Plant Engineer, Steve Morrison of SCA Tissue North America LLC, Bellemont, AZ was disconcerted to find that assembly workers employed a novel though potentially dangerous, solution to a work table height problem. SCA’s tissue products undergo packaging after production at an assembly area that involves manual manipulation of the products and operation of a wrapping machine. The table and equipment have a total weight of approx 1000lbs and a fixed height. Steve became aware after a new employee was hired that the height differential among the operators on each shift using the same workspace created a potentially unhealthy and unsafe condition. The taller operators could not work as well or as comfortably the others for which the height was more appropriate. Moreover, the operators had taken the matter into their own hands and fashioned a makeshift height adjustment solution consisting of four steel blocks that when inserted under the table legs would raise the table to the ideal height for the taller operators. The problem with this for SCA management was that the table was very heavy and there was the potential for injury when the mechanics would lift the table and insert the blocks.

Searching for a more elegant and safer solution for a high volume and important function in the plant, Steve contacted ErgoSwiss, a manufacturer of ergonomic hydraulic table lift systems. The solution provided by ErgoSwiss involved a simple manually operated pump and four cylinder/leg system that is easily attached to the existing table legs and provides up to 1000lbs capacity and 8 inches of travel. Each cylinder is built into a square aluminum tube with four threaded hoes for attaching the tube to the leg. The pump is attached to the underside of the tabletop and operated by a manual hand crank that moves the tabletop smoothly and silently 10 mm. per turn. The system was provided with all tubing assembled, connected and ready to operate.

SCA is a global consumer goods and paper company that develops, produces and markets personal care products, tissue, packaging solutions, publication papers and solid-wood products in more than 90 countries. SCA has about 51,000 employees in some 50 countries. SCA operates in the following areas:

• Personal Care: Comprises three product segments: incontinence care, baby diapers and Feminine care: Important consumer brands are Tena, Libero and Libresse.
• Tissue: Offers toilet paper, kitchen rolls, handkerchiefs, napkins as well as related equipment to consumers and Away-From-Home tissue customers. Some of the brands are Tork, Zewa and Edet.
• Packaging: Offers containerboard and packaging solutions like transport packaging, protective packaging, consumer and point-of-sales packaging as well as services.

Forest Products: produces publication papers, pulp, solid-wood products and timber.

SCA products are produced nearly exclusively from renewable and recyclable materials. Equal quantities of recycled and fresh wood fibers are used in production. SCA conducts global operations with sales in some 90 countries and production in about 40. More than half of sales are consumer products within personal care, tissue and packaging solutions where the end-users are individuals and households. "Every day, products from SCA are used by hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide."

About ErgoSwiss Table, Lift Systems:

ErgoSwiss, headquartered in Widnau, Switzerland is an innovative supplier of high quality height adjustment Systems. ErgoSwiss is the development and systems partner of major companies operating in the office furniture and furniture business, work floor equipment and general mechanical engineering. The ErgoSwiss system allows a smooth height or angle adjustment of any work-surface. It is predominately used in office desks, industrial workbenches and platforms, check-in counters, cashier desk's, hospital and rehabilitation beds and many other applications. Health insurance companies have indicated, that more than one third of all absenteeism, and a major part of total health costs, are directly related to an incorrect working position. Height adjustment systems have been developed in order to provide all employees an ergonomically optimal work environment and to protect them from illness, predominately from back complaints. An ergonomic workspace will contribute to substantially reduced employee fatigue and most importantly, will help to reduce the risk of injuries. Reduced tiredness and an optimal work environment lead to higher motivation and therefore to an increased productivity and efficiency up to 15%.

For more information on SCA Tissue LLC or ErgoSwiss, table lift systems please contact: Steve Morrison, SCA Tissue North America, LLC, 14005 W Old Highway 66, Bellemont, AZ, 86015; Phone: 928-773-9421; Website: www.scatissuenorthamerica.com

Representing ErgoSwiss in North America, American Sales Development LLC, PO 320017 • Fairfield, CT 06825,, Toll Free - 800-420-4831 ext.701 office 203-292-3860 fax 203-913-8815 cell info@americansalesdevelopment.net

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