Costo-Beneficio De La Ergonomía

7
Economic Justification
of the Ergonomics
Process
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5

Background........................................................................7-1
Management Duties in a Corporation ............................7-2
Intangible Benefits ............................................................7-2
TangibleInformation........................................................7-3
Cost Justification Methods ...............................................7-3
Benefit/Cost Ratio • Payback Period • Losses vs. Goods
Sold • Present Value (Time Value of Money)

7.6

Cost of Replacement Workers
Lowered Productivity and Quality • Increased
Supervisory Requirements • Training

David C. Alexander
Auburn Engineers, Inc.

Thomas J. Albin
3M Center

7.1

How Do YouDetermine the Full Cost of an
Injury? ................................................................................7-6

7.7
7.8
7.9

How Do You Predict Future Injuries? .............................7-9
What Other Costs Should You Consider? .......................7-9
Conclusions .....................................................................7-10

Background

This chapter willpresent some basic thoughts and information on how to justify ergonomics activity
from a corporate perspective. Ergonomics, as a term, is frequently perceived as solely concerned with
efforts to control work-related musculoskeletal disorders; yet in its true sense, it is the technology of
enhancing all facets of human performance in the workplace, and is not limited to just safety, health,
andcomfort. An ergonomist would be equally at home with issues such as improving product quality
or decreasing the likelihood of errors through the application of ergonomic techniques.
Many individuals charged with implementing ergonomics programs in corporations are unfamiliar
with the culture of business organizations in general and may often be unfamiliar with the culture within
their owncorporation in particular. Accordingly, a brief introduction to some concepts within corporate
culture may be beneficial.
A business corporation is a legal entity that resembles a person. Its reason for being is to generate
profits for its shareholders. It may enter into contracts or litigation. It is comprised of a number of
individuals who work together toward a common goal.
When you propose anaction, you have done so because you perceive a need to change something,
generally in order to improve it. You justify doing this because there is some added value in achieving
the desired goal. Because there is often great difference in what is valued among individuals, you must
persuade all those who control the resources you wish to employ so that they will also value the end0-8493-1801-7/03/$0.00+$1.50
© 2003 by CRC Press LLC

7-1

7-2

Occupational Ergonomics: Design and Management of Work Systems

results sufficiently to devote resources to them. It must be understood that management is not the only
resource controller within a corporation.
Since resources are limited, you will find yourself in competition with other proposals which seek to
employ the same resourcesthat you are requesting. You must make the case that your proposal outweighs
the others, or find a way to combine your proposal with others to make joint use of the resources in
order to achieve mutual goals. As an example of how such goals may make use of the resources in order
to achieve mutual goals consider the following example.
Production equipment was installed in a factory withoutsufficient attention paid during design and
construction to health and safety issues. A plant health and safety team refuses to allow the equipment
to be run until several deficiencies are corrected. As a result, the equipment sits on the plant floor for
two weeks until the corrections are made. The manufacturing manager must absorb the cost of this
equipment during this time without the offset of...