The World’s Most Productive Construction Equipment

Volvo Construction Equipment is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction equipment, with a product range encompassing backhoe loaders, wheel loaders, excavators, articulated haulers, motor graders and so on. Volvo asked seasoned ergonomists Olle Bobjer and Thomas Nilsson to assess current cab designs and come up with ideas how to make the operating environment safer and more efficient.

The two ergonomists started off by travelling around the world to study professional operators in real-life working conditions. They observed, probed and documented operators in different countries (ranging from Norway to China) carrying out different tasks (from entering cabs to performing delicate machine manoeuvres) while performing different activities (from digging trenches to loading trucks) in different weather conditions (from heavy rain to scorching sun) at different work sites (from deep-level mines to narrow inner-city streets).

Olle and Thomas uncovered several interesting regional, cultural and social differences. For example, most operators in China and Korea change to indoor shoes before entering the cab and sit upright at the front of the seat. US operators tend to keep their heavy outdoor boots on and lean much further back on the seat, making use of the backrest. In addition, many operators are sole-traders and use the cab as a makeshift office to fill in forms, make calls and write invoices.

After a thorough analysis, Olle and Thomas suggested over 100 improvements to the working environment. All of these improvements were listed in order of priority according to their impact on efficiency, safety, comfort and the environment. Furthermore, Olle and Thomas demonstrated how these suggestions would not only help Volvo live its brand but also dramatically increase operator productivity and satisfaction. Ergonomidesign is currently working with Volvo in a number of follow-up development and design projects.