Involving employees in reducing musculoskeletal discomfort while implementing lean: insights from the ready-made garments industry

Purpose When companies implement lean production, the negative health effects can often worsen, especially by increasing musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) due to heavier workloads. However, there has been limited research on employees’ health, including MSD, in lean working environments. This paper aims to determine the connection between employee participation in lean practices and the reduction of MSD. Design/methodology/approach This research used mixed methods and interpretive structural model (ISM)-MICMAC analysis to assess the impact of MSD in Bangladesh’s ready-made garments industry following intervention-based action research under a lean context. Additionally, the ISM-MICMAC model analyzes the relationship between the nine identified factors and determines the factors’ dependence power and driving power. Findings The findings revealed relationships between employee involvement and the initiation of changes towards ideal ergonomic sitting postures of sewing workers during a lean environment. This research also suggested that changes in ergonomic sitting postures influence worker safety behavior by reducing operators’ MSD, and the intervention resulted in a notable reduction in different pain perceptions. Moreover, “training and awareness” and “reorganizing workstation” are the significant driving factors for reducing MSD during the lean implementation. Research limitations/implications The research is conducted on a small sample size; involving more garment factories and workers could enhance the validity and provide more definitive insights. Practical implications The findings can guide garment factories, especially in developing countries, in developing better health and safety standards as part of a lean environment, ultimately fostering a healthier and more productive work environment. Originality/value This paper is the first to address intervention-based action research to identify workers’ involvement in lean implementation to reduce MSD. It also contributes a conceptual interpretive structural model that may help factories prioritize some factors while implementing lean while simultaneously focusing on the workers’ health.