Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The FMCG manufacturing industry in industrially developing countries operates in a manual or semi-automatic setup, employing a vast labor force. Several non-standardized work activities prevail on the FMCG shop floor and remain prone to safety-related risks involving repetitive motions, forceful exertions, and awkward postures. Among those, the rework of defective pouches/sachets is an unsafe activity of prime concern. It is prone to minor nicks, cuts, and injuries due to inadequate tools being used. It involves sharp cutters/blades and extensive forceful manual hand squeezing, which leads to drudgery and safety concerns. There lies the lack of standardized tools/apparatus for rework activity, and efforts towards its mitigation are required.
OBJECTIVE:
Current research aims to address occupational safety-related issues in non-standardized rework activity in small-scale FMCG units through an innovative product design approach.
METHODS:
An ergo-audit was conducted in eight small-scale FMCG units to identify the prevailing ergonomic stressors and safety concerns. The most critical area of concern, i.e., rework activity, was chosen through card-sorting sessions and discussions held with the stakeholders. An appropriate context-specific apparatus was designed/developed to ensure better safety and occupational health utilizing a systematic product design method involving three phases: initial field survey, design and development, and field trials.
RESULTS:
The apparatus, which was developed and factory-trialed, was evaluated for productivity improvement and ensuring user compatibility from various human factors’ perspectives.
CONCLUSION:
In field trials, the developed apparatus was found effective in mitigating safety concerns and various ergonomic stressors associated with FMCG rework.
Introduction
In the modern world economy, the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry plays a vital role in every country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and employment opportunities [1, 2]. FMCG products are alternatively known as ‘groceries,’ which are low-cost, high-volume products often manufactured at mass production levels achieved through fast-paced assembly lines-based manufacturing [3]. Researchers worldwide have reported that assembly line work is associated with high-risk attributes encompassing Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), context-specific Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) issues, and various other context-specific safety-related issues [4–6]. Among assembly line industrial workers across the globe, low back pain, wrist and hand disorders such as tendon-related disorders, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), and cramping of the hand and forearm, Plantar Fasciitis (due to prolonged standing) are the most common OSH risks [7–9]. Most OSH and ergonomics-related research in assembly line work focuses on identifying and evaluating risk factors associated with prevailing ergonomic stressors in the industrial workplace and rarely moves on to provide mitigating solutions to those in the form of design interventions. In recent times, researchers have been advocating and promoting a ‘Zero Accident Vision’ (ZAV) to achieve safe working conditions on industrial shop floors [10, 11]. Innovation-driven interventions, especially in the form of practical design intervention, may prove beneficial in this pursuit [12, 13]. Interestingly, it is noteworthy that the majority of the information related to assembly line-related work and its associated OSH scenario hails from the automobile and electronic-component manufacturing assembly lines. The scanty research is available on ergonomics and OSH-related issues from the FMCG manufacturing sector [14, 15]. The research on FMCG manufacturing sectors focuses on achieving production and operation excellence, and the focus on OSH issues remains neglected [3]. The reported research on workplace-related accidents, injuries, impairments, etc., remains underreported and rarely found through reported research worldwide [16, 17].
FMCG manufacturing in developed nations is automated, capital intensive, and engages limited labor engagements. In contrast, FMCG manufacturing within Industrially Developing Nations (IDCs) is primarily based on manual and semi-automated production facilities employing a high labor force [15], including male and female workers above the age of 18 years, about which 90% of the workers engaged in non-managerial work are hired from the native states. The majority of these are semi-trained worker populations shifting from primary agricultural tasks and joining the industrial workforce. About 80% of the workers in the managerial cadre need to be employed from the native state to comply with the government rules and regulations [18, 19] and are well-trained for their respective skills acquired from formal education. Such units remain capital-constrained, and many OSH issues prevail on their shop floors. Several non-standardized work activities prevail on their shop floors and are prone to injuries and accidents. The prominent use of inadequate tools, apparatus, workstations, etc., in such non-standardized work activities makes the workers engaged in such activities prone to accidents and injuries [3, 15]. Rework of defective pouches/sachets is one such non-standardized activity that prevails on the manual and semi-automated FMCG shop floor. In small-scale FMCG manufacturing units, personal care goods like hair oil, shampoo, serum, etc., are often produced on a mass-manufacturing basis utilizing high-paced automatic filling units. Typically, 0.5–0.8 million pouches/sachets of 5 ml pouches/sachets are produced on a daily basis within a single small-scale unit utilizing multiple high-paced automatic filling units. These contain in-filled liquid filled in an envelope on which various details like maximum retail price, batch number, manufacturing unit details, quantity, etc., are mentioned. These are required for effective marketing purposes. While manufacturing these pouches/sachets, these details may get printed inadequately, and the outer envelope becomes faulty. These pouches/sachets are manufactured in a bunch, typically having 120 to 200 pouches/sachets in a single bunch (consisting of multiple strips of the order 10 * 12, 10 * 20, 12 * 12, 14 * 12, etc.) depending upon the in-filled liquid contents. Due to improper label printing, inadequate filling, improper cuts on flaps, etc., nearly 0.1 million pouches/sachets are rejected daily and need to be reworked to recover the in-filled liquid and be used for fresh filling. This high rate of faulty pouches/sachets occurs as if even one or two pouches/sachets go wrong (defective) within the bunch (consisting of 120–200 pouches/sachets), the whole bunch is rejected and sent for rework. Such reworking of the defective pouches/sachets is a voluminous activity prone to minor cuts, injuries, and wrist-related disorders as it engages a sharp cutter/blade held in bare, slippery hands and resorts to forceful manual squeezing of the cut pouch/to extract the in-filled liquid [14]. The industrial units generally underreport the record of such instances. The literature review indicates the paucity of research concerning OSH-related issues in the FMCG sector, especially from the FMCG sector in IDCs. Although there could be different hazard-control strategies, including engineering/designing, behavioral, administrative, personal protection, etc., the most effective intervention without elimination or substitution is prevention through engineering/design. Understanding the urgent need to examine manual and semi-automated FMCG manufacturing units from an OSH perspective and propose a solution to mitigate them, the present research provides a systematic design approach towards the design and development of safety-enriched innovative pouch/sachet cutting apparatus intending to address the unsafe working conditions of the aforesaid rework activities and reduce the drudgery of the concerned workers.
Methodology
It has already been mentioned that the rework of defective pouches/sachets is a prevalent non-standardized activity in the manual and semi-automated FMCG shop floor in IDCs [14]. These unsafe activities are injury-prone and have a weak adherence to industrial safety compliance guidelines as recited by the Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSHWC Code, 2020) [20], which emphasizes making industrial activities safer and taking adequate measures. Therefore, the current research has taken FMCG units from one of the developing countries, i.e., India, to undergo an in-depth study of assessing hazardous scenarios due to non-standardized work practices of defective pouches/sachets rework. Further, this study has come up with an appropriate context-specific design intervention to address the safety concern effectively.
The current research study was conducted in three phases, as depicted in Table 1.
Current research study phases (Source: authors)
Current research study phases (Source: authors)
An in-depth ergo-audit as per the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines [21–23] was conducted on the shop floor of eight FMCG manufacturing units working under small-scale production setup (labor-intensive, capital-constrained, semi-automatic production capacities). All these units had similar working conditions as these employed local Assamese population (same socio-demographic characteristics of the workers), the same level of automation, capital investment, operational aspects, equipment, and machinery, and were from the same small-scale segment working in the same geographical region. These were located in the state of Assam –a northeastern state of India, and were primarily engaged in the production of personal care goods, viz. hair oil, shampoo, serum, and other cosmetics that were readily filled in bottles and pouch/sachets. Careful assessment of the peculiar work activities of the FMCG shop floor (bottle/sachet filling, packing of finished goods, reworking of defective goods) was minutely studied [14].
Prioritizing the area of concern
Several OSH and safety-related concerns were identified and assessed, as depicted in Fig. 1, and reported to factory management. Card-sorting sessions [24–26], administering semi-structured questionnaires, and discussions were held among various stakeholders (shop floor workers, safety managers, and factory management) to decide the critical area of concern that must be prioritized to act upon. An index card with a representative photo of the OSH concern and associated information was prepared for the card-sorting session. Three randomly selected participants (one worker, one safety supervisor, and one person from management) were chosen from each factory. A total of 24 participants (17 male and 7 female) from 8 factories were chosen for the card sorting session. They were asked to select the top 5 cards depicting the OSH concerns according to their priority. The results/observations of the card sorting session are depicted in Fig. 1.
Results and insights (OSH issues identified and prioritized). (Source: authors).
As indicated by Fig. 1, the top 5 index cards selected were: unsafe rework activity 91.66%, 22(24); unsafe housekeeping 79.16% 19(24); slips/trips/falls 75% 18(24); awkward posture adoption 66.66% 16(24), and uncomfortable seating arrangements 50% 12(24). The non-standardized work activity, i.e., rework of defective pouches/sachets [14], was chosen as the critical area of concern as it involved inadequate tools that were prone to cuts, injuries, accidents, and possibly a probable source of contamination. Rework (of defective pouches/sachets) is a non-standardized work activity that is performed on a large scale daily (nearly 0.1 million pouch/sachets reworked daily) to extract out the in-filled liquid content from the defective pouch/sachets; those are rejected during quality checks for various reasons like improper label printing, inadequate filling, improper cuts on flaps, etc. Only the outside envelope is defective in this scenario, and the content filled in remains good and may be refilled into the new envelope. The defective pouches were cut in the current situation by hand using a sharp blade or cutter held in bare, slippery hands; this necessitated manual hand-squeezing of cut pouches/sachets (refer to Fig. 2). It was observed that the rework activities are characterized by extensive repetitive motions of wrists and hands, forceful exertion for manual squeezing, adopted awkward working postures, prolonged work hours, cognitive load due to perceived fear of injury/cut, and temporal demands. It was decided to develop an innovative apparatus of standardized form to perform this activity safely and effectively.
Pouch/sachet rework activity at the small-scale manual and semi-automated FMCG manufacturing unit (Source: authors).
For innovative product development, one manufacturing unit (for anonymity’s sake referred to as Factory A) was selected as a representative of all such small-scale manual and semi-automated FMCG manufacturing units that have the same rework activity prevailing on their shop floor and being performed in the same manner.
Phase –II: Concept development & prototyping phase
In general, a product development process is a set of several systematically performed activities deployed to conceptualize, design, and commercialize a new product [12, 28]. It generally consists of two broad phases: ‘ideation’ (consisting of customer need identification, concept generation, and concept selection) and ‘prototyping’ (composed of detailed design, prototype testing, refinement, and final production). A generic product development process deployed for the design and development of the present innovative safety-enriched pouch/sachet apparatus (hereinafter referred to as innovative apparatus) is illustrated in Fig. 3.
A specific design limit selection based on several critical features encompassing dimensional aspects (size, shape, production, product architecture, etc.), operational aspects (mechanized, non-mechanized, etc.), sustainability aspects (social, economic, ecological, market, etc.), manufacturability aspects (material, production process, etc.) was performed in consultation with the stakeholders (shop floor workers, safety managers, and factory management) from Factory A to interpret the desired qualities and functions of the intended innovative apparatus. In addition, the local markets and digital databases were explored to ascertain the availability of competitive products (available online/offline, available utility patents/designs, etc.) (if any). Since the FMCG rework was a context-specific, non-standardized work activity, no dedicated product for it was found. As per the stakeholders’ opinion, a manually-operated handheld innovative apparatus capable of cutting and squeezing 5–10 pouches/sachets at a time can be devised as a mitigating solution. Such an innovative apparatus must be capable of eliminating the need to hold a sharp cutter/blade in bare, slippery hands and manual hand squeezing. It should be cost-effective, probably within the range of USD 125–150.
Concept generation
As observed from the initial field survey and subsequent in-depth study of work elements/parameters of rework activity, the workers involved in this activity take a pouch/sachet strip comprising 5–10 pouches in hand and cut those with sharp cutter/blade and squeeze the cut pouch/sachets to extract the in-filled liquid content of defective pouches/sachets on a non-standardized collection bin that is often a bucket/drum with a fine mesh sieve placed at the top [14]. The basic functions performed in this activity were cutting, squeezing, and collecting. Having insights from the critical understanding of the essential work parameters involved, desired qualities, and functions ascertained previously, the intended innovative apparatus’s overall functioning was fragmented into further required sub-functions deemed necessary to fulfill the overall desired function. For the current innovative apparatus under consideration, seven sub-functions were identified: 1) cutting pouch to extract liquid, 2) extracting complete liquid out of the cut pouch, 3) moving or holding or supporting the apparatus, 4) placing the uncut pouches, 5) collecting the extracted liquid, 6) feeding the incoming pouches, and 7) energy source for apparatus action. To fulfill these sub-functions, different options had to be accessible. The options available for each sub-function were then identified and recognized as sub-components. Based on these, a Morphological chart [29] (Fig. 4) was developed depicting various sub-functions and options available to perform that sub-function. Such a chart was developed for ideating the various concepts of the innovative apparatus. Based on inputs from the Morphological chart [29], ten concepts were generated using an amalgamation matrix (Table 2) of sub-functions and sub-components of the Morphological chart. The most feasible sub-component that could be attached/amalgamated to the previously selected sub-component (corresponding to each sub-function) to develop the meaningful concept (in terms of construction, function, and integration of several mechanisms) is chosen during the amalgamation matrix preparation. As a result, multiple meaningful concepts are generated; ten concepts were generated in the present case.
Morphological chart prepared (Source: authors).
An amalgamation matrix (Source: authors)
Post-concept generation lies in the critical stage of concept screening and subsequent selection of the most feasible concept. It relates to the selection of the most appropriate concept and the elimination/screening of inappropriate concepts as per the design objectives. Various selection/screening criteria were finalized based on the user requirements and priorities as mentioned by the stakeholders [12]. A Pugh chart [30] based on selected criteria (shown in Table 3) was deployed for concept screening. Following the ergo audit in the factories, safety concerns due to the use of non-standardized cutting tools were reported by the stakeholders (workers, supervisors, and factory management) as the prime concern. Therefore, during the preparation of the Pugh chart matrix, ‘safety in interacting with cutting mechanism’ and ‘ease of placing and feeding uncut pouches’ in the innovative cutter were given the highest weightage, ‘5’. According to the operational requirements and avoiding contamination due to hand squeezing, ‘ease of extraction and collection of infilled liquid content’ from cut pouches were given the second level priority with weightage ‘4’. The remaining selection criteria were given weightage according to the user’s requirements and the researcher’s understanding. As per the standard procedure, any of the concepts can be taken as ‘DATUM.’ In this case, concept ‘5’ was chosen as ‘DATUM’ as taking any concept as the ‘DATUM’ does not change the result of selecting the ‘BEST’ concept. All the generated concepts were evaluated and screened. As evident from the Pugh chart [30], ‘concept 8’ received the highest score of ‘+6’ and was decided to develop further as a CAD model and for subsequent physical prototype and field trials.
Pugh chart prepared (Source: authors)
Pugh chart prepared (Source: authors)
The initial CAD model was shown on a laptop screen to the stakeholders, and its working/operation mechanism was explained to them to get their feedback. The final iterated CAD model was prepared following their inputs and subsequent physical prototype development followed. Figure 5 illustrates the various views of the intended innovative apparatus in a digital form. The two-dimensional drawings of the parts of this mock-up were drafted (measurements in mm) (Fig. 6). Careful consideration of anthropometric and biomechanical parameters like handbreadth with a thumb, grip inside diameter, popliteal height, etc. [31] was taken while designing and developing this CAD model.
Virtual mock-up (part details and functions) (Source: authors).
Two-dimensional drafting of the CAD model (all measurements in mm) (Source: authors).
Further, the physical prototype of the finalized CAD model was developed (Fig. 7). As mentioned in the previous section, various aspects of human factors (anthropometric, biomechanical, usability, etc.) were considered for physical product development during the fabrication of various components of the innovative apparatus with actual materials to ensure the intended function and usability (Table 4).
Physical prototype developed (Source: authors).
Anthropometric considerations used in the design phase (Source: authors)
Once the apparatus’s physical prototype was ready, the field trials were carried out at Factory A to understand the product’s functionality and related insights (Fig. 8). Ten workers (7 male and 3 female) from Factory A were engaged for factory trials, and data regarding productivity (number of pouches cut) and other physiological/anthro-biomechanical parameters were taken to understand the exertion levels of workers while using the developed product. Data regarding usability was also gathered. Table 5 summarizes testing variables (physiological and anthro-biomechanical, production, usability) (n) = 10. Wilcoxon Sign-Rank Test (p≤0.05) was performed to check the significance of the difference in terms of productivity (number of pouches/sachets reworked/15 min) and various human factor issues (physical exertion, muscular fatigue level, and cognitive workload) between existing work practices and working with innovative apparatus.
Field trials at Factory A (Source: authors).
Factory Trials –Insights (Summary) (Source: authors)
Insights from the field survey
From the initial field survey, it was observed that the FMCG units engaged in personal care products manufacturing utilizing semi-automatic production setups remain prone to various ergonomic stressors, non-standardized work practices, and safety-related issues hampering their worker well-being and productivity [12, 14]. Several non-standardized work practices that are prone to safety-related issues, viz. cuts, injuries, slips, trips, and falls due to reliance on inadequate tools/apparatus, are performed on their shop floors. No standardized tools exist for such non-standardized activities of prime concern that exist on such FMCG shop floors [12]. Rework of defective pouches/sachets is one such activity being performed with sharp/blade cutters held in bare, slippery hands, which often leads to adverse situations due to the inherent dangers of this activity. Factory management is concerned about this activity and seeks an immediate solution for it in the form of a standardized apparatus constrained by their work parameters (scale of production, production requirements, work parameters, budget constraints, nature of work, etc.). For the development of the innovative apparatus as a mitigating solution, one manufacturing unit (Factory A) was selected, and discussions with all stakeholders were held to learn about their anticipations in the form of desired qualities and functions from the intended innovative apparatus. It was noted that they required a safety-enriched innovative apparatus capable of cutting and squeezing 5–10 pouches/sachets at a time. Preferably, such an innovative apparatus shall be developed within a range of 125–150 USD, thus being commercially viable. A manually operated (handheld) innovative apparatus of a compact construction can be devised as a mitigating solution. However, it must be capable of eliminating the need to hold a sharp cutter/blade in bare, slippery hands and manual hand squeezing, and it should not affect their present working capacities.
Generated concepts and their descriptions
Using a Morphological chart [29] and subsequent amalgamation matrix (Fig. 4, Table 2) the following ten concepts (Fig. 9) were generated.
A brief description of each concept is given below: Concept 1: This is a fixed-blade and roller-wheel-based concept, having a blade fixed/mounted upon a fixture. The pouches can be pulled across the fixed blade’s cutting surface, which further passes through the plurality of the roller wheels that squeeze the cut pouches to extract the liquid out. The liquid content of the squeezed pouches can be collected in an external bucket or bin, and the uncut pouches may be fed through a rolling gun (coil-based) mechanism. Concept 2: In this concept, the incoming pouch/sachet is cut via a fixed blade erected in its guideway. The defective pouch/sachet is fed through the guideway, and the blade erected within the guideway splits the pouch/sachet. Once the pouch is sliced, the flap is used for pressing the cut pouch/sachet to extract its liquid content out by pressing. The extracted liquid flows through the integrated drain pipe provided below the guideway. Concept 3: This integrated solid container (drum) based concept utilizes the pricking component embedded into the flap-based component to prick the pouch/sachets placed in a guideway and then squeeze the liquid content through the flap-press. This concept is compact in construction and contains several components embedded within a miniature architect. Concept 4: This Puncture-based concept punctures the incoming pouches at the defined slot, making a hole in the pouch. The pouch that got punctured (hole) further moves through the rotatable roller, and the liquid content is extracted. The extracted liquid is collected to the main reservoir through an integrated funnel way provided beneath the roller assembly. Concept 5: This is an integrated container bin cum guideway-based concept. The pouch strip can be placed on the upper base of the container bin that has perforated holes and a horizontal slit (guide channel for blade). The tip of the blade/cutter can be moved through this slit that cuts the incoming pouch/sachets. A separate tapping block can then be placed on the cut pouch/sachet to extract the in-filled liquid content. Concept 6: This concept utilizes a circular guideway provided with a fixed blade at its top at a designated place. The circular guideway is broad at its opening, from where the filled pouches/sachets are fed manually, and once those are cut through a fixed blade, they pass through the narrower end and get squeezed to drain out the extracted liquid. The extracted liquid can be transferred to the main reservoir through the funnel-based tertiary container. Concept 7: This is an integrated solid container (drum) based concept that utilizes the horizontally moving cutter blade integrated with the pressing flap. The pouch/sachet strip is placed on the guideway provided on the top of the container drum, and the flap containing the cutter blade is placed on it, and the cutter blade within its slot upon the closing flap is moved in the opposite direction of the incoming pouch/sachet strip. As the pouch gets cut, the trailing flap squeezes the in-filled liquid that gets collected in its integrated container. Concept 8: It is an integrated roller-based concept. It comprises the roller fixed at the far end of the frame that contains a slot to fix the cutter blade at a fixed length/height adjusted through the nut/bolt mechanism. This frame containing the blade and roller can be moved within the glider cum collection bin provided separately with this frame. The pouch/sachet strip can be fed from right to left and placed on the upper base of the container bin. The frame with the cutter is moved in the opposite direction that cuts the pouch/sachet strip, and the following roller squeezes the cut pouch/sachet to extract the liquid. The extracted liquid is collected within the collection bin through perforated holes. Concept 9: This concept utilizes needle insertion-based pricking and suction-based sucking to collect the in-filled liquid. It consists of a retractable vacuum-based cylinder that has a connecting pipe and the needles provided at the far end of the connecting pipe. A stack of pouches/sachets can be placed at the designated place, and the needle can be inserted through them. Once the needle is pricked, the vacuum cylinder is pressed, that help sucks the liquid out of the pricked pouch/sachets. Concept 10: This is a fixed spikes-based concept. Within a solid drum, at the bottom, vertical spikes are provided, upon which stacks of pouches/sachets can be placed. Afterward, the downward-moving tapping block can be pressed on it within the boundaries of the container drum. As the pouch/sachets get punctured and pressed, the in-filled liquid gets squeezed and comes out through the bottom opening hole.
Concepts generated (Source: authors).
As discussed in Section 2.2.3, deploying the Pugh chart [30], concept ‘8’ received the highest score of ‘+6’ and was decided to develop further as a CAD model. It shall be taken for subsequent physical prototype development and field trials.
Generated CAD model and final physical prototype
The 3-D CAD model of the selected concept was developed (refer to Section 2.2.4). Figure 10 illustrates the innovative apparatus parts listed as part numbers to understand their functioning.
This handheld apparatus for extracting the contents of a pouch/sachet comprises: a roller press assembly that includes a handle (1); a detachable frame (3) coupled to the handle (1), the detachable frame (3) being provided with a roller (4) for squeezing the contents of a pouch/sachet; and a clamp (2) provided over the detachable frame (3), the clamp (2) being coupled to a cutter for cutting the pouch/sachet. a roller glider cum collection bin being disposed below the roller press assembly, the roller glider cum collection bin includes a base for receiving the roller press assembly, the base including a plurality of holes (5) and a guide rail (7) for providing a channel for the cutter; and a collection bin (6) being provided at the bottom of the base for collecting the contents of the sachet/pouch through the plurality of holes (5). Hinge (8) is provided on the left side of the apparatus to open up the collection bin for cleaning purposes. At the bottom, the collection bin (6) includes an opening (9) for integrating the handheld apparatus into one or more collection drums. This handheld apparatus is made of stainless steel to avoid contamination; cutters of various lengths may be used in its frame, and the roller can be replaced too by pulling apart.
Innovative apparatus (part numbers for working details) (Source: authors).
A strip of defective pouch/sachet comprising 5–10 pouches can be placed/fed horizontally on the base of the roller glider cum collection bin (refer to Fig. 10). The cutter/blade attached to the frame moves on the horizontally placed pouch/sachet strip (left to right) and cuts the placed pouches/sachets, and the roller following the blade squeezes and extracts the in-filled liquid content out of the cut pouch/sachets. It helps in squeezing the complete liquid, consisting of hair oil and others, out of the pierced (cut) pouch/sachet just by pressing on its own by the moving roller over the cut pouch/sachets, thus eliminating the manual need to squeeze out the liquid by pressing and keeps the hand clean and dry as compared to the earlier situation where hand squeezing was an essential activity. This innovative apparatus was protected for its Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in the parent country (India) and abroad (the U.S.). Both its utility patents and design registrations have been granted and are in force. The Indian Patent No. 355504 and the U.S. Patent No. 11319103 [32] may be explored for their more working details. The 2-dimensional drafting (with measurements in mm) of this innovative apparatus is shown in Fig. 6. The physical prototype of this apparatus (Fig. 7) was developed based on various anthropometric (Table 4) and biomechanical considerations. Various biomechanical considerations used for developing the prototype included: to keep the wrist towards a neutral range of motion and to achieve better wrist posture while using the tool, an angle of 25 degrees between the frame bar and the handle was provided on the upper part of the apparatus. ergonomic principles of hand tool design were considered during this innovative pouch/sachet cutter’s concept development, handgrip strength, grip diameter, wrist posture, handbreadth, etc. rubberized material for the handle was used/given to reduce contact pressure between the palm and handle surface.
The approximate cost incurred on the single unit of this apparatus (prototype) was approximately 130 USD, which may further reduce significantly upon mass manufacturing.
To determine the product’s potential success, the following parameters were considered:
Productivity evaluation
From the operational and use perspective, the product’s potential success can be ascertained by its performance. The developed product, acclaimed to be an improvement of the previous version, must be capable enough to provide enriched/enhanced features for various predetermined functions/sub-functions and must not decrease the earlier reported productivity levels [12, 27]. The number of pouches reworked using the existing method and with improved cutter were taken into account to determine the productivity levels. The results revealed that in the existing method, the workers were able to cut on average 430±18 pouches, and with the use of a newly developed safety apparatus capable of cutting and squeezing in a single stroke, the average number of pouches/sachets reworked rose to 1040±29 per 15 minutes which is a notable improvement in the context of productivity levels and efficiency. The difference in productivity in terms of pouch/sachet cutting per unit time was significantly higher (p≤0.05) in the case of rework with newly developed apparatus, evident from the results of the Wilcoxon Sign-Rank Test. The number of reworked pouches with the innovative cutter was double that of the conventional method due to the ease of placing more uncut pouches and cutting them in a single stroke with the handheld apparatus and avoiding manual hand squeezing. Approximately 1505 ml (1.5 liters) of liquid was extracted using the conventional method within 15 minutes of work. Meanwhile, 4160 ml (4.16 liter)/15 min liquid was extracted using a newly developed cutter in the improved scenario. The effectiveness of the new work scenario (working with innovative apparatus) is greater than that of the existing method (sharp cutter/blade held in hand and manual squeezing), as evidenced by the volume of the collected liquid/sachet. Yield per pouch was calculated from the collected liquid extracted out of the total number of pouches cut within the time frame of 15 minutes. It was approximately around 3.5 ml in the conventional method and around 4.1 ml in the improved scenario. These productivity improvements can be attributed to the fact that while using the newly developed apparatus, the workers were not forced to be more cautious (about cuts/injuries happening while operating) while using the safety-enriched apparatus wherein the blade was held in the frame of the cutter. They were able to perform swiftly as the cutter/blade held in the frame eliminated the inherent feeling of danger that was an integral part of the earlier process, wherein the cutter/blade was held in the bare, slippery hands and was prone to minor accidents and injuries. Moreover, productivity rose as the newly developed apparatus eliminated the need for manual squeezing, thus making the task fast and eliminating the chances of contamination.
Ergonomic evaluation of the developed innovative apparatus
For an assessment of the product’s compatibility, the human factor evaluation based on physical exertion level using Heart Rate (H.R.), fatigue level measurement using handgrip strength, and cognitive load assessment was performed for the existing and improved scenarios (Table 5).
Physical exertion level was measured utilizing the H.R. [33]. It was taken for each worker in the resting state, i.e., before the start of the work and after 2 hours of work. For the existing scenario, the H.R. before the start of work was 80±12 beats/minute (bpm) and was 86±11 bpm after 2 hours of work. While using the newly developed apparatus, these values were 81±11 bpm and 84±10 bpm, respectively. Wilcoxon Sign-Rank Test revealed that there was an insignificant (p≥0.05) difference in mean resting H.R. between two working conditions (existing scenario vs. working with innovative apparatus), but significantly (p≤0.05) less mean H.R. values (after 2 hrs of work) were observed for working with innovative apparatus while compared with the existing scenario. It can be concluded from the statistical analysis that the newly developed apparatus is easy to operate and handle and does not exert much physical exertion on the workers, as ascertained from the H.R. values recorded.
The handgrip strength [34] values measured the muscular effort required to perform the rework job/activity and the induced fatigue. It was measured using a handgrip strength dynamometer (Make: Jamar, Model: J00105). The participant (worker) was made to stand in a comfortable standing position with the shoulder adducted and neutrally rotated and the elbow flexed to 90 degrees while the wrist, and forearm remained in a neutral position. The grip span for each worker was initially identified. Workers were asked to press the dynamometer’s handle as hard as possible for a duration of 4–5 seconds. Three trials with a gap of 2 minutes were recorded. In existing scenarios, the recorded values for the resting/before the start of the work were 40.6±7.6 kg and 39.1±8.1 kg for the right and left hand. The obtained values for the handgrip strength after the 2 hours of work were 29.5±5.6 kg for the right hand and 30.6±2.3 kg for the left hand. For the improved scenario, wherein the need for manual hand squeezing was eliminated, the obtained values were 41.2±5.8 kg for the right hand and 40.3±4.9 kg for the left hand at the resting state (before the start of the work). At the end of 2 hours of work, the obtained values were 35.7±4.6 kg and 35.5±3.1 kg for right and left hand, respectively. Following the Wilcoxon Sign-Rank Test, it was noticed that there was an insignificant (p≥0.05) difference in mean resting handgrip strengths between two working conditions (existing scenario vs. working with innovative apparatus), but the reduction of handgrip strength after 2 hrs of work was significantly (p≤0.05) less in case of working with innovative apparatus while compared with existing scenario. It can be interpreted that the use of a newly developed apparatus capable of auto-squeezing (by virtue of its integrated roller) helps minimize the fatigue induced by manual hand squeezing. A lot of workers’ effort to manually squeeze liquid from cut pouches/sachets is saved using the newly developed apparatus. Moreover, it eliminates the chances of contamination that may occur due to liquid contents touching hands. Thus, this newly developed apparatus reduces drudgery.
Cognitive load measurements were done by administering the NASA-TLX questionnaire [35] and calculating the overall Mean Weight Workload (MWW). While the cognitive workload (MWW) of the workers was compared between the two working scenarios, a significant decrease (p≤0.05) in MWW was observed for working with the newly developed apparatus. The obtained MWW value for the existing scenario was 72.66±15, an indicator of the high cognitive workload associated with the rework activity being carried out in the existing scenario wherein the sharp cutter/blade is held in bare, slippery hands, and manual hand squeezing was required. In such a scenario, workers must remain cautious, work slowly, and exert high manual effort (for squeezing) to perform their rework task without any standardized tool/apparatus. These factors account for the higher cognitive workload as indicated by the obtained overall MWW values. However, as a newly developed innovative apparatus eliminates the need to hold the cutter/blade directly in the hand and subsequent hand-squeezing, the cognitive load decreases as indicated by the obtained MWW value, which is 45.45±10. Thereby, it is evident that the present innovative ergonomic design intervention is capable of reducing the perceived physical and cognitive demand and effort among the workers engaged in rework activity.
Biomechanical posture compatibility evaluation [12] for the newly developed cutter was assessed by minutely observing the ‘Wrist’ posture as it was the most prominent body part involved in the entire operation (the wrist was being used to hold, move, and drag the apparatus in new condition). It was observed that the ‘Wrist’ remained in almost a ‘Neutral’ position while performing this task. There was no Ulnar or Radial (lateral or medial) deviation of the wrist while using the roller-based apparatus. Only a little bit of extension was present during this activity. While using the roller-based apparatus, the actual lateral movement happens from the shoulder joint, i.e., adduction and abduction. It happens in the range of 28±6 degrees. In the present case, the shoulder adduction/abduction angle was measured with the help of the electronic goniometer (Make: HALO). The maximum adduction at the starting point of hand tool dragging was considered as the initial point of the shoulder range of motion (zero degree). While the maximum abduction at the end point of the tool dragging was considered as the ending point of the shoulder movement. All these observations confirmed the biomechanical posture compatibility of the newly developed cutter for this rework activity. The newly developed cutter provides a standard context-specific tool for rework activity and a standard way of working using the same. It is a major shift from a non-standardized activity towards standardization achieved via an innovative apparatus design and development approach.
User acceptance (usability evaluation) of the newly developed cutter was measured by administering the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire [36]. A SUS score of 81 was obtained, depicting a “Very Good” and “Acceptable” usability rating, according to the adjectives as shown in Table 6. It reflects the wide acceptability of the newly developed apparatus among the intended users and its success. They expressed their readiness to adapt to the newly developed innovative apparatus. No such evaluation was done in the existing scenario, as no new tool/apparatus existed for assessment.
SUS score and associated rating and interpretation (Adapted from [36]) (Source: authors)
SUS score and associated rating and interpretation (Adapted from [36]) (Source: authors)
The current research relates to the improvement activities for the safety-related job/work activities of the industrial shop floor [12], more particularly in the Indian small-scale FMCG shop floors from an innovation aspect. The proposed mitigating solution developed (innovative apparatus) is based on the thorough implementation of ergonomics and design principles. It promoted better occupational health in rework activity through achieving less physical exertion, evident from less increase in H.R, drudgery reduction by eliminating forceful manual squeezing, improved safety (eliminating direct handling of sharp cutter/blade), and better posture adoption (in sitting or standing position as per requirements, wrist posture improvement, standardized way of working).
Wilcoxon Sign-Rank Test indicated the capability of the innovative apparatus to significantly (p≤0.05) improve productivity (number of pouches/sachets reworked/15 min) and lead to lesser physical exertion (in terms of working H.R. and level of muscular fatigue) and cognitive load (MWW) in comparison to existing working condition. Here, it is interesting to note that the earlier reported research from the industrial sector from an ergonomics perspective had remained limited to diagnostic studies, thereby proposing recommendations from the OSH perspective that include available standard guidelines (precautionary measures, physical exercise, and therapy, rehabilitation measures, etc.) that may work for the betterment of occupational health [37–39]. However, the current research from a developing country’s industrial sector provided a descriptive OSH-related study and a prescriptive one providing real/practical implementation of safety-enriched innovative products as mitigating solutions. So far, the reported research has mainly remained concerned with the standardized work activities and practices of the industrial shop floor and attracted maximum attention from the researchers [40, 41]. The current research picked up non-standardized work activity that is prone to injuries/accidents and needs immediate attention. It also developed context-specific innovative apparatus to address unsafe work practices. This is a novel approach for looking for and taking appropriate measures for the unnoticed activities on the industrial shop floor. Since rework in the FMCG sector is carried out in many developing countries, and similar scenarios prevail there, the developed innovative apparatus has a wide market value among these FMCG manufacturing units, and the product is commercially viable. The developed apparatus can eliminate safety issues prevailing in pouch/sachet cutting rework activity and eliminate drudgery. It is easy to operate, maintain, and handle. Thus, it can benefit the industrial stakeholders a lot. The current study depicts the overall journey of the innovative product from its pre-conceptual phase to its field trials and subsequent IPR protection, i.e., a systematic design approach based on ergonomic principles [12]. Corroborating with other product development studies [42–44], it provides very critical insights, guidelines, and strategies that other researchers may adopt to create and protect their innovation in varied industrial domains. Following the current research, the other researchers in the ergonomic field may also feel motivated to provide ergonomic design interventions as mitigating solutions by employing a similar systematic design approach, and they might not be limiting themselves to diagnosing and ascertaining the MSDs only and subsequent reporting. Aligned with the ZAV [10, 46], such practical studies on the industrial shop floor help promote the philosophy and prove to be a proactive approach toward the advocates of this philosophy. It will greatly boost achieving this philosophy’s bold vision and motivate others to take up such research, especially in IDCs.
Limitations and scope for future work
Despite the researcher’s best efforts to steer the research in a well-directed manner, the following few limitations persist: The present study focuses on providing the mitigating solution to the ‘after the fact’ event occurrence, i.e., the situation arising after the sachets get defective and need to be reworked. Efforts can be made to devise methods to minimize the event occurrence and its associated negative consequences, i.e., methods to minimize the sachet defects and subsequent rejection. In the current study, only the personal care goods (hair oil, serum, shampoo pouch/sachets) were considered. The FMCG segment covers other products filled in pouches/sachets (jams, jellies, pickles, etc.), which are prone to the same ill effects. The present innovative solution might not be feasible for reworking the pouch/sachets containing different contents that have different physical properties (high viscosity, solid particulates, etc.). Explorations to devise innovative solutions for their reworking may also be explored. In the current study, during the field trial phase, the field trials were conducted with a limited number of workers (as per availability) and as per the time constraint. Field trials were conducted as per 2-hour shifts for the ease of experimentation and various other logistic reasons. However, the industrial shifts usually comprise 8-hour shifts. Efforts can be made to conduct field trials for a full 8-hour shift, and more workers may be engaged (if available) to enlarge the sample size and consequent data collection.
Conclusion
By considering thorough ergonomic and design principles, the current study developed an innovative apparatus that can ensure safety in FMCG rework activity and eliminate drudgery. It is cost-effective, fulfills the intended needs and requirements of the stakeholders, and acts well as a mitigating solution to the current safety concerns. The approach followed in the current research would be very beneficial in innovatively addressing OSH issues to propagate worker safety and well-being on the industrial shop floor, especially when working in capital-constrained scenarios in IDCs.
Ethical approval
Ethical approval was taken from the Institute Human Ethical Committee (IHEC), IIT Guwahati, Guwahati-781039, Assam, India. Approval number 176105105, dated 31st August 2020.
Informed consent
Informed consent was taken from all respondents.
Conflict of interest
None of the authors have any personal, financial, commercial, or academic conflicts of interest to report.
Footnotes
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Mr. Samiran Das, Chief Factory Inspector, Assam (Retd.), Dr. S.K. Dey, Senior Factory Inspector, Assam, workers, and the factory management of all the FMCG manufacturing units wherein the present study was conducted. Furthermore, the authors thank Mr. Arunjyoti Borgohain for helping with fabrication facilities.
Funding
Not applicable.