

2. Elbow rule: Work at elbow height and with enough leg space

3. Jigs and fixtures rule: Use clamps, jigs, vices and other fixtures

4. Easy-to-distinguish rule: Make displays and controls easy to see and understand

Physical environmentThe good physical environment

includes:

1. Good lighting;

2. Screening heat, noise, dusts and chemicals;

3. Prevention of fires and electrical accidents.

Good lighting conditions at the workplace

1. Make full use of daylight

2. Use local lights for precision work

3. Avoid glare

4. Ensure regular maintenance of light sources

Improve premises

1. Protect the workplace

from outside heat

2. Use natural ventilation

(a)

(b)

Good ventilation1. Increase natural ventilation

2. Use natural upward flow or hot air

3. Use shades to protect the workroom from sun heat

4. Use electrical fans to increase air flow

Good

Wrong

Pull only

PullPush

Isolating sources hazardous to health

1. Move heat, noise, dust and chemical sources from general work areas

2. Use partitions to screen heat, noise, dust and chemical sources

3. Use local exhaust ventilation systems against heat, dust and chemicals

Before improvement After improvement

Before improvement After improvement

Before improvement After improvement

Before improvement After improvement

Fires and electrical accidents can be prevented by:

1. Using waste containers;2. Keeping flammable materials

away from hot sources and flames;

3. Ensuring electrical circuits are enclosed, insulated and properly fused;

4. Making sure all equipment is earthed.

Before improvement After improvement

Physical environmentThe good physical environment

includes:

1. Good lighting;

2. Screening heat, noise, dusts and chemicals;

3. Prevention of fires and electrical accidents.

Productive machine safety- Four principles -

1. Purchase safe machines in which all points of operation are free from danger

2. Use good feeding and ejection devices free from danger

3. Use guards around danger parts

4. Keep good maintenance of machines

Use safe feeding devices

1. Plunger feeding

2. Carousel feeding

3. Gravity feeding and simple chutes

Use machine guards around danger parts

1. Fixed guards

2. Adjustable guards

3. Inter-lock guards

4. Two-hand controls

Before improvement After improvement

Good machine maintenance programme

1. To be done by qualified and trained personnel

2. To include machine guards

3. To lock control mechanisms of machines with a tag stating “Danger, Do not operate.”

Productive machine safety- Four principles -

1. Purchase safe machines in which all points of operation are free from danger

2. Use good feeding and ejection devices free from danger

3. Use guards around danger parts

4. Keep good maintenance of machines

Welfare facilities

1. Provide essential facilities

2. Be ready for emergency

3. Use important low-cost

facilities

Provide essential facilities

1.Drinking water

2.Toilets

3.Wash basins

Cold tea

Important low-cost facilities

1. Work clothes

2. Lockers and changing rooms

3. Canteens

4. Health services

5. Transport facilities

6. Recreational facilities

7. Child-care facilities

Before improvement After improvement

Before improvement After improvement

Clinic

Welfare facilities

1. Provide essential facilities

2. Be ready for emergency

3. Use important low-cost

facilities

Materials Storage and Handling- Three goals -

1. Better organized storage

2. Fewer and shorter transport and handling work

3. Fewer and more efficient heavy load lifting

Better organized storage

1. Take unnecessary materials and products out

2. Place materials never on the floor, but on special storage

3. Use multi-level racks

4. Provide a “home” for reach tool and work item

Fewer and shorter transport and handling operations

1. The more you use it, the closer it should be

2. Use mobile racks

3. Use push-carts and hand trucks

4. Put wheels on tool stands, containers, work-stations and other equipment

Fewer and more efficient lifting operations

1. Don’t lift loads higher than necessary

2. Move materials at working height3. Use mechanical lifting devices

for more efficient and safer lifting

4. To raise a heavy load, keep the back straight and use muscle power of the leg

Materials Storage and Handling- Three goals -

1. Better organized storage

2. Fewer and shorter transport and handling work

3. Fewer and more efficient heavy load lifting