{"670380":{"#nid":"670380","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EI2 Programs Help Keep Georgia Businesses Lean and Healthy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESean Castillo is in the win-win business. As an industrial hygienist in the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (EI2), his job is to ensure that employees are safe in their workspaces, and when he does that, he simultaneously improves a company\u2019s performance. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThat\u2019s been a theme for Castillo and his colleagues in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESafety, Health, Environmental Services\u003C\/a\u003E (SHES) program and their partners in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gamep.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (GaMEP)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, part of EI2\u2019s suite of programs aimed at helping Georgia businesses thrive.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cA healthier workforce is healthy for business,\u201d said Castillo, part of the SHES team of consultants who often work closely with their GaMEP counterparts to improve safety while also maximizing productivity. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis team of experts from EI2 assist companies trying to reach that critical intersection of both, combining smart ergonomics and safety enhancements with lean manufacturing practices. This can solve human performance gaps due to fatigue, heat, or some other environmental stressor, while helping businesses continue to improve their production processes and, ultimately, their bottom line.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThese stressors cost U.S. industry billions of dollars each year \u2014 fatigue, for example, is responsible for about $136 billion in lost productivity.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cProtecting your employee \u2014 investing in safety now \u2014 saves a lot of money later,\u201d Castillo said. \u201cIt equates to less money spent on workers compensation and less employee turnover, which means less time training new employees, and that ideally leads to a more efficient process in the workplace.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt takes careful and intentional collaboration to bring those moving pieces together, and inextricably linked programs like SHES and GaMEP can help orchestrate all of that.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EEnsuring Safe Workspaces\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESHES is staffed by safety consultants, like Castillo, who provide a free and essential service to Georgia businesses. They help companies ensure that they meet or exceed the standards set by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/\u0022\u003EOSHA\u003C\/a\u003E), mainly through SHES\u2019 flagship \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-safety-health-and-environmental-services\/osha-consultation-program\/\u0022\u003EOSHA 21(d) Consultation Program\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cOur job is to ensure that workspaces and processes are designed so that anybody can perform the work safely,\u201d said Trey Sawyers, a safety, health, and ergonomics consultant on the SHES team, aiding small and mid-sized businesses in Georgia. When a company reaches out to SHES to apply for the free, confidential OSHA consultation program, a consultant like Sawyers gets assigned to the task, \u201cbased on our area of expertise,\u201d said Sawyers, an expert in ergonomics, which is the science of designing and adapting a workspace to efficiently suit the physical and mental needs and limitations of workers.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cIf a company is having ergonomic issues \u2014 maybe they\u2019re experiencing a lot of strains and sprains \u2014 then I might get the call because of my knowledge and understanding of anthropometry, and then I\u2019ll go take a close look at the facility,\u201d Sawyers said. Anthropometry is the scientific study of a human\u2019s size, form, and functional capacity. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESHES consultants can identify potential workplace hazards, provide guidance on how to comply with OSHA standards, and establish or improve safety and health programs in the company.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe caveat is the company has to correct any serious hazards that we find,\u201d said Castillo, who visits a wide range of workspaces in his role. For instance, his job will take him to construction and manufacturing sites, gun ranges, even office settings. \u201cWe do noise and air monitoring at all different types of workplaces. I was at a primary care clinic the other day. And over the past few years, we\u2019ve had a significant emphasis on stone fabricators, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8OwSp9_6E7o\u0026amp;list=PLphwzjC3Gz8NpMlevLSDSL4BzK7CjC2un\u0022\u003Elooking for overexposures to respirable crystalline silica\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESilica, which is dust residue from the process of creating marble and quartz slabs, can lead to a lung disease called silicosis. OSHA established new limits that cut the permissible exposure limits in half, and that has kept the SHES consultants busy as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/stop-silicosis-forever\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia manufacturers try to achieve and maintain compliance\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKeeping Companies Cool\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAnother area of growing emphasis for Georgia Tech\u2019s consultants is heat-related stress in the workplace.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cCurrently, there are no standards to address this,\u201d Castillo said. \u201cFor example, there are no rules that say a construction site worker should drink this much water. There are suggested guidelines and emphasis programs for inspections for targeted industries where heat stress may be prevalent \u2014 but no standards, though that is coming.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe SHES team is trying to stay ahead of what will likely be new federal rules for heat mitigation. To help develop safe standards and better understand the effects of heat on workers, consultants like Castillo are going to construction sites, plant nurseries, and warehouses, and enlisting volunteers in field studies. Using heat stress monitor armbands, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/keeping-safe-as-the-heat-creeps-up\/\u0022\u003Ethey\u2019re monitoring data on workers\u2019 core body temperatures and heart rates\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThese tools are great because we\u2019re not only gathering some good data, but we can use them proactively to prevent heat events such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which can be fatal if left untreated,\u201d Castillo said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETo further help educate Georgia companies about the risks of heat-related problems, SHES applied for and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/news\/newsreleases\/national\/09192023\u0022\u003Erecently won a Susan Harwood Training Grant\u003C\/a\u003E from the U.S. Department of Labor. The $160,000 award will support SHES consultants\u2019 efforts to further their work in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/safety-and-health-training-events\/safety-and-health-webinars-and-no-cost-training\/\u0022\u003Eheat stress education\u003C\/a\u003E so that \u201ccompanies and workers will understand the warning signs and the potential effects of heat stress, and how they can stay safe,\u201d Castillo said. \u201cWe\u2019re sure this will all become part of OSHA standards eventually, and we\u2019d like to help our clients stay ahead of the curve to protect their employees.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOSHA standards are the law, and while larger corporations routinely hire consulting firms to keep them on the straight and narrow, SHES is providing the same level of expertise for its smaller business clients for free. Most of those clients apply for help through SHES\u2019 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/oshainfo.gatech.edu\/consultation-form\/\u0022\u003Eonline request form\u003C\/a\u003E. And others find the help they need through the guidance of process improvement specialist Katie Hines and her colleagues in GaMEP.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELean and Safe\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHines came to her appreciation of ergonomics naturally. After graduating from Auburn University, she entered the workforce as a manufacturing engineer for a building materials company, where \u201cit was just part of our day-to-day work life in that manufacturing environment, on the production floor,\u201d she said. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIt took grad school and a deeper focus on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gamep.org\/lean-and-process-improvement\/\u0022\u003Elean and continuous improvement processes\u003C\/a\u003E to formalize that appreciation.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhile working toward her master\u2019s degree in chemical engineering at Auburn, Hines earned a certificate in occupational safety and ergonomics (like Sawyers, her SHES colleague). At the same time, Hines was helping to guide her company\u2019s lean and continuous improvement program. And when she joined Proctor and Gamble after completing her degree, \u201cThe lean concept and safety best practices were fully ingrained, part of the daily discussion there,\u201d she said.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAll those hands-on manufacturing production floor experiences managing people and systems prepared Hines well for her current role as a project manager on GaMEP\u2019s Operational Excellence team, where her focus is entirely on lean and continuous improvement work \u2014 that is, helping companies reduce waste and improve production while also enhancing safety and ergonomics.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHines uses her expertise in knowing how manufacturing processes and people should look when everyone is safe and also productive. She can walk into a GaMEP client\u2019s facility and drive the process improvements and solutions that will help them achieve a leaner, more efficient form of production. And then, when she sees the need, Hines will recommend the client contact SHES, \u201cthe people who have their fingers on the data and the expertise to improve safety.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThese were concepts that, for a long time, seemed to be working against each other \u2014 the very idea of maximizing production and improving profits while also emphasizing worker safety and comfort.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cBut you can have both,\u201d Castillo said. \u201cYou \u003Cem\u003Eshould\u003C\/em\u003E have both.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESHES and GaMEP are collaborating to help Georgia businesses thrive, by addressing safety and establishing lean and continuous process improvement.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"SHES and GaMEP are collaborating to help Georgia businesses thrive."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2023-10-12 13:23:38","changed_gmt":"2023-10-12 13:59:01","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672019":{"id":"672019","type":"image","title":"Trio of Experts","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETrey Sawyers, Katie Hines, and Sean Castillo are helping keep Georgia businesses lean and safe.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1697116395","gmt_created":"2023-10-12 13:13:15","changed":"1697116570","gmt_changed":"2023-10-12 13:16:10","alt":"Trey, Katie, Sean","file":{"fid":"255197","name":"Trio.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Trio.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Trio.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5220344,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/12\/Trio.jpg?itok=OA-ql-Ku"}},"672020":{"id":"672020","type":"image","title":"Katie Hines","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKatie Hines\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1697116591","gmt_created":"2023-10-12 13:16:31","changed":"1697116638","gmt_changed":"2023-10-12 13:17:18","alt":"Katie Hines","file":{"fid":"255198","name":"Katie.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Katie.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Katie.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2920936,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/12\/Katie.jpg?itok=56EHYNYK"}},"672021":{"id":"672021","type":"image","title":"Sean Castillo","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESean Castillo\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1697116649","gmt_created":"2023-10-12 13:17:29","changed":"1697116684","gmt_changed":"2023-10-12 13:18:04","alt":"Sean Castillo","file":{"fid":"255199","name":"Sean.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Sean.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Sean.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3880365,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/12\/Sean.jpg?itok=5t6cLh7V"}},"672022":{"id":"672022","type":"image","title":"Trey Sawyers","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETrey Sawyers\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1697116696","gmt_created":"2023-10-12 13:18:16","changed":"1697116728","gmt_changed":"2023-10-12 13:18:48","alt":"Trey Sawyers","file":{"fid":"255200","name":"Trey.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Trey.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Trey.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3211020,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/12\/Trey.jpg?itok=hsw-tneR"}}},"media_ids":["672019","672020","672021","672022"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7554","name":"OSHA"},{"id":"185049","name":"Fatigue"},{"id":"15223","name":"Engineering Enterprise and Innovation"},{"id":"188874","name":"SHES"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWriter: \u003Ca href=\u0022jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}