Packing shed layout

A series of tip sheets on labor efficiency fresh-market
vegetable growers.

Astrid Newenhouse
Bob Meyer
Marcia Miquelon
and Larry Chapman

University of Wisconsin, Madison
Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project

Packing produce in an unsystematic manner wastes time, effort, and may lower produce quality. You can save time and money by designing a well organized, clear, step-bystep flow for tasks and products in your packing area.

Why analyze my packing shed layout?

You may be able to reduce your packing time by slightly changing your current routine or habits. Diagramming your layout will make it easier to identify areas where the flow of activity could be streamlined.

Will rearranging my packing area save me money?

Any time saved during produce packing will save money. Indirect savings come from creating a more comfortable work area that will be healthier and less hazardous for you and your workers. If your produce moves quickly through the packing process it will maintain higher quality and be fresher when packed.

• Do some need to be spray washed and others dunked? Do you need both water and electricity at some workstations but not others? Could you run two task lines into a shared workstation that has water and electricity? Could you make side-by-side task lines that intersect at a shared workstation where boxes are packed, for example? Or circular task lines that intersect at the shared workstation? Could you use some sections of roller table?

• Is there a clear, uncluttered path for product and workers to follow?

• Is your space large enough for your packing needs

• Is there plenty of light?

• Is the floor level and smooth to allow you to use wheeled carts or hand trucks? A concrete floor is most effective, followed by asphalt and packed road base gravel. Dirt or wood chips hold water and are unsanitary. With a smooth floor you can set up a pallet system with narrow pallets and a hand truck, or full size pallets and a hydraulic pallet jack.

• Do you have enough water to frequently change wash water? Do wash water tubs drain away from the work area or must they be carried and tipped to empty? Could you use a splash guard or collecting trough under a screen table? Do you have a handwashing station?

• Are work surfaces easy to sanitize? Screen tables can be made from galvanized hardware cloth.

• Is there enough shade for both produce and workers? Would it help to suspend a tarp? Can you use fans or mosquito netting to improve worker comfort? Is drinking water available?

• Are supplies such as bags or rubber bands kept where they are needed? Are other items kept out of the way (perhaps overhead)? Is the scale handy and easy to use?

• Are your workstation heights adjusted to the individual workers? For lightweight items, efficient work height is halfway between wrist and elbow, measured when the arm is held down at the worker’s side. For heavier items it is slightly lower. Could some workers use a step stool? Could some tasks be done while sitting? Consider setting up workstations so that you move produce toward your leading hand, for example from left to right for right-handed people. You will have more control and be more accurate.

• Do electrical cords and outlets have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters? They are inexpensive and easy to install and can prevent electrocution.

This material was developed by the Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, whose goal is to find and share work efficiency tips that maintain farmers' health and safety and also increase profits.

For more information, call (608) 252-1054 or visit our website at http://bse.wisc.
edu/hfhp/

Material is not copyrighted. Feel free to reproduce; please mention source: University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers,
Healthy Profits Project, December,2000; Second Edition.

Authors: Bob Meyer, Astrid Newenhouse, Larry Chapman and Marcia Miquelon, Department of Biological Systems
Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706.

Research for this publication was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Work Efficiency Tip Sheet: Packing shed layout