Ergonomics-Aware Task Allocation and Scheduling in Manufacturing

Industry 5.0 emphasizes human-centricity, with worker well-being as a core pillar. Among the various aspects of well-being, physical ergonomics plays a critical role. In Europe, nearly 60% of workers experience ergonomic problems at least once during their careers, and 40% of them are ultimately compelled to leave the workforce due to permanent incapacity caused by such issues. In response, this research incorporates ergonomic considerations into task allocation and scheduling. We adopt the KIM method, a comprehensive ergonomic risk assessment tool, to quantify the ergonomic stress imposed on operators when assigned a set of tasks. A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model is developed for the Dual-Resource-Constrained Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem (DRC-FJSP), incorporating a set of complex, ergonomics-related constraints. To demonstrate the flexibility and broader applicability of the approach, we also present a use case for workforce scheduling. Results from both cases demonstrate that the proposed solutions respect workers' resilience thresholds while still optimizing productivity KPI—avoiding the pitfall of purely well-being-focused, non-productive outcomes.