Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: ERGONOMIC

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to: a. On the anodizing lines #1, #2, #3, and #5 workers suffered repeti- tive motion-related disorders of the fingers, hands, and wrists (incl- uding strains, tendonitic, tenosynovitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome) when they: -----Pushed cosmetic caps and other small aluminum parts onto holder springs attached to the moving conveyor belts. -----Pulled cosmetic caps and other small aluminum parts onto holder- springs attached to the moving conveyor belts. There was a history of workers having hand cuts and burns while handl- ing parts. The workers were frequently observed using gloves to protect their hands. There was a history of the cap and parts inserter (racker) and remover (take-off) workers suffering injuries related to slips, trips, and falls from the unguarded edges of the platforms that they stood on. There was a history of workers suffering from upper back, neck, and shoulder strains. Workers were observed to stand with bent truck, neck, and extended arms for long periods of time which produced static muscle- related strains. The work production rates are demanding of workers intense efforts, and overtime work periods are common. The hazards and stresses leading to ergonomic stress-related injuries can be largely reduced by a program including, but not limited to: -----Provide removeable holder-spring sets that can be clipped onto the anodizer conveyor. -----Provide inspection and replacement of individual defective holder springs when they are observed to be: Improperly formed and/or bent, and have sharp edges. -----The metal holder-springs presently being used require hand and finger forces that, while they vary, can be high. Study alternate means of attaching caps and parts that meet the conditions of: --mimimum force needed to insert and remove caps and parts. --Assured movement of caps and parts as they are moved through the anodizing machine. Lowered workers hand and finger forces can be achieved by making the holder-spring forces lighter. It might be possible to use a different attachment means, based upon using vacuum clamping or based upon pushing the parts over the small brush ends. -----Gloves reduce the hands' effectiveness when pushing on and pulling off caps and parts, resulting in the workers' need to use greater hand force to accomplish the same task(s). Provide a work process that allow workers to perform their tasks while not using gloves. -----Provide seated work stations for workers performing puch-on and pull-off of caps and parts from their holder-spring sets. --provide easily-adjustable tables with one-inch height variation to accomodate different height workers. --Provide fixtures on the tables that will allow the snap attachment of a holder-spring set. --provide a ready supply of caps/parts that are immediately handy to the workers at their individual work stations. --provide height-adjustable, ergonomically and posturally correct chairs to allow the workers to perform their tasks with their bodies and necks in erect positions and without static-muscle loading. --Provide rounded and/or padded edges on the work tables to allow workers to support part of their arm weight while performing push-on and pull-off of parts and caps. --Provide foot rests under the work tables that allow minimum static stress strain of the workers legs and feet. -----Provide a conveyor or mover that will allow transport of spring- holder sets, with parts and/or caps, between the conveyor line and the work tables. -----Allow heated parts to cool before workers pull them from the spring holder sets, thereby removing the need for workers wearing gloves to protect their hands from burns. -----Establish quality control to assure that parts and caps, when they must be handled by workers, do not have cutting edges, sharp silvers, and/or chemical residues, thereby removing the need for workers wearing gloves to protect hands from cuts and chemical exposures. -----With the assistance of the plant medical doctor and therapist, establish a worker-wellness program that includes: --make workers aware of repetitive motion hazards and their avoidance. --establish a worker exercise program that allows workers to stretch and loosen muscles. Require that workers participate in the program that may involve five minutes at the job start, halfway through the first four hours, and halfway through the second four hours. -----With the assistance of the plant medical doctor and therapist, establish a worker-hardening program for new workers, and for those workers who are returning after suffering injuries/illnesses that are related to repetitive motion work. Monitor the workers progress to assure that they are healthy, and they perform assigned work using the employers assigned tools, fixtures, and procedures that minimize hand forces.