This resulted in a cost savings of $65,000 per
year for an total investment of $6900, an almost 10:1 payoff in a single year. In another case in
Sweden, a steel mill ergonomically redesigned a semiautomated materials handling system. Overall
noise level was reduced from 96 to 78 dB, production increased by 10 percent, and rejection rates
were reduced by 60 percent. The system costs, including, design and development, were paid back
within the first 15 months. '