Orenco Systems® Inc.: Returning Injured Workers to Their Jobs Enhances the Entire Workplace

Located in Sutherlin, Oregon, Orenco Systems®, Inc. designs and manufactures advanced onsite wastewater technologies for individual properties and small communities — properties that are not hooked up to centralized sewers or whose sewers are failing or at capacity. Orenco employs over 300 people.

Orenco has taken advantage of Oregon’s Preferred Worker Program to return two injured workers to their jobs. We spoke to Ken Makinson, Orenco’s Safety and Environmental Program Manager to find out more about the company’s experience with this program: 

OBLN: Ken, what can you tell us about the first injured employee who you were able to return to the job?

Ken Makinson: This employee was injured in a lifting accident. In our tank testing area, he and another employee were lifting the end of a fiberglass tank half to drain the water from it. Each end weighs about 250 lbs. While they were lifting it, the other worker lost his grip and the employee was injured when he took all the force of the weight himself.

Orenco took immediate steps to prevent future accidents from happening to any other employees. We quickly installed an overhead hoist to lift the end of the tanks.

The employee sustained a herniated disk in his back which restricted his ability to do manual lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. As we prepared to bring the injured employee back, we had to take into account that he was returning with less physical capacities than previously.  We solicited input from the injured worker to ensure his needs were met.  As we encountered dilemmas, we were able to draw on the knowledge base of people who had expertise in areas of accommodations and ergonomics.

We went through all his job duties and made necessary accommodations. In his position as a Composites Technician, his job was performed in six separate work areas so we had to evaluate and adjust his tasks in all these areas. We evaluated each of the work areas and determined which physical activities would have to change based on the new restrictions that his doctor had specified.

For example, we looked at everything that he would be pushing or pulling and addressed this by replacing old carts with new easy-roll carts. 

In the tank testing area, in addition to utilizing the new overhead hoist to lift the tanks for draining, we also eliminated the task of manually turning the tanks by designing tank turning devices that also attached to the hoist. Similarly, we had a water system for filling and emptying the tanks that involved lifting some very heavy hoses with metal fittings and a big pump that had to be pulled around. We designed a new system for this that significantly reduced the weight that employees had to lift and move, down to about 15 – 20 pounds. 

These changes were beneficial not only to the returning injured employee but for the other six or eight people that work in that same area throughout three different shifts.

In our grinding room, the tanks also need to be lifted and turned. We installed an overhead hoist there as well which could also be used with the tank turning devices.

Once we had all the new equipment and modifications done, we had to write new operating procedures that incorporated all of this into the new modified job. When we were done, not only did we meet the modifications required for the injured worker, but the job was modified for all other workers in that position, eliminating the potential for strains and others hazards for all employees that do that work.

OBLN: You went to a lot of work to return this employee to his previous job. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just assign him to a different position with lighter duties and leave things as they were?

Ken Makinson: Yes, we could have found a single-task job for the employee, but we believe that doing that limits the employee’s ability to advance and still feel part of the company’s growth. They feel stagnant when they are assigned like that. They feel set aside from everyone else and they don’t feel that they have the same opportunity for growth in their job. We don’t want to do that to any employee.

OBLN: Ken, you have another worker, injured more recently, who you are bringing back to work. Can you tell us about that employee?

Ken Makinson: This worker is someone who is very motivated, loves her job, and looks forward to advancing through our ranks. She was in a production setting where we assemble components to go inside our sewer systems. Mainly this is building a lot of PVC piping and fittings. It involves a lot of gluing and applying physical pressure. This woman sustained a small cut on her finger but she had a condition that caused her body to overreact to the injury in a way that diminished the physical capacity of her whole right arm.

She was assigned to light duty tasks for about a year until the doctor determined that she was medically stationary. This worker likes variety in her work and she likes to learn. She was very disappointed about being stuck in that position. Once the doctor determined that she was medically stationary, we went to work and we are currently revamping four work areas for her. She seems really pleased in knowing that Orenco likes her work ethic and wants to keep her here.

Because she is short in stature, our traditional work tables force her to work with her arms much higher than other workers. We are preparing to install adjustable height tables in all four work areas. This will allow her and our other workers to adjust their tables and work most comfortably at their jobs.

We have built some air actuated presses that allow this worker to glue the parts and stick them in a press that will hold the parts while the glue sets instead of her having to manually squeeze the parts with two hands.

We also assemble two sizes of a piece of equipment called a Hydroteck. It looks like a six-armed octopus and was a nightmare to assemble and physically stressful. To enable her to do the job, we designed automated presses that would eliminate the heavy physical demands of this assembly. First and foremost, these adaptations give the injured worker this part of her job back. Secondly it is now a more productive system for all workers. Thirdly, the part comes out consistently accurate every single time. This change was absolutely a win-win situation.

Additionally, we are purchasing a motorized tug similar to those used by grocery stores to bring in shopping carts. This will enable her to move parts carts from one building to another without having to physically push or pull them.

A standard tool in the production area is an 18-volt cordless drill but with her limitations, it was too large and heavy to use. She now uses a 7.2-volt inline drill that is smaller and easy to operate. Through this, we are finding that other workers can also benefit from using different drill styles.

When she was injured, she was in a Tech 1 position.  Since the injury she has continued to advance her skills and has become a Tech 2.  With the job modifications she will have the ability to continue her advancement towards a Tech 3 position.

OBLN: It is fascinating that some of the changes that you made to accommodate the needs of your injured workers have had such an impact on the productivity and comfort of your other workers. Much of this was accomplished through the benefits of the Preferred Worker Program. How was your experience of working with this program?

Ken Makinson: It was fantastic. Once Heather Grogan from the Preferred Worker Program got involved, with her knowledge base, she walked us right through the steps. While it felt like it took a long time, in the end it was fantastic. It is going to be Orenco’s policy to always be open to this program.

OBLN: So Orenco has seen real benefit in returning injured workers to their original jobs?

Ken Makinson: It is one of the most rewarding feelings to see the smile on a worker’s face when they see the changes we are proposing and the new tools that we are putting in place. For someone who really wants to work here, someone who is willing to commit to the process as much as the company, it is definitely a win-win situation.
 

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