Corporate ergonomics programme at automobiles Peugeot-Sochaux.

An ergonomic assessment tool for design procedures, exclusive to Peugeot-Citroën, called ECM, was developed and applied at the design stage by method technicians in the 1990s. It generates data, which are followed up by the project leader of a new model and ergonomists until two years before each launch. During this time, vehicle design is subject to modification, to adapt to ergonomic demands. Simplified methods (DACORS and METEO) were also developed to assess workstations on the shop floor in trim and final plants. Assessments were used to grade the workstations into four profiles linked to physical and static requirements. Production technicians are responsible for the application of these local methods on the shop floor. The management of these centres aimed to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders by reduced heavy profiles of these stations. New cases of musculoskeletal disorders, surveyed by the company doctor among workers on the assembly lines had decreased since 1996. In 1999, the incidence increased again, despite the pursuit of ergonomic methods. This increase in musculoskeletal disorders was above all linked to a major reorganisation of work conditions, including a reduction in the cycle time on the assembly line, and to a move into a new workshop.