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 exposed to: Operations in the processing facility in the evisceration, deboning, patty sorting, tender sorting and wing disjointing departments where employees performed job tasks such as scissor cutting, knife cutting, hand evisceration, gut pulling, skin pulling, deboning, trimming, and other processing, produced biomechanical stress to the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders. This biomechanical stress resulted in musculoskeletal disorders, which included, but were not limited to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), tendinitis, muscular sprains and ganglion cysts. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct the hazards(s) include the following: (a) Implementation of a comprehensive ergonomics program including the formation of an ergonomic committee. The committee should include production employees serving on a regular or rotational basis as committee members. The committee could devise a comprehensive strategy to address the ergonomic problems, institute changes, and track those changes to verify success. The committee should meet on a regular, (such as monthly), basis to develop ideas and strategies addressing ergonomic issues. Select members of the committee should conduct regular walk-around inspections focusing on work place design, workpractices, etc. The ergonomic program should be written and should state specific goals as developed by the committee. Employees should be provided an easy way of providing input into ergonomic issues, and should be encouraged to provide ideas on hazard abatement, workstation design, etc. (b) Do additional job and stress factor analysis to isolate and quantify the types and numbers of repetitive trauma disorders, and the root causes of these disorders. Periodic video taping of jobs may be useful. Develop standardized forms for evaluation of the job task, work station design, work practices. Surveys completed by the employees would provide useful information. (c) Provide continuing education for all affected employees in regard to cumulative stress disorders, and ensure employees are following workpractice guidelines. Training should include signs and symptoms of repetitive trauma disorders, and should include a basic discussion of anatomy, causation, and prevention. Topics such as correct hand/wrist position should be discussed. Basic definitions of carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and other common CTD's should be provided. Anatomical models of the wrist may be useful in describing the above items. Prevention, diagnosis, and the full range of available medical treatments shoud be discussed. Monitoring of the employees shoud be done to assure that appropriate work practices are being utilized. Comprehensive ergonomic training should also be provided for first line supervisors and the on-site medical staff. (d) Test the use of ergonomically designed scissors or knives in evisceration, the cone line, and portion control. (e) Provide a program of continued on the job exercises at several times throughout the workshift. Instruct employees on appropriate exercises, and encourage employees to perform these exercises at home. (f) Provide stools or rest for employees who stand throughout their shift, such as portion control and some cone debone operations. (g) Develop a training line for new employees. Consider the use of an employer/employee pairs who are specifically trained to recognize ergonomic stress factors. These pairs could routinely walk the production lines and identify employees using poor work techniques, improperly designed work-stations, and other stressors. (h) Provide retractable tool supports for pneumatic scissors, (used in the manual process/salvage area). Consider expanded use of pneumatic scissors along the eviseration line. (i) Provide a logical and systematic system for job rotation, (for job operations where rotation would reduce exposure). Supervisors should not have discretion over rotational schemes unless a systematic and proven rotational plan has been tried and proven effective. (j) Develop a more comprehensive data base for tracking ergonomic disorders. The data base should be sufficient to track the number, type and statistical distribution of repetitive trauma disorders. Reports could be generated on a regular, (e.g. monthly basis), and could be reviewed by the ergonomic committee. Problem area could be re-evaluated, caustive factors isolated, and changes implemented and tracked. (k) Hire a full time ergonomic trainer with experience in the field of ergomomics, or provide extensive training to a current staff member. The person currently in charge of training may not be sufficiently knowledgeable in on ergonomics as a discipline. (l) Take measures to reduce cold stress along the long CO2 tunnel. Consider the use of a heated bath in which the employees could periodically soak their hands/wrist. (m) Re-evaluate the tender strip and patty lines, with emphasis on changes in the sorting process. Repetitive flipping of the product appears to be causing injuries. Consider the use of a shaker table or grooved conveyor apparatus in place of the current tender conveyor. Consider alternatives to flipping the tenders as a means of alignment.