OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSThis case report shares an approach to ergonomics kaizen events, that is, using workplace teams in a concentrated activity to make as many improvements as possible in a few days in a given work area. This report provides an overview of (1) the structure of this particular approach, (2) the average number of improvements implemented, and (3) guidance for smaller organizations on less-elaborate approaches. The value of kaizen events is described regarding cultural change and creating habits of continual improvement in daily life, whether at work or at home. Practitioners may benefit from the details in this report, such as features important for success and the schedule for a four-day event. Researchers may benefit from familiarity with a nontraditional organizational structure. Furthermore, the kaizen approach may lend itself to university-enterprise interactions, including a changing context in which research topics can be formulated and results applied.
Keywords: Kaizen; participative ergonomics; problem-solving; teams; training.