VelocityEHS, the global leader in EHS solutions and pioneer in applying practical AI to workplace safety, announces that Hitachi Energy has achieved a 95% reduction in workplace injuries, including neck, shoulder and back, at its Jefferson City, Missouri, manufacturing facility using the VelocityEHS Industrial Ergonomics solution.
Hitachi Energy is a major manufacturer in the power industry, producing electrical equipment and providing electrification solutions across the globe. Like many large-scale manufacturers, the company struggled to scale safety operations and ergonomics efforts to meet the needs of its expansive workforce and complex production processes.
“We’re just one small team serving a 13-acre facility,” says Megan Sommerer, Health Integration Specialist and Registered Nurse.
“We were just meeting the basic requirements and needed to focus. As a team, we decided to develop our ergonomics program further,” she added.
In 2023, Hitachi Energy fully deployed the VelocityEHS Industrial Ergonomics solution to better analyze workplace safety incidents and pinpoint where ergonomic process changes could deliver the biggest impact.
Leveraging motion-capture technology and data analytics, the software identified high-risk tasks and provided actionable recommendations. These insights enabled the team to implement targeted, low-cost changes—such as workstation redesigns and tool modifications—that led to significant reductions in musculoskeletal injuries.
Data-Driven Collaboration
Backed by data from VelocityEHS, Sommerer convened a cross-functional committee of engineers, operators and safety professionals to take action. Among the improvements:
- Hydraulic Upgrade: Operators had been using a custom metal punch manually, placing strain on arms and backs. A $1,000 retrofit to hydraulic operation cut risk by 83.4%.
- Workstation Redesign: Adjustments to lifts and tooling allowed operators to work closer to large components, reducing awkward postures and physical strain.
These changes, guided by software insights and carried out with minimal investment, drove a 95% reduction in back and neck injuries and significantly lowered related costs within two years.
Scaling Safety Across the Enterprise
The success at Jefferson City prompted Hitachi Energy to expand its use of VelocityEHS software to seven additional North American facilities, with plans underway for broader global deployment across Europe and South America.
“Hitachi Energy is a great example of how companies can scale ergonomics improvements using data, collaboration and practical innovation,” said Matt Airhart, CEO of VelocityEHS. “Their team achieved life-changing results for workers and set a global standard for what’s possible when you put the right tools in place.”
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