Table of Contents
1. A Historic Partnership for Station Development
2. Case Study: Testimonials from an Azergo operator and an Azergo advisor
In our tip sheet Ergonomics in Industry: How to Design Production Spaces?, we provided an overview of the challenges and solutions related to workplace design in the industrial sector. In this article, we present a real-world case study featuring the company Zurflüh-Feller, which has implemented a comprehensive policy for risk prevention and the continuous improvement of working conditions.
Azergo now serves as a preferred partner for ergonomics consulting and the provision of ergonomic solutions for the design of the company’s various workspaces.
A Historic Partnership for Workstation Design
Quentin Cart-Lamy, you've been working at Zurflüh-Feller for a year. Could you tell us a little about your company?
Quentin Cart-Lamy: Zurflüh-Feller is a company specializing in the manufacture of building closure systems, based in the Doubs department (25) at two locations: a production facility in Autechaux-Roide and an assembly and shipping facility in Noirefontaine. It employs approximately 400 workers (permanent employees and temporary workers).
What is your role there?
Q.C.-L.: I am a company nurse. My responsibilities include responding to accidents, providing medical care to employees as needed, managing follow-up on medical appointments and workplace accommodations, training employees to serve as workplace first responders, analyzing accident statistics, and improving safety procedures in collaboration with the safety manager.
I also serve as the company’s harassment liaison and disability liaison. As the disability liaison, I work with external organizations to improve workplace ergonomics.
I am also responsible for organizing public health campaigns, such as No Smoking Month or Pink October.
What types of jobs and tasks do your employees perform?
Q.C.-L.: It’s extremely varied. Given the size of the company, the positions are very different. We have “office” jobs, sales staff, production workers who operate machinery, and logistics workers who drive forklifts.
We can therefore find all kinds of tasks, ranging from computer work to operating machinery, including screwing or manually assembling components, carrying loads, and maintaining equipment…
How did you get in touch with Azergo?
Q.C.-L.: When a request is made to modify a workstation, we work as a team with the local occupational health department and the Cap Emploi organization to analyze the workstations and determine the necessary modifications based on the individuals and their medical conditions. As part of this effort, we needed an organization capable of modifying the seating at our assembly stations. When I joined the company about a year ago, Azergo was already making these workplace adjustments, so it was only natural that we continued our collaboration.
“Azergo is our go-to partner for all our workstation setup needs, as our contact there provides high-quality chairs and is very responsive.”
Kévin Cagnon, Occupational Safety Manager and former point person for workplace adaptation projects, can attest to this long-standing relationship between the two companies: “Azergo is our go-to partner for all workplace adaptation needs, as our contact there provides high-quality chairs and is very responsive. This responsiveness is a key component of our collaboration, because the employees we support are on sick leave and then return to work part-time, so it’s important that they resume work under the best possible conditions. Azergo makes this possible by acting quickly and, most importantly, allowing the user time to test the chair, which facilitates the employee’s return to work.”
How is the case handled and monitored?
Q.C.-L.: Initially, occupational medicine issues medical restrictions. Then, we analyze the position with Cap Emploi. If necessary, we ask various stakeholders to provide us with the necessary equipment, and then we conduct on-site trials directly with the employee. Next, there is some administrative work to complete, along with billing, and finally, we follow up on the setup with the employee. Once billing is complete and the employee is satisfied, the case is closed.
Requests outside the scope of “medical” facilities may be made, such as the project to replace the seating in the assembly workshop, for the purpose of risk prevention. According to Kévin Cagnon, employees were using a standard chair model, about which they complained during a visit by the Social and Economic Committee (CSE). The company therefore turned to Azergo to find a higher-quality chair, but within a limited budget. The Mojo Task met these criteria, and an initial order for 8 chairs was placed, with several more orders following since then. The goal is to gradually replace all the chairs in the workshop, as the initial feedback has been quite positive.
Mojo Task Chair
Case Study: Testimonials from an Azergo Operator and a Customer Service Representative
Testimonial from an assembly line operator at the Noirefontaine site, who benefited from an ergonomic workstation setup as part of a Recognition of Work Quality for Workers with Disabilities program. Her job involves assembling parts at a workbench, primarily while seated. Gauthier MOREL, an Ergonomic Workstation Design Consultant at Azergo for the past two and a half years, carried out the modifications at her workstation.
How did the installation of ergonomic equipment at your workstation go?
Following Cap Emploi’s job analysis, my Azergo advisor, Mr. Morel, brought two ergonomic chairs to my workstation so I could try them out. He’s a great listener; he gave me great advice on choosing a chair and made sure everything was set up so I was comfortable.
This ergonomic chair has changed my life!
An example of an assembly line worker at the Noirefontaine plant who benefited from an ergonomic workstation redesign.
What benefits have you noticed since you started using this equipment?
I’ve noticed a reduction in pain in my back and legs. I had back surgery, which of course improved my condition, but having a workstation that’s fully adapted to my needs has helped alleviate the pain and allowed me to return to work at 100% capacity—something that wouldn’t have been possible without ergonomic adjustments.
“(…) having a workstation that’s perfectly suited to my needs has helped alleviate my pain and allowed me to return to work full-time.”
Quentin Cart-Lamy explains that Zurflüh-Feller, like many companies, faces challenges related to long-term illnesses that can only be resolved by finding a suitable position for employees on leave. The involvement of a workplace accommodation specialist can help resolve this type of situation and, as in this user’s case, enable a return to work.
Gauthier, what was Zurflüh-Feller's initial request for this machine?
Gauthier Morel: Initially, the employee had an appointment with her occupational physician, who recommended therapeutic part-time work, restrictions on movement and lifting, and a specially adapted chair. The Cap Emploi advisor then visited the workplace to conduct a job analysis and suggest ways to improve the situation. Kévin Cagnon then contacted me to arrange a trial of an ergonomic chair. He briefly explained the employee’s limitations to me, without mentioning any specific medical condition (due to medical confidentiality).
What issues were you able to identify during the workstation analysis?
G. M.: The user was working on a basic workshop chair with a polyurethane (PU) cover. The chair was very firm and lacked lumbar support, which caused pain in her thighs, lower back, and upper limbs—specifically in her shoulders—and the pain even radiated up to her neck.
Before stepping in, I always take the time to observe the user at work so that I can understand the task, the environment, and the constraints, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the job.
I noticed that the chair was not only too firm and lacked lumbar support, but was also too low in relation to the work surface, which caused posture problems and discomfort.
What solutions have you implemented to address these issues?
T6000 Seat
G. M.: The user chose an T6000 ergonomic chair. This chair provides comfortable seating thanks to its high-density foam, whose flexibility helps distribute pressure across the thighs. The backrest features Therapod technology, with straps to adjust lumbar support along the entire length of the spine—not just in the lower back. The backrest is also reclining, providing support as the user leans forward.
I suggested adding an Pro 952, a sturdy, ergonomic footrest with a wide range of motion, which I regularly install on high workstations in industrial settings. This allowed the user to work at the correct height relative to the elevated work surface, without her feet dangling in the air, thereby improving blood circulation in her lower limbs.
Pro 952 Footrest
Since the user was on a part-time therapeutic work schedule, we began the trial for a period of 15 days to allow her to test the equipment for a sufficient amount of time and ensure that it was suitable for her. All parties involved in the setup were notified by email of the equipment installed, the duration of the trial, and the feedback received.
At the end of the trial period, the user confirmed that she felt a noticeable improvement in her comfort while working. She was generally satisfied, but still felt she needed more support for her shoulders. She recalled that I had mentioned the possibility of installing armrests during our first conversation.
For this reason, it’s important for users to be involved in the design process and not hesitate to suggest improvements. I try to communicate with them as much as possible and clearly explain the benefits of each solution, so that they feel comfortable and can freely share their needs with me.
So I went back to the site to install armrests, as well as a footrest with a rim to make it easier for him to get into the seat.
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