A commitment to ergonomics can be as simple as small changes at the factory or in the office to improve comfort and productivity. At TI, where innovation, planning and development happen at our employees’ desks and workstations, we take a proactive approach to establishing optimal working conditions for employee comfort, safety and maximum performance.
We are committed to proactively identifying and eliminating potential risks before incidents occur. Our ergonomics program focuses on three key areas:
Employee comfort and productivity. Ergonomics and safety professionals evaluate individual workspaces, develop and implement corrective actions, and provide ergonomics training for all employees. More than 1,700 ergonomic assessments were performed for computer workstations in 2010. To reduce the risk of ergonomics-related injuries to new employees, we receive automatic notification of new hires so that we can complete customized ergonomic assessments to ensure their computer workstations are set up correctly shortly after they begin work. We found this proactive approach has reduced injuries and saved TI money.
Material handling. We analyze material handling tasks in manufacturing and support areas to identify the best way to perform certain tasks, reduce risks, and prevent problems. We share our best practices among sites globally and monitor new work areas to appropriately incorporate ergonomics.
Equipment design. We continuously review new equipment and work with suppliers to meet performance expectations. TI also continues to shape ergonomic and safety design guidelines for new equipment and materials through the Semiconductor Equipment Materials International (SEMI) Association and Sematech. Although some TI-specific standards go beyond these guidelines, this industrywide effort is critical to improving global working conditions and equipment safety.
As TI’s mobile workforce has increased, we have kept up with ergonomic solutions for the use of notebook computers, home offices and even smart phones. We also have provided these employees with brochures, Web resources, online ergonomics training and access to specialists who can give related advice.
For our telecommuting employees, TI provides training and tips on ergonomically correct computer use through online courses and Web-based resources.
