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 and a place 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 required to perform lifting tasks resulting in stressors that had caused, or were likely cause musculoskeletal injuries: a) Warehouse - Order selection. The evaluation of this manual lifting task indicates that employees were exposed to a hazard which is causing or likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries. The employer did not implement an effective control strategy to reduce to eliminate such injuries. The injury and illness records for 1989 and 1990 documented a pattern or musculoskeletal injuries. b) Freezer/Cooler - Order Selection. The evaluation of this manual lifting task indicates that employees are exposed to a hazard which is causing or likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries. The employer did not implement an effective control strategy to reduce or eliminate such injuries. The injury and illness records for 1989 and 1990 documented a pattern of musculoskeletal injuries. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is the implementation of an ergonomics management program consisting of the following four elements: 1) Worksite analysis to recognize and identify existing manual lifting hazards is the workplace. This analysis should include development and use of an ergonomic checklist and employee questionnaire. Periodic surveys of the workplace shall be conducted at least annually to evaluate work practices and engineering controls. Employee participation in the ergonomic program should be encouraged through a mechanism such as a safety committee. 2) Medical management which includes accurate recordkeeping of manual lifting injuries. The program should address early recognition, evaluation and referral of lifting injury cases. Systematic worksite review by the medical team should also be included in the program. 3) Training and education for exposed employees, including methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Re-training should be done annually, or as operations change. Training should address hazards associated with the job, the risks of manual material handling, and how to prevent the lifting injuries. A supervisors' training program should also be implemented to allow recognition of manual lifting hazards and to reinforce the employer's ergonomics program. 4) Hazard prevention and control which includes engineering, work practice, and administrative controls. a) Administrative controls are implements which reduce the duration, frequency, and severity or exposure to manual lifting hazards. These controls may include job rotation, reduction of repetitions, multiple person lifts and preventative maintenance of related equipment. b) Work practice controls are implemented which include proper work techniques, new employee conditioning, proper placement of loads, and reduction of weight lifted. Examples of work practice controls applicable in this workplace include: i) Have the worker walk and carry the box/bag around the pallet rather than building the pallet from the far side. This would allow the worker to keep the load close to the body when liftinf or lowering the load on the pallet. This would also reduce swinging the load and large reaches which produce stresses on the musculoskeletal system. ii) Eliminate picking from one side of the aisle and have the workers pick from both sides of the aisel to accomplish the recommendation in (i). iii) Use a single pallet on the tugger when the on the tugger when the order consists of heavier items. iv) Repack or order heavy products into lighter loads as much as possible. v) Reduce intensity of picking and/or provide greater rest allowances to reduce excessive fatique. Worker's heart rate and/or oxygen uptake should be monitored to determine physiological demands being placed on the order selectors and to check whether the expected work rates are within physiological acceptable limits. Based on the physiciological stresses, either the work intenhsity should be reduced and greater rest allowances should be provided. vi) Workers need to be educated and trained in safe lifting procedures and their lifting techniques should be periodically monitored. c) Engineering controls are designed by a qualifed ergonomist and may include work-station redesign, tool and handle redesign, and use of mechanical lifting aids. The goal of this program should be to make the job fit the person. Examples of engineering controls applicable to this workplace include i) Raise the storage height to 20", preferably 30", for all cases and bags weighing more than 30 lbs. and for those that are most frequently picked. These items should be stored between 20" and 58" (shoulder height). This would reduce bending while lifting heavy objects which is a major risk factor for low-back pain. ii) For objects in recommendation (i), provide 18" (shoulder width) clearance on either side of the pallet in the aisles. This would allow the worker to walk to the case in the back of the aisle and keep the load close to the body while lifting by approaching the case/bag from the side rather than from the front. This would alos reduce twisting of the spine and lifting across the body. iii) Limit the number of cases per order so that the pallet load height is below the shoulder height. Keep this height below the chest height when the order consists of heavier items. Step 1- Implementation of an ergonomics program for worksite analysis, medical management, and training and education, as detailed in items 1-3 above. Step 2- Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of the administrative, work practice, and engineering controls as detailed in items 4(a) - 4 (c). ALL PROPOSED CONTROL MEASURES SHALL BE APPROVED FOR EACH PARTICULAR USE BY A PERSON TRAINED IN THE EVALUATION OF WORKPLACE CONDITIONS WHICH CAUSE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS. SIXTY(60) DAY PROGRESS REPORTS ARE REQUIRED DURING THE ABATEMENT PERIOD. Step 3- Implementation of administrative, work practice, and engineering controls, as described in items 4(a) - 4(c).