Introducing KIMEA tools at HERTA for better MSD prevention
HERTA, Acting for good
Originally a family-run delicatessen business founded in Germany in 1897, HERTA first entered the French market in the 1960s. Today, the group is the most popular brand of self-service charcuterie and delicatessen products in France.
The company is committed not only to its consumers but also to its employees. In this spirit, the group works with an ergonomist, Coraline ROMBOUTS, to improve working conditions for employees and undertake a TMS prevention initiative.
Dive into the world of MSD prevention with Coraline, based at HERTA’s largest factory, located in Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise (62).
Herta in figures
On the French market
Sold per day
in France
The Subjectivity of Analysis Tools: A Daily Challenge at Herta
For several years, the HERTA group has embarked on a responsible approach towards its employees, focusing on two main points: improving working conditions and retaining employees with disabilities.
The analysis and adjustment of workstations are therefore crucial issues for health and safety prevention within the group.
Previously a subsidiary of the Nestlé group, HERTA’s ergonomists were still using ergonomic analysis grids specific to their former owner. These grids were based on a few AFNOR standards and only considered the upper body and load weight criteria.
For the past three years, HERTA has no longer been part of the Nestlé group, and the company has gained autonomy in managing its prevention strategies for the quality of life and working conditions of its teams. As a result, the needs have evolved, and the grids previously used to qualify workstations have become somewhat subjective.
This is the observation made by Coraline ROMBOUTS, an ergonomist at HERTA SAS for the past nine years.
Indeed, there are many positions within the company with significant physical constraints, involving three main risks:
Lifting heavy loads
Repetitive movements
Poor postures
With the use of the old analysis grids, ergonomic ratings were not precise, and the results were often not very conclusive. It is worth noting that the analysis remained quite subjective, as it was based solely on the ergonomist’s own assessment.
Additionally, the processing time was long and inefficient because nothing was automated. Therefore, mapping the workstations and prioritizing actions to limit risks were tedious tasks to accomplish.
Coraline therefore sought solutions to make her analysis more objective with quantified data, to optimize the capture of operators’ movements, to automate the analysis of risk factors, and to enrich her analysis more comprehensively.
In this context, she reached out to Moovency in 2020.
Her ambition : to obtain more innovative capture and analysis solutions that meet her needs.
Implementation of KIMEA Solutions for the Ergonomist
Equipped with KIMEA tools, Coraline has now been able to simplify her analyses and improve efficiency.
Data Reliability
Thanks to KIMEA’s features, Coraline has been able to set aside the paper grid and obtain much more reliable data for processing.
The KIMEA CLOUD platform integrates various standards and analysis grids (RULA, REBA…) and allows for comparison of the results/scores obtained.
This data cross-referencing allows for the automatic evaluation of joint stress and the identification of risk situations thanks to all the quantitative data collected by our tools.
Coraline has notably transferred all her mapping to the KIMEA CLOUD analysis platform for greater precision.
Objective Video Processing
As Coraline points out, automatic processing exclusively via video allows for a completely objective analysis. According to her, the ergonomist’s opinion is no longer called into question. Video captures provide a better visualization of risks and can serve as user feedback, for example, in guiding operators on proper movements and postures.
A tool for collaboration between ergonomists and operators
The implementation of KIMEA tools quickly became a visual and educational solution between her and the operators. Integrating interactive features, the KIMEA CLOUD platform enables real-time awareness and engagement.
“KIMEA has also helped initiate dialogue with suppliers regarding workstation adjustments. For instance, there was a question of whether to bring a mat closer to one of the workstations. Visually, I thought it should be brought closer, but the operators disagreed. During user testing, KIMEA analyses confirmed my perception. Therefore, we brought the mat closer, and after several uses of the workstation, it turned out that the operators were more satisfied. This way, we avoided cumbersome movements.”
Coraline ROMBOUTS
Ergonome chez HERTA
What benefits have been derived ?
Several benefits are highlighted by Coraline ROMBOUTS.
Enhanced analysis through video
Without disrupting the operators’ activities, video processing via KIMEA APP & LITE has both facilitated movement analyses and allowed for sharing roles with the operators, making them active participants in their own prevention. As a result, video processing has become intuitive for everyone.
“You don’t have to be an ergonomist to understand and use the software.”
Coraline ROMBOUTS
Ergonomist at HERTA
A value creation for stakeholders
The analysis results provided by the KIMEA CLOUD platform have become a support for collective reflection, creating both a gateway for dialogue and added value for all employees during health and safety committees.