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 emloyment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause permanent crippling, loss of function, and serious injury to employees, in that employees were required to perform tasks resulting in stressors that had caused, were causing, or were likely to cause repetitive motion trauma and static muscle strain injuries. a) In the Kitchen Production Area, workers who prepare food including cutting, splitting, weighing, breading, and assembling food portions are subject to repetitive motion disease including epicondylitis, teninitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The workplace ergonomic hazards can be controlled and ergonomic stressors reduced by a program including but not limited to the following: 1) KITCHEN JOB SPECIFIC ABATEMENT METHODS a) Use ergonomically designed utensils, knives, and tools. Handles and tool angles should comfortable fit the hand of the workers. b) Use a cleaver with greater mass for chopping and cutting crab legs Instruct workers to minmize force and wrist swing while performing the task. c) Provide a safe lobster tail splitter. The present device, based upon paper knife technology, exposes the worker to cuts and requires arm extensions and elevation with force. d) For those workers who are required to handle food that is frozen or chilled, in water tanks, etc., provide hand warming bathes at the work station. Instruct workers to dip their hands periodically to help maintain good circulation to their hands and wrists. Modify the work process where possible to minimize workers exposure to cold. e) Use a mechanical sifter in the breading operation. f) Provide wrist rests for workers who split and peel shrimp. The height of the rest should be adjustable by the individual worker. Train workers to perform peeling operations as much as is possible with their hands and wrists in a neutral position. g) Implement a job rotation schedule for highly repetitive and long duration tasks for kitchen workers. The period deveted to performing the tasks should be 1 hour or less, with an alternate task using different muscles and rotation for at least 1/2 hour. Shrimp, split and peel, salad making and breading are tasks that should be considered for the job rotation. 2) SEATED WORK STATIONS. It is recognized that space is tight, but there are a number of tasks performed by kitchen workers that if they could be performed by seated workers could reduce body stress. Install seated workstations for a period of time and evaluate. 3) STANDING WORKERS. Provide either anti-fatigue mats for workers who must stand, or alternatively provide resilient shoe inserts. 4) WORK GLOVES For those jobs such as handling frozen foods, provide work gloves that fit the workers hands, and that will assist in maintaining the warmth of the hands and wrists. 5) WORKER ERGONOMIC HAZARD AWARENESS. Include in the training program instruction that instructs workers in the recognition of neutral postures for the body, arm, and hand to avoid repetitive motion or cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) and illnesses. Evaluate the tasks being performed and using video recording of workers, establish the minimum sterss methods for task performance. Train workers to use the established task method. When workers are observed performing outside the prescribed task method, reorient them. 6) KITCHEN WORKER ERGONOMICS SURVEY. As was indicated by the Red Lobster Corporate members during the OSHA investigation, there are questions concerning the frequency of ergonomically related injury among kitchen workers. The workers who reported problems at the Dolton, Illinois restaurant were all long term employees. Conduct a worker survey among employees at other locations. It is suggested that the 2 page questionnaire contained in the U.S. Department of Labor publication Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for Meat Packing Plants, OSHA 3123-1991, pages 16 and 17 may be useful in developing the questionnaire. It is suggested that kitchen workers who have 30 months or more work experience be included in the survey. Establish clearly with the workers the information request is only aimed at helping them and will in no way be used against them. 7) INJURED WORKERS-WORKSTATION METHODS. Conduct an analysis of the work method(s), tool(s), and workstation for each worker that suffers and OSHA reportable CTD illness. Solicit the comments and suggestions of affected supervisors, workers and the engineering department. Make indicated changes to reduce stresses on the worker. If there are similar work tasks and situations, modify them. After 90 days, review the results. Determined whether: a) Further changes are needed. b) The job or workstation is set up properly. c) If changes are noted, make them, and review the results in 90 days. 8) NEW AND ERGONOMIC INJURED WORKERS. Establish a new and injured worker program. For workers that are new to the job, for workers who have been away from work that are new to the job, and for workers who have been away from work for extended periods, a work hardening and preparedness program is needed. The program needs to be started with the assistance of a trained therapist and maintained by the company medical department. The goals of the program should include, but not be limited to: a) Establish a therapy and exercise program aimed at work hardening the workers. b) Establish physical performance norms for full performance of jobs. Measure new and injured workers to determine their performance toward the full performance norm. c) In coordination with the injured worker's doctor, after a CTD illness, provide work that is consistent with the worker's capabilities. d) Monitor new and CTD damaged workers. Determine whether they are performing tasks using the company prescribed method, tool(s), and workstation configurations. Determine whether work hardening is progressing in the expected manner. Periodically review the performance with the worker, supervisor, safety and health director, and the medical department manager. DISCLAIMERS: 1) You are not limited to the abatement methods suggested above. 2) The methods explained are general and may not be effective in all cases. 3) The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out an appropriate abatement method.