A research center directly funded by the Material Handling Industry of America aims to improve the safety conditions of workers involved in Distribution Center operations.
With the help of a US$50,000 research grant from MHIA’s College Industry Council on Material Handling Education, Ohio State University has established a Distribution Ergonomics Research Center.
DERC’s mission is to evaluate ergonomic issues in distribution centers and develop interventions to deal with the issues. Some of the issues being tackled include muscle strain due to heavy lifting and repetitive movements.
By reducing the biomechanical loads placed on distribution center workers, risks of injury can be minimized. Workers can also do their jobs more efficiently and be more productive.
Source: https://www.mhia.org/news/mhia/10231/results-released-from-first-ever-mhia-funded-research-grant-by-ohio-state-s-distribution-ergonomics-research-center.