Incorporating Ergonomic & Comfort Factors into Laboratory Design

In last month’s column, I began sharing with you some of the things I’ve taken into consideration as I’ve designed and built the new laboratory facility we’ll soon be moving into. This month, I’d like to continue the conversation by discussing some ergonomic and health protection factors that can be considered at any time, whether you’re preparing to move into a new facility or considering redesigning or upgrading your current location.

Sandblasting Equipment Placement

Last month, I touched upon the fact that our new facility will house a dedicated sandblasting room with a special overhead suction/extraction hood to help remove abrasive particles from ambient air. This will definitely help improve air quality.

But from an ergonomic standpoint, we also needed to identify the best position in which to place the sandblasting unit. So, we went around to many of our current areas and studied seat and bench positions, and took average measurements of our shortest and tallest technicians. Based on this information, we positioned our sandblasting benches at two different levels: one that would be the most comfortable position for someone taller than 5-feet-5-inches and one that would be comfortable for someone shorter than 5-feet-5-inches.

Air Conditioning & Ventilation

From a productivity and profitability perspective, laboratories stand to lose when employees take frequent sick days due to illness that may be caused by stagnant air or fumes in the laboratory. For our new laboratory location, we invested significantly in our air conditioning and ventilation system to ensure that each area would be properly handled.

We consulted with an air specialist and went from room to room, explaining what kinds of temperatures and equipment would be operating in each. This was important, because in our current setting, we often encounter a problem with ceramists - who frequently work with furnaces - feeling too hot, while office staff feels too cold. We specifically looked at how many cubic feet per minute of air circulation we’d need where in order to achieve the desired temperatures given our working conditions. As a result, our new facility will be serviced by two air conditioning units: one that supports the lunch room, shipping room, model department, offices and bathrooms; and the other supporting the ceramics, metals and furnace areas.

The Design Has It

I mentioned last month that investing in the esthetic design of the laboratory was important to me in terms of creating a work environment for my employees that would be comfortable and something of which they could be proud. The design of the new facility is such that there isn’t a straight line anywhere, because I didn’t want a square, boxy-looking laboratory. So, part of the expense we’ve incurred is that all of our walls - some of which are as high as 11-feet-10-inches and dropping off to 9-feet-6-inches - are curved. The ceilings follow the design of the walls and the hallways all have a slight curve to them. Lights for each room and area turn on automatically upon entering, so there are no light switches, and the thermostats are computer controlled.

To design the technician areas, the company I worked with (Freuding USA) flew me to Germany, where we spent 14 hours designing and engineering the new facility. We were able to incorporate right-handed and left-handed benches, as well as test-drive samples of both, along with technician chairs, to be sure the way we would equip the laboratory would be best for long-term ergonomics.

Additionally, the workstations were designed without any shelves that could collect dust. So, at the end of every day, each technician puts his or her stuff in their drawer and, when the daily cleaning crew arrives, everything is wiped down, which will help to keep the laboratory as dust-free as possible.

What’s more, we designed the workstations with the goal of having nothing on the floor. Now, if you work in a laboratory, you know that crowns tend to do a disappearing act; meaning, if you drop a crown on the floor, you could spend a week looking for it. A reason for this is because most bench manufacturers put their benches all the way to the floor, but leaving just enough space for a tiny veneer to slide under the bench, where you’ll most likely never find it.

For our new facility, however, we designed our benches so that everything is OFF the floor, including the ovens and vacuum pumps. Rather, we built a custom support stand that both hides and provides easy access to this equipment. So, there isn’t a room in our new laboratory that has a quarter-inch opening where a crown could disappear. Instead, there’s an 8- or 10-inch access space; if something falls on the floor or goes under something, we’ll be able to find it.

Down on the Floor

And while we’re on the subject of floors, we stepped away from the same-old here, also. The main room of our laboratory is floored with 10 millimeter Pergo, which is the highest grade you can find. It will be easy to sweep and mop daily, helping to keep the laboratory clean and virtually dirt free. Now, even though I’m sure you know that a 1,900∞ crown will eventually drop on the floor, making the Pergo look like it’s been singed, we’ve taken that inevitability into account. We purchased an extra 200 feet of the wood floor, stashed them away, and have an agreement with the local installation company to replace any severely singed planks for a nominal fee.

So, this was also part of the esthetic, safety and health/well-being commitment we made to our employees. It’s a nice wood floor. Yes, it could get burned with crowns, but we have a cleaning service that will come in every day and sweep and mop everything. So, each and every day, our technicians will come into a clean work environment.

Conclusion

There are many factors to be considered when designing a dental laboratory from the ground up. Those discussed here are only the beginning. When given the opportunity to equip a laboratory to its most ideal state, the planning process must also take into consideration those products, technologies and equipment selections that will not only enhance the ergonomics of the working environment and contribute to greater employee comfort and satisfaction, but which will improve the laboratory’s overall productivity and performance. In future columns, I’ll discuss the implications and benefits of some of the items that we take for granted, including furnaces.

Do you have a question for Nelson Rego, CDT? E-mail jdt@nadl.org.

 

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