Which of the following is NOT considered a DOWNTIME waste?

• A. Overproduction
• B. Transportation
• C. Ergonomics
• D. Movement

Answer: (C)

In Lean thinking, wastes are activities that don’t add value, and the DOWNTIME acronym names the common categories: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Not utilizing talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Excess processing. Ergonomics isn’t one of these waste categories; it refers to designing work to fit the worker, aiming to reduce injury and fatigue and improve efficiency, not to a waste itself.

The other options match wastes in the DOWNTIME list: overproduction is making more than is needed, transportation is moving materials more than is necessary, and movement refers to unnecessary motion by people. Therefore, ergonomics is the correct choice for what is not considered a DOWNTIME waste.