The length of the checkout space and the reach distances during packing should be reduced by positioning the bag frame directly in front of the operator and beneath the scanner. This should enable the operators to pack into both bags simultaneously without having to overreach. These changes might also lead to a reduction in bag-packing time, with possible implications for staffing levels and speed of customer service.
Repositioning the bag frame beneath the scanner would require the scales to be moved. To minimize costs the scale should be relocated to the side and adjacent to the conveyor. Relocating the scales to the side of the operator is generally not recommended by other researchers. However, these recommendations are often made in the context of sitting workstations (Hinnen et al, 1992; Slappendel, 1992) or checkouts where operators do not have to bag products simul- taneously for customers (Rodrigues, 1989; Baron and Habes, 1992; Hinnen et al, 1992).
It is possible to argue that the benefits associated with relocating the scale to the side (reduction in reach distances, decreased checkout length) outweigh the health risks associated with the other researchers’ recommendations. For instance, most of the produce