Occupational stresses on employees in lean production systems

Abstract

Many enterprises have implemented Lean Production Systems (LPS), for German Enterprises they are an industry standard. The main target of LPS is the reduction of waste. In LPS, all processes that do not contribute to value adding are considered as waste, e.g., waiting or unnecessary motions of the employees. Therefore, LPS have a strong influence on the design of work systems. For instance, there are reports about a work intensification, a reduction of “hidden” breaks and a high degree of repetitive work tasks. These work conditions are identified as the cause for physical disorders of employees. Other sources claim a high potential of LPS for improving labor conditions. All in all, there are significant knowledge gaps considering the impact of LPS on the work system, workload and labor conditions in manufacturing. Thus, the article presents a structural analysis with the aim to identify connections between LPS and changes of work system and work conditions.