EKU students design plant and safety improvements for Toyota

RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky and EKU students met Thursday in Richmond to discuss a collaborative effort that both sides hope will result in better working conditions at Toyota. The joint project has already given students the opportunity to help shape how factories and assembly lines operate.

“This is a great opportunity to work with students who haven’t had the opportunity to work in the industry and expose them to our issues,” said Mark Klee, Toyota’s Powertrain division manager. “For the students, it’s an innovative approach to trying to improve the work environment.”

Klee and Toyota provided assembly line parts to EKU’s occupational therapy and manufacturing engineering departments.

Madeline Spears led the students’ efforts on this capstone project.

“I studied it and analyzed it from an ergonomics and body mechanics perspective and worked with engineers to build and redesign a new workstation,” she said, before explaining that ergonomics studies the efficiency of workers in their workplace.

Spears studied every aspect of the project, from wheelchair accessibility to safety.

“We’re working to reduce muscular and skeletal injuries and make these activities more accessible, regardless of skill level,” she said. “I think improving ergonomics and safety improves the workplace overall,” she said.

In doing so, manufacturing companies can tap into a wider pool of candidates and, given the state’s interest in manufacturing, this comes at an opportune time.

“About 250,000 jobs (in Kentucky) depend on manufacturing, and to attract workers, we need to make sure they are safe and healthy,” said Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky’s 6th District.

“Manufacturing is the largest contributor to our state’s gross domestic product,” he said.

Dr. Spears understood this and the overall mission and recently completed his studies to obtain the title of Ph.D.

“I’m really happy with the end result,” she said.

“This is a golden opportunity to combine EKU’s curriculum with real-world problems to make it better for everyone,” Klee said.

EKU’s occupational therapy program was recently ranked 22nd in the United States.^nd best by US News and World Report.