What Risks Does Assembly Line Work Pose for Employees?

A basic prerequisite for the highly efficient and productive way of working in modern manufacturing and industrial operations is the division of the production process into highly automated, smaller work steps. Between different workstations, the product to be manufactured is transported onward by so-called assembly lines, allowing the human factor in production to focus entirely on the individual assembly steps required. It is no news that this type of production has revolutionised industry and is indispensable today. Rather, the focus today is on identifying the opportunities and risks of this production method as effectively as possible and adapting them for your business. The aim is to find a balance between risk minimisation and profit optimisation.  For this reason, we at Shoes For Crews would like to take a closer look at this topic in this article.

Development of Assembly Line Work  

The name Henry Ford is known to us all as the father of the automotive brand that remains widespread today.  However, not everyone knows that the automotive industry pioneer also stands, more than anyone else, for the development of assembly line work. It was this development that enabled him and his company to achieve the incomparable success that continues to have an impact today. The origins of the concept actually date back to the 18th century. 

A Brief Historical Overview:

• 1790: The American Oliver Ewans is granted a patent for an assembly line prototype that transports grain in a mill
• 1833: The first modern assembly line is used in a large English bakery in Deptford
• 1901: Ransome Eli Olds introduces the first production line system. 1905: Bahlsen pioneers the approach in Germany by introducing the assembly line for biscuit production at its Hanover plant
• 1913: On 1 December, assembly line production begins at Ford. As a result, the production time for a car is reduced from twelve hours to 93 minutes, while costs fall from 850 to 370 dollars
• 1948: With 35 million units, the Ford F-Series pickups launched that year rank second on the all-time best-seller list
• 1969: Invention of the industrial robot in the USA
• 1993: At Mercedes, the cycle time per work unit on the assembly line for the S-Class is reduced to 15 minutes in order to improve employees' working conditions and production quality. Today, however, each work cycle lasts only seconds
• 2013: Volkswagen uses collaborative industrial robots for the first time – robots that work hand in hand with people without separating protective equipment such as barriers or light curtains

Significance and Impact

A look at history shows the enormous importance of assembly line work. Our lives today, with everything from cars and computers to life-extending and protective medical devices, would be inconceivable without industrialisation and, in its wake, the invention of assembly line work. Henry Ford further developed the principle based on Taylorism – the division of production operations into the smallest units, which could be carried out without specialist knowledge by any person. However, he too had to recognise the impact assembly line work had on his employees. “This kind of mental underchallenge among workers led to many strikes and uprisings in companies at the time. Ford had to counteract this, and in 1914, when a strike threatened at his Ford Motor Company, he had a revolutionary idea. He doubled the base wage to 5 dollars a day and reduced working hours from 9 to 8 hours. Nevertheless, history has shown that this type of production poses immense risks for employees in manufacturing and industry. Find out more below, including what you can do to protect your employees.  

Risks and Opportunities of Assembly Line Work

“Flow production means that products are manufactured without interruption. Its defining feature is that the spatial arrangement of workstations and machines is adapted to the product being manufactured. In addition, the timing of the individual work steps is also monitored in flow production.” The greatest danger to the physical and, above all, mental health of your employees with this production method is the monotony of movements performed repeatedly every day. 

Counteracting Mental Effects

With regard to mental health, it has proven effective to have personnel rotate between different stations in the production process as often as possible, creating some variety. This is known scientifically as job enlargement. In addition, job enrichment is also possible. “In this case, an employee's work is enriched with additional meaningful tasks intended to increase the individual's motivation. The difference from job enlargement is that the work is not only expanded quantitatively, but also qualitatively. 

Measures Against Physical Strain

To counteract physical effects, it is important to set up the workplace ergonomically. This also includes providing employees with appropriate footwear. Especially in mass production on an assembly line, it may often be necessary to spend several hours or even the entire working day standing. The enormous strain on the body should not be underestimated. Comfortable work shoes that also provide the necessary safety protect your staff, make everyday work more pleasant and can therefore also contribute to motivation. If you need help finding suitable footwear for your production, we are happy to assist you. We provide the support you need to drive implementation in your company and achieve your safety goals.