Technology in Ergonomics/Wearables - Marcus Fichtel, CPE Industrial Ergonomics Practice Leader, Risk Control-Ergonomics - Texas Department of ...
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Technology in Ergonomics/Wearables
Global Risk Advisors
Marcus Fichtel, CPE
Industrial Ergonomics Practice Leader, Risk Control- Ergonomics
The information contained in this presentation is not intended as a substitute for legal,
technical or other professional advice, nor is it intended to supplant any duty to provide a
safe workplace, operation, product, or premises. Chubb Global Risk Advisors makes no
express or implied warranty that all accidents or incidents can or will be prevented, or
that numbers of accidents or amounts of losses will be reduced. Chubb Global Risk
AdvisorsSM is a service of ESIS®, Inc., a Chubb company. Chubb Global Risk AdvisorsSM
provides claim and risk management services to a wide variety of commercial clients.
ESIS’ innovative best-in-class approach to program design, integration, and achievement
of results aligns with the needs and expectations of our clients’ unique risk management
Disclaimer needs. With more than 60 years of experience, and offerings in both the US and globally,
ESIS provides one of the industry’s broadest selections of risk management solutions
covering both pre and post-loss services. Chubb is the marketing name used to refer to
subsidiaries of Chubb Limited providing insurance and related services. For more
information, visit us at www.chubb.com.
2
What are Exoskeletons?
“Exoskeletons” are those mechanical devices or soft
materials worn by patients/operators, whose
Exoskeletons construction mirrors the structure of operator’s
limbs, joints, and muscles, works in tandem with
them. Exoskeletons are used as a capabilities
amplifier, assistive device, haptic controller, or for
rehabilitation.
• Exoskeletons as a solution should only be
considered after all options for risk reduction Example: Soft Exoskeleton
have been exhausted.
2021 Texas Workers’
Compensation Conference
3
Major motion pictures have displayed a variety of exoskeletons with
super enhanced features:
ALIEN (1979) with Sigourney Weaver
Exoskeletons SPIDER MAN 2 (2004) with Toby Maguire
in popular IRON MAN (2008) with Robert Downey Jr.
culture
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Compensation Conference
4
What industries are using them?
• Medical rehabilitation environments
• Various military applications
• Construction
Powered
Exoskeletons Why?
Can amplify strength and/or enhance movement
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Compensation Conference
5
Power sources have been varied including:
• Pneumatics
• Small electric motors
Powered • Electrical fibers w/artificial ligaments that can act ‘in parallel’ with the body
movements
Exoskeletons • Electro-chemical fuel
• Re-chargeable batteries
• Tethered ‘plug in’ for power
2021 Texas Workers’
Compensation Conference
6
Pros
Help people walk after injury (e.g., spinal injury)
Powered
Models Assist ambulatory aspects of other body parts such as
the arms/hands;
Pros
Amplify strength (sometimes greatly) for operator
wearing exoskeleton
Of particular interest at one time to military
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Compensation Conference
7Cons Weight of suit can be burdensome
Loss of agility & limited joint flexibility
Powered
Models Pneumatics can be unpredictable w/output
Cons
Short duration of power supply for battery units
Tethered units limit range
Safety concerns handling heavy load in suit
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Compensation Conference
8Contain well-designed micro levers & springs to support
areas of the body
• Passive models cover three main areas of the body: arms/
shoulders; back; and legs
Passive • Key objective: relieve physical stress on body parts through
Exoskeletons use of levers/springs
Limitations of current state of technology means passive models are a
better choice for achieving meaningful reductions in biomechanical
2021 Texas Workers’ loading.
Compensation Conference
9Pros
Help reduce peak and mean muscle forces in
arms/shoulders, low back and/or legs
Passive Model Less operator fatigue
Pros
Reduced fatigue may lead to overall benefits in
productivity over time
Reduce likelihood of musculoskeletal
discomforts/injury
2021 Texas Workers’
Compensation Conference
10Cons Outfitted for separate body parts/put on separately;
cumbersome process
Cost (often $1,500+ unit)
Passive Model Possibility that mitigating biomechanical load in one
body area may increase load on another
Cons
Extensive use of device may result in “de-
conditioning” of existing muscle groups (operator
may become weaker over time)
Range of motion may be hampered
2021 Texas Workers’ Employee “buy-in” can be difficult
Compensation Conference
11What are Wearables?
A device that promotes safer behavior by workers performing intense physical
motion in the workplace.
Wearables These devices can reduce the incidence of workplace injuries. The device
automatically detects unsafe postures and provides workers with feedback
whenever high – risk motions occur.
Over time, workers can use the device to improve their biomechanics, resulting
in fewer injuries and improved well-being.
Wearables can be set up to provide feedback in real time to workers; offer
biomechanical analysis of key postural risks such as twisting; bending;
extended reaching and instability.
2021 Texas Workers’
Compensation Conference
12Why are Wearables attractive?
Wearables Can be very applicable to DC operations, where a client is interested in bringing
Interest new technology into their facility to improve workers’ safety.
Helps identify which activities are driving injuries, Client can better
allocate their resources to focus on safety related trainings or
encouragement of process changes.
Identifying poor ergonomics can indicate an injury and allow for earlier
intervention to reduce injuries and costs.
The device can collect a lot of data, without being worn over a long
period of time.
2021 Texas Workers’
Compensation Conference
13Example Wearable Deployment Model
Wearables
Deployment Deploy wearables technology on employees in client facility. Deployment
occurs in two phases:
• Baseline Phase – This phase consists of measuring the number of
unsafe postures by each worker during their regular work activities.
There is no feedback on the devices.
• Feedback Phase – This phase is where the devices provide feedback
/ vibration to the workers when an unsafe posture is performed.
• Training phase – Training is provided to employees and managers
utilizing the results from the wearables to reduce ergonomics risk
2021 Texas Workers’
Compensation Conference
14How is Chubb Global Risk Advisors taking the next
step with wearable solutions?
CGRA is leveraging Data Science and Advanced Analytical Analysis to
Leveraging drive smarter business decisions and precision consulting services.
Analytics HOW?
CGRA is enhancing the benefits of wearable technologies postural
data by merging it with existing claims data to highlight trends and
help clients focus their risk mitigation efforts.
Combining data from wearables for individual job tasks, locations,
and time with claims data links risk factors to outcomes to better
highlight correlations and associations.
2021 Texas Workers’ Integrating an analytics-driven approach with CGRA’s subject matter
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expertise allows for a targeted approach to identifying, predicting,
and preventing clusters of risk
15How are these technologies useful?
Wearables
Use Cases
Real Time Data Resource Allocation Employee Awareness
Exoskeletons
• Fatigue reduction allows for higher productivity
rates over an extended period of time.
• Lower Fatigue Levels = Increased Strength
Capabilities
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Compensation Conference
Thus, a reduced likelihood of MSD Injuries
16What are the Challenges with these Technologies?
To the Client:
• Cost
Challenges
• Data Analysis
• Employee Buy-In (Unions, Big Brother Perception)
• Logistics (Storage, Roll Out, Upkeep)
• Network Connectivity
• Data Reliability
• Oversight and Resources
• Frequently evolving technology
2021 Texas Workers’
Compensation Conference • Joint stress transfer in exoskeletons
17How do we approach future interest in Wearables
and Exoskeletons from Clients?
CGRA Client
Support How can we help?
• Suggest Consulting visits for traditional job assessments first.
• Ensure that the client understands the cost and expected outcomes from device
utilization.
• Connect clients to the correct vendors in order to ensure the proper technology is
being deployed.
• Be honest with our clients regarding the latest research and data published on
these technologies and help them determine if wearables/exoskeletons are the
2021 Texas Workers’ right option for their business.
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18Global Risk Advisors
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