Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111
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Unger erGO! floor cleaning system achieves top marks in University comparative tests
As announced in Cleanzine at the end of October, Unger's erGO! floor cleaning system was one of a number of systems undergoing ergonomic evaluation by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karsten Kluth of the Institute of Work Sciences & Ergonomics at the University of Siegen.
Unger has now informed us that the system achieved significantly better results than the two competitor products tested in both analysis and practical use.
The Unger erGO! floor cleaning system has an S-shaped telescopic with auto-drive handles; rotatable hand grips allow a greater and swifter mobility. Designed to reduce the stresses and strains placed on a user's wrists, shoulder and back in comparison to conventional floor cleaning tools with a straight handle, the system impressed the Professor and his team.
The reduced physical strain caused by the erGO! has now been scientifically proven in an electromyographic examination. This examination method objectively measures the muscle activities during the work assignment. In particular, the strain on the wrist is considerably lower when cleaning with the Unger system than with the other cleaning systems tested. The rotatable handles prevent extreme joint positions of the wrist in particular. The more natural, less pronounced wrist position this makes possible, can help to prevent wrist injuries and general wear in the wrist.
The erGO! also requires the least effort when users are guiding the system during the cleaning process and when operating the Hebels for the pulse beam. The height-adjustable system can also be individually adjusted by between 130cm and 170cm to suit the body height of the cleaning person and is easy on the back.
The superiority of the erGO! becomes even clearer in the subjective assessment by the 40 participating testers, who awarded it the highest score by far with regard to the manageability during the cleaning process. Both the shape of the handles and the material received top marks.
The evaluation of the non-slip grip surface, which prevents slipping, is also outstanding. The competitors' products received some negative reviews against this evaluation.
The new S-shape of the erGO! clean was described as advantageous by the vast majority, with the reason given as "Improved motion sequence and less physical strain".
There was a clear vote for the integrated dosing lever, with 92.5% of the testers favouring the application of cleaning fluid using a dosage lever rather than via a solution in a bucket. The testers cited the greater independence offered by a system that eliminates the need for a water bucket and the faster cleaning performance offered. By dispensing with a spray system that can be susceptible to clogging, Unger's system is immediately ready for use even after longer breaks. Both the filling and the emptying of the cleaning container was judged to be significantly easier by the testers, compared to the competitor products also tested.
This makes the erGO! not only a pioneer in terms of ergonomics, but also in terms of work and time efficiency. According to the testers, both the subjectively perceived highest cleaning speed and the best cleaning result were provided by the Unger model.
In the final practical comparison, the erGO! was clearly named as the winner by the testers, with more than three quarters of the participants preferring the Unger product over the others.
The majority of the testers who had decided on a competitive product before the test, deviated from the previously preferred model due to their practical experience and choice the erGO!. The most common criterion for the erGO! was the S-shaped telescopic handle with the associated lighter movement.
The background to the study is the recommendation of the German Building Trade Association (Berufsgenossenschaft Bau für gewerbliche Gebäudereiniger) to use ergonomic work equipment. This is intended to counteract excessive physical strain in order to avoid downtime and physical ailments.
The investigation was divided into an objective evaluation by means of surface electromyography (OEMG) during standardised soil cleaning processes with 40 testers and a survey.
29th November 2018