Drink your Ergonomics
Next time you are in the mood for a sports drink, take a look at Gatorade’s EDGE. That is Ergonomically Designed Gatorade Experience. The new bottle is designed to be easier to grip and drink from. In 1994 Quaker Oats started a study looking at, among other factors, variability in the size of the human mouth (1.7-2.3 inches). Why did the company do this? In a report by BusinessWeek, the company says that the EDGE bottle has increased sales between 10% and 25%.
Are You Chicken?
Think ergonomics is gone? Think that without the threat of a standard companies have given up on the benefits of ergonomics? Think again. Arkansas-based poultry processor Tyson Foods, Inc., has agreed to a 5 year partnership with OSHA to improve workplace safety and health including ergonomics. Ergonomics is not new to Tyson, however, as in 1997 a Tyson poultry plant was cited for ergonomic violations of the General Duty Clause.
Slight of Hand
It seems that consumers are taking cell phone design into their own hands. With a trend towards smaller and smaller hand held phones, many consumers are responding with discomforting complaints. Cell phone manufacturers are hearing more complaints from users who say that phones are becoming so small that they are difficult, uncomfortable and even painful to hold for long periods of time.
Just Cruisin’
Responding to customer requests for broader product offerings that are easy to operate, Mack Trucks, Inc.
has introduced a new lineup of light-weight, driver-friendly transmissions with a host of product improvements. One improvement is a gear system that requires less operator force to shift reducing fatigue.