Today we meet Léo Lemoine, ergonomist in the health and safety department of Engie Solutions and Olivier Foresto, CSR, inclusion, and disability manager.
Léo Lemoine’s objective is the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and the support of employees within the framework of job retention. For Olivier Foresto, it’s a question of leading the group’s disability policy.
They explain why they turned to the exoskeleton solution and the feedback on the use of the Japet.W exoskeleton within Engie Solutions.
Why did you decide for the Japet.W exoskeleton?
We were looking for a solution for our technical professionals that would allow them to regain their mobility, to at least be able to perform their tasks without having back problems. For some of them, their pain limited their activities so much that they could no longer perform their work properly.
We didn’t have a solution that could bring relief for those people. Back pain makes up a large part of the forms of disability we have. Overall, we couldn’t find anything that was versatile enough.
At the same time, we were supporting a refrigeration engineer who had serious back problems. And we concluded that it might be interesting to think about exoskeleton solutions. We looked into the Japet.W exoskeleton, to see how the device works. And we said to ourselves, why not try? That’s how we came to work with Japet. We started with a first test with a collaborator, which was a success, and has led us to continue to work with Japet.
What is the feedback on the use of the exoskeleton?
Today, we have several technicians who are equipped with the exoskeleton for slightly different activities. We have refrigeration engineers and maintenance technicians for example for plumbing and heating systems, and also air conditioning systems.
For the first employee who tested the exoskeleton, the first thing he did was to straighten up, the second thing was to smile, a little surprised, and then he performed a twisting motion in the pelvic area and said to me: “You see, I hadn’t been able to do that movement for 8 years.” So, there was indeed a small wow effect. Then if you follow up on the use, you realize that after several months, this person has gained autonomy and today is still working at this workplace. In other words, we achieved our goal.
Today we have people who can fully perform their activity and who tell us that they have also regained a certain pride in being able to carry out their tasks and to respond to the demands of their clients and their managers. People become independent again, and it gives them back part of their personality, all the satisfaction of being integrated in the company and of being able to fully exercise their function again. For us, this is the solution that has enabled these people to remain in the workplace.
What do you think of the support that Japet offers?
The integration of the exoskeleton is an integral part of what Japet offers as a service, and that is simply essential. Indeed, we are dealing with a device that almost require a case-by-case approach, so having someone to accompany us, to be able to define and manage the use, the limits… it’s essential. Moreover, it helps to reassure the employee.
A few words to conclude?
We quickly believed in the Japet device, because of its ability to accompany and help people from our area who suffer from serious back problems.
We simply hope that Japet will continue to develop, because it is a device, and in general, an approach that, in my opinion, is very relevant, very human. It is a solution that has proven itself today.
There are as many solutions as there are forms of disabilities. The exoskeleton is one of the solutions to one of the forms of disabilities, but one thing is clear: regardless of the form of disability, we have the means to act.