Abstract
A majority of items going through distribution centers are packaged in corrugated boxes. These boxes vary considerably in size, shape, and design as well as in the weight they contain. The characteristics of the packaging and how the items are shipped and stored in the warehouse have a significant impact on the risk of injury for individuals who must manually handle those products. The purpose of this paper is to describe certain packaging issues that impact on ergonomics and more importantly to point out how this type of information can be used to help reduce musculoskeletal stressors in the distribution environment. In many cases proper design of the packaging will reduce damage to the product, packaging costs and the risk of injuries. Several ways of reducing the hazards to both the worker and the package will be illustrated through examples.
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