title: Cost-benefit analysis of a socio-technical intervention in a Brazilian footwear company.
abstract: This article presents a costs-benefits analysis of a macroergonomic intervention in a Brazilian footwear company. Comparing results of a pilot line (composed by 100 multiskilled workers organized in teams) with eight traditional lines (still working in a one human being/one task model) the intervention showed to be worth pursuing since achieved gains were higher than intervention costs: there was a reduction in human resource costs (80% reduction in industrial accidents, 100% reduction in work-related musculoskeletal disorders or WMSD, medical consultations and turnover, and a 45.65% reduction in absenteeism) and production improvement (productivity increased in 3% and production waste decrease to less than 1%). The net intervention value of the intervention was around U$ 430,000 with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 7.2. Moreover, employees who worked in the pilot line understood that their quality of work life improved, compensating the anxiety brought up by the radical changes implemented.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Industrial Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99, 5° andar, Porto Alegre, RS 90035-190, Brazil. liabmg@gmail.com
authors.forename: L B de M
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: J L D
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Renner
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000191:economics*; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D012775:Shoes