Montgomery
10-04-2003, 05:33 AM
MOBILITY - PERSONAL STORY
Charles, A supervisory assistant ( Finishing Associates) with 30 years employment in a building products manufacturing facility is responsible for work scheduling for all employees in the manufacturing departments of the plant. The facility, located on ten acres of land has numerous buildings - offices, manufacturing, warehousing and support activities which often require Charles to travel 5-10 miles per day.
Until recently, Charles used a bicycle to locate individual employees to confirm availability of workers for overtime. Due to the nature of worker assignments, those eligible for overtime might be found at any one of several locations throughout the plant and must be "sought out" to confirm availability. He must often seek out 25 or more employees in various areas of the plant in less than an hour so as to confirm the availability of workers to stay over on a shift that day.
Another recurring assignment is to do bi-monthly shop, warehouse and storage inventories of raw materials used in manufacturing. Because of the physical layout of the plant, raw materials may be stored in several of many locations, often separated throughout the ten acres. About half of the materials are outside in various locations and the remainder are scattered across various departments and storage buildings over the 10 acres.
Charles had been dealing with the effects of early diagnosed Parkinson's which became increasingly more pronounced affecting balance and mobility. A year ago Charles was no longer able to ride his bicycle due to the combined effects of fatigue and balance. He was prevented from walking or riding his bike the 5-10 miles per day which his job required and an electric cart or other conventional vehicle was too large to negotiate the ramps and aisles in the plant.
To use such a vehicle meant riding part way to the destination, dismounting and walking laboriously and painfully 20-30 yards to an individual and retracing his steps to the vehicle to seek out the next person.
Given the progressive nature of Parkinson's, his choices appeared to be to either be forced into early, (four years before full vesting) disability retirement which would provide him less than half of his annual income. OR to find some form of mobility assistance which would allow him to keep his job.
His research led him to seek a demonstration of the SEGWAY HT, an electrically powered, self balancing mobility assistive device. "I knew from the first time I got on the SEGWAY that this was the answer to my personal problem."
Charles went to his HR manager and proposed that he buy his own Segway, receive the mandatory training from SEGWAY and meet the company requirements for safe operation in the plant. A "risk analysis" was done to consider the safety and potential for accident to the rider/owner; other workers; and the plant property itself.
After careful analysis, Charles equipped his SEGWAY with a battery powered "flashing strobe lights and a loud horn". Charles wears a Hard Hat in the plant and is considered by OSHA to be in the same category as a fork lift.
"The SEGWAY literally saved my job," Charles stated. "I can now do as much or more than I could in years past. I am safer on the SEGWAY than I was on a bicycle. Forklift operators sometime don't see those things. With my flashing strobe lights they know where I am. Because I am 8" above floor level, I can see things in the plant which I could not before - either while walking or on a bicycle."
"The $5300.00 purchase price of the SEGWAY was one of the best decisions I ever made." The willingness and foresight of the plant management to allow the use of this device benefits the company by retaining the knowledge and experience of a 30 year employee who was enabled to continue his employment in a key position.
Wallace L. Johnston, Ed.D.
Business Manager
Texas Tech Engineering Graduate Studies
wallace.johnston@coe.ttu.edu
Thanks Mr. Johnston For talking with me About my job and my Segway. Maybe this will help other people with some other mobilty problems keep there job's and live a more productive life.Like the state of Florida states "The Segway is A PERSONAL MOBILITY ASSISTIVE DEVICE "
Charles, A supervisory assistant ( Finishing Associates) with 30 years employment in a building products manufacturing facility is responsible for work scheduling for all employees in the manufacturing departments of the plant. The facility, located on ten acres of land has numerous buildings - offices, manufacturing, warehousing and support activities which often require Charles to travel 5-10 miles per day.
Until recently, Charles used a bicycle to locate individual employees to confirm availability of workers for overtime. Due to the nature of worker assignments, those eligible for overtime might be found at any one of several locations throughout the plant and must be "sought out" to confirm availability. He must often seek out 25 or more employees in various areas of the plant in less than an hour so as to confirm the availability of workers to stay over on a shift that day.
Another recurring assignment is to do bi-monthly shop, warehouse and storage inventories of raw materials used in manufacturing. Because of the physical layout of the plant, raw materials may be stored in several of many locations, often separated throughout the ten acres. About half of the materials are outside in various locations and the remainder are scattered across various departments and storage buildings over the 10 acres.
Charles had been dealing with the effects of early diagnosed Parkinson's which became increasingly more pronounced affecting balance and mobility. A year ago Charles was no longer able to ride his bicycle due to the combined effects of fatigue and balance. He was prevented from walking or riding his bike the 5-10 miles per day which his job required and an electric cart or other conventional vehicle was too large to negotiate the ramps and aisles in the plant.
To use such a vehicle meant riding part way to the destination, dismounting and walking laboriously and painfully 20-30 yards to an individual and retracing his steps to the vehicle to seek out the next person.
Given the progressive nature of Parkinson's, his choices appeared to be to either be forced into early, (four years before full vesting) disability retirement which would provide him less than half of his annual income. OR to find some form of mobility assistance which would allow him to keep his job.
His research led him to seek a demonstration of the SEGWAY HT, an electrically powered, self balancing mobility assistive device. "I knew from the first time I got on the SEGWAY that this was the answer to my personal problem."
Charles went to his HR manager and proposed that he buy his own Segway, receive the mandatory training from SEGWAY and meet the company requirements for safe operation in the plant. A "risk analysis" was done to consider the safety and potential for accident to the rider/owner; other workers; and the plant property itself.
After careful analysis, Charles equipped his SEGWAY with a battery powered "flashing strobe lights and a loud horn". Charles wears a Hard Hat in the plant and is considered by OSHA to be in the same category as a fork lift.
"The SEGWAY literally saved my job," Charles stated. "I can now do as much or more than I could in years past. I am safer on the SEGWAY than I was on a bicycle. Forklift operators sometime don't see those things. With my flashing strobe lights they know where I am. Because I am 8" above floor level, I can see things in the plant which I could not before - either while walking or on a bicycle."
"The $5300.00 purchase price of the SEGWAY was one of the best decisions I ever made." The willingness and foresight of the plant management to allow the use of this device benefits the company by retaining the knowledge and experience of a 30 year employee who was enabled to continue his employment in a key position.
Wallace L. Johnston, Ed.D.
Business Manager
Texas Tech Engineering Graduate Studies
wallace.johnston@coe.ttu.edu
Thanks Mr. Johnston For talking with me About my job and my Segway. Maybe this will help other people with some other mobilty problems keep there job's and live a more productive life.Like the state of Florida states "The Segway is A PERSONAL MOBILITY ASSISTIVE DEVICE "