Kaizen: ergonomics approach to occupational health and safety

Kaizen (work improvement) is the forte of Japanese industry. Kaizen activities were born in the early 20th century under the name efficiency research. These activities were the beginning of industrial engineering (IE). Later on people began to rethink the single-minded devotion to improving productivity. Then the job re-design concept was developed. The main target of kaizen in the area of occupational health and safety in Japanese manufacturing is the improvement of inadequate working posture followed by the improvement of work for transporting and lifting heavy objects. Unfortunately, the kaizen activities undertaken by most Japanese companies are still focused on improving productivity and quality. The know-how for promoting kaizen activities that integrate the three aspects of IE, occupational health, and ergonomics is not being accumulated, however. In particular, the IE techniques should be incorporated into kaizen activities aimed at occupational safety and health, and the quantitative assessment of workload is required. In addition, it is important for on-the-job kaizen training in the ERGOMA Approach for production supervisors, who are the main advocates of IE kaizen.