Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the primary occupational risk in France. In industrial jobs where handling is repetitive, preserving employees' health has become a major challenge. This is the choice KVC Print made by integrating Hapo exoskeletons to support its guillotine operators on a daily basis.
When we get home, we are exhausted. We don't feel it at the moment, but it's after finishing work that the aches start to be felt.
Jean-Yvon Dupré
Paper cutter
KVC Print is a company specialized in large format printing and the finishing of visual communication media. Operators handle large quantities of paper daily, sometimes very heavy, which puts a lot of strain on the shoulders, back, and joints. The numbers speak for themselves:
- 88% of recognized occupational diseases in France in 2024 are MSDs (source: Health Insurance);
- manual handling is the cause of half of workplace accidents;
- back pain accounts for a third of these accidents.
In the graphic industry, these data are particularly relevant. To go further, Health Insurance and INRS publish updated data on the subject.
Within the KVC Print teams, the cutters perform numerous load carrying tasks throughout the day.
These repetitive movements increase physical fatigue and joint pain, especially during periods of high activity.
Several factors facilitated the adoption, as recounted by the KVC Print teams in this video shot by Lourmel:
Guidance considered essential in choosing equipment
A test phase carried out upstream by the cutters themselves
A natural adherence, since the project also came from the concerned users
Employees now use exoskeletons several times a week during the most demanding tasks.
The initial effects are tangible:
- less physical fatigue,
- less joint pain,
- and fewer complaints during peak periods.
Another observed effect: the exoskeleton becomes an argument during recruitment, with candidates seeing it as proof of attention given to employees.
The experience of KVC Print shows that the exoskeleton in printing, integrated into a comprehensive prevention approach for MSDs, concretely reduces the physical constraints of the most demanding tasks. Less fatigue, relieved joints, better comfort at work: these are the benefits obtained by involving users from the start.
With exoskeletons, it relieves us a lot because we don't feel the pain. At the joint level, we really feel that it's useful.
Jean-Yvon Dupré
Guillotine Operator
Our teams are at your disposal to assess your needs and organize real-life tests to allow your employees to experience the benefits of Hapo exoskeletons in their work environment.
Our teams are at your disposal to assess your needs and organize real-life tests to allow your employees to experience the benefits of Hapo exoskeletons in their work environment.
