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 were likely to cause serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were required to perform tasks involving ergonomic risk factors, including but not limited to, repetitive motions, high force and /or awkward postures, resulting in stressors that had caused or were likely to cause cumulative trauma disorder(s): A) Fabrication- Chuck Boxer: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated shoulder abductions and flexion caused by elevated reaches with the arms to access boxes on the overhead conveyor; 2) repeated elbow and shoulder abductions caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist high conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. B) Fabrication- Brisket Boxer: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated shoulder abductions and flexion caused by elevated reaches with the arms to access boxes on the overhead conveyor; 2) repeated shoulder abductions with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist high conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. C) Fabrication- Loosemeat (HRI) Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated shoulder abductions and flexion caused by elevated reaches with the arms to access boxes on the overhead conveyor; 2) repeated shoulder abductions with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the metal troughs; 3) repeated use of a two-handed pinch grip, abducted elbows and twisting torso caused by throwing the bagged meat onto the conveyor located to the rear of the employee; 4) repeated forceful movements initiating ulnar deviation of the wrists caused by employees grasping the top of meat filled bags and snapping the bags up and down to settle the load into the bottom of the bag. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. D) Fabrication- Rib Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat at the end of the conveyor and/or in the plastic tub under the conveyor end and during the placement of the bag over the meat on the bagging rack; 2) repeated twisting of the torso caused by turning 180 degrees to move meat from the end of the conveyor to the bagging rack and from the bagging rack to the other bagging table. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors.E) Fabrication- Loosemeat(HRI) Sorters: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated shoulder and elbow abductions caused by elevated tosses of meat onto the takeoff conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. F) Fabrication- Loosemeat(Peeled Tenders and Ball Tips) Sorter: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated elbow and shoulder abductions caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist high conveyor; 2) abduction of the shoulder caused by tossing bagged meat onto the takeoff conveyor located behind the coronal plane of the body; 3) repeated twisting of the torso to move meat approximately 180 degrees from the feed conveyor to the bagging table; 4) contact trauma between the employee's wrist and the waist high conveyor's thin gauge side panel. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. G) Fabrication- Loosemeat(Peeled Tenders and Ball Tips) Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated elbow and shoulder abductions caused by tossing meat onto the takeoff conveyor; 2) repeated twisting of the torso to move meat approximately 180 degrees from the bagging table to the takeoff conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. H) Fabrication- Loosemeat(Chuck Room) Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated shoulder abductions and flexion caused by elevated reaches with the arms to access bags; 2) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat at the rear of the metal table; 3) repeated use of two-handed pinch grip with abducted elbows and a twisted torso caused by throwing the bagged meat onto the conveyor located to the rear of the employee. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. I) Fabrication- Round Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abductions caused by elevated reaches, with the arms, to access bags located to the left of the employee; 2) repeated shoulder flexion caused by extended and elevated reaches for bags located opposite the operator. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. J) Fabrication- 8313 Machine (HRI Loosemeat): Evaluation of this task indicates that employeesare exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated shoulder and elbow abductions caused by extended reaches, with the arm, to access bagged meats located to the left of the employee. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. K) Fabrication- Loin Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abductions caused by elevated reaches with the arms to access bags located to the left of the employee; 2) repeated shoulder flexion caused by extended and elevated reaches for bags located opposite the employee; 3) shoulder and elbow abduction when sliding large pieces of meat into the bag. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. L) Fabrication- Loin Boxers: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) shoulder and elbow abductions caused by extended and elevated reaches for boxes stored on the upper conveyor; 2) twisting of the torso caused by moving the meat from the tray into the box; 3) whole body fatigue caused by the repetitive lifting of meat product into the boxes. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. M) Fabrication- Rib Boxers: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) shoulder and elbow abductions caused by extended and elevated reaches for boxes stored on the upper conveyor; 2) twisting of the torso caused by moving the meat from the tray into the box; 3) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches to grasp the bagged meat on the tray. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. N) Fabrication- Round Boxers: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) shoulder and elbow abductions caused by extended and elevated reaches for boxes stored on the upper conveyor; 2) repeated lifting with twisting of the torso caused by moving the meat from the table into the box . These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. O) Fabrication- Loosemeat Boxers: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of : 1) shoulder and elbow abductions caused by extended and elevated reaches for boxes stored on the upper conveyor; 2) repeated lifting with twisting of the torso caused by moving the meat from the table into the box . These ergonomic stressorsare causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. P) Fabrication- Chuck Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated shoulder and elbow abductions caused by elevated reaches with the arms to access bags located to the right of the employee. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. Q) Fabrication- Brisket Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of using a two handed pinch grip during the tossing of the bagged brisket several feet onto the conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. R) Fabrication- Pectoral Muscle Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction caused by extended reaches out to the side to access meat on the conveyor; 2) repeated pinch grips with force caused by holding the bag while stuffing the meat into it and tossing the bagged meat several feet onto the conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. S) Fabrication- Pectoral Muscle Ring Bagger: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction caused by placing the meat into the plastic bag opening which is suspended near shoulder level on a metal ring stand; 2) repeated pinch grips with force caused by the tossing of the bagged meat several feet onto the conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. T) Fabrication- Whizzard Knife (Button Remover): Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated wrist extension and flexion with force caused by trimming the meat; 2) vibration to the hand caused by grasping a wizard knife; 3) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by reaching to access meat on the conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. U) Fabrication- Whizzard Knife (Round Bone): Evaluation of this task indicates that employeesare exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated ulnar deviation of the wrist with force and elbow and shoulder abduction caused by utilizing a scooping action during the trimming of meat; 2) vibration to the hand caused by grasping a wizard knife. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. V) Fabrication- Whizzard Knife (Fat and Bone Lines): Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated ulnar deviation of the wrist with force caused by trimming meat; 2) vibration to the hand caused by grasping a wizard knife; 3) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. W) Fabrication- Hind Quarter Saw: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abductions caused by reaching overhead to access the conveyor activation switch; 2) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed forward while pushing meat through the saw; 3) repeated elbow abduction and shoulder flexion caused by the elevated reach when utilizing the water spray nozzle. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. X) Fabrication- Wing Saw: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed while pushing meat through saw; 2) repeated elbow abduction and shoulder flexion caused by elevated reaches for the water spray nozzle. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. Y) Fabrication- Well Saw: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated contact trauma of the right thumb caused by activation of a single finger trigger; 2) repeated contact trauma of the fingers on the left hand caused by grabbing the blade bar of the saw and pulling it through the meat; 3) repeated ulnar deviations with force of the right trigger hand caused by pulling on the handle during a towards the body horizontal sawing configuration; 4) repeated flexion of the left wrist caused by pulling the blade through the meat. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. Z) Fabrication- Chuck Saw: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed forward while pushingmeat through the saw ; 2) elbow abduction and shoulder flexion caused by elevated reaches for the water spray nozzle. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. AA) Fabrication- Intestine Braiders: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated alternating wrist movement with both supination and pronation caused by rotating the wrist and forearm during the braiding motion. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. BB) Fabrication- Tripe Trimmer: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated shoulder and elbow abductions, while exerting finger force, during an elevated reach to unhook the outside edges of the tripe. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. CC) Kill- Pet Food: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction with shoulder extension caused by the sliding of the innards from the gutting conveyor, across an uphill slide, into a chute located behind the coronal plane of the worker; 2) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed while grabbing the gutbag for slicing. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. DD) Kill- Rotator Round Runner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction caused by the intestinepulling hand moving to an extreme lateral position before returning for the next pulling stroke; 2) abduction of the elbow when pulling the intestine onto a white plastic rack prior to stripping. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. EE) Kill- Omasum Saw: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder flexion caused by an extreme forward reach to remove the omasum from the conveyor hook; 2) repeated shoulder flexion caused by reaching across the body to place the omasum onto the saw push-tray. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. FF) Kill- Knocker: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated contact trauma of the forefinger caused by activation of a single finger trigger; 2) repeated shoulder flexion with force caused by reaching for the cow's head while pulling down against the force of the suspension cable on the pneumatic knocker. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. GG) Kill- First Butter: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated elbow abduction and shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by reaching down to make the cut; 2) repeated ulnar deviation of the wrist caused by use of an in-line handle on the wheel knife during skinning. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. HH) Kill- Low Backer: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction caused by reaching around the carcass to make the skinning cuts; 2) repeated ulnar deviation of the wrist caused by use of an in-line handle on the wheel knife during skinning. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. II ) Kill- Second Butter: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and torso flexion caused by reaching forward to make the skinning cuts; 2) repeated ulnar deviation of the wrist caused by use of an in-line handle on the wheel knife during skinning. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. JJ) Kill- Hanging Heads: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of whole body fatigue caused by repetitive lifting of heads. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. KK) Kill- Head Washer: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of forward flexion of the torso caused by leaning over to hand wash the outside of the heads. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. LL) Kill- Gutter: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated torso flexion caused by bending over while gutting below mid-carcass; 2) repeated abducted shoulder and elbow during liver or spleen cutout; 3) repeated torso flexion caused by bending over to cut spleen away from the gut pile on the conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. MM) Kill- Pre-Gutter: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated abducted shoulder and elbow caused by using the heel of the knife blade during the downward belly cut. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. NN) Loading Dock- Box Stacker: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated lifting and palletizing of boxes of meat. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. OO) Kill Floor- Wrapping Tongues: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction with occasional torso flexion caused by extended reach into wash bin prior to branding; 2) repeated elbow abduction caused by placing wrapped tongues into box; 3) repeated wrist flexion caused by rotating the tongue while wrapping it with plastic sheeting. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. PP) Kill Floor- Offal Boxing: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated twisting of the torso caused by the 180 degree movement of offal from the sorting table onto the boxing conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. QQ) Pet Food- Hide Room: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated twisting of the torso with shoulder and elbow abduction while transferring product from the water wash basin to the various bins located behind the employees; 2) shoulder flexion with the torso flexed forward caused by bending over the water wash basin to access product at the back of the basin. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. RR) Fabrication- Trim Upgrade: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated shoulder and elbow abductions caused by tossing meat onto the elevated conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. SS) Fabrication- Trim Sorter: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abductions with shoulder extensions while tossing meat into bins located behind the coronal plane of the employee; 2) repeated shoulder flexion with the torso flexed while leaning over a narrow conveyor to access meat on a second conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. TT) Fabrication- CO2 Injector/Restricted: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated use of the right wrist, in a right wrist medically restricted worker, while gripping the CO2 injector pistol grip and activating injector. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. UU) Fabrication- Sorting Meat & Bagging/Restricted: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated use of the right wrist, in a right wrist medically restricted worker, while bagging meat. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. VV) Fabrication- Boning Brisket/Restricted: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated use of the right wrist, in a right wrist medically restricted worker, while bagging meat. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. WW) Fabrication- Skirt Puller: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated abducted shoulder and elbow caused by the employee utilizing a stabbing type of cut, above shoulder level, on the suspended carcasses; 2) repeated forceful grips while pulling the skirt down with a meat hook. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. XX) Fabrication- Tender Puller: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposedto the ergonomic stressors of: 1) shoulder and elbow abductions caused by tosses of meat to an overhead conveyor; 2) shoulder flexion caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist high conveyor; 3) repeated wrist deviations caused by using a wrist rotating motion during the cutting. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. YY) Fabrication- Clod Puller: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated abducted shoulder and elbow caused by the employees using a stabbing type cut, above shoulder level, on the suspended carcasses. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. ZZ) Fabrication- Arm Boner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated ulnar deviation of the wrist caused by using an in-line knife handle during cuts. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. AAA) Fabrication- Brisket Boner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by reaching for brisket meat on the waist-high conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. BBB) Fabrication- Chuck Boner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated wrist supination and pronation while utilizing stab grip cutting; 2) repeated forceful wrist grip caused by using a hook in hand to apply tension to the ribs as they are cut away from the meat; 3) elbow abduction caused by tossing meat products onto an elevated conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. CCC) Fabrication- Rib Boner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated wrist supination and pronation while prying ribs away from meat; 2) shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist-high conveyor; 3) repeated forceful wrist grip caused by using a hand held hook to apply tension to the meat slabs as they are cut away from rest of the meat; 4) elbow abduction caused by tossing meat products onto an elevated conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative traumadisorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. DDD) Fabrication- Hind Shank Puller: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated abducted shoulder and elbow caused by the employees using a stabbing type cut, above shoulder level, on the suspended carcasses. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. EEE) Fabrication- Front Shank Boner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist-high conveyor; 2) elbow abduction caused by tossing meat products onto the elevated conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. FFF) Fabrication- Finger Meat Bagging/Restricted: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of repeated light grasping of meat products with both hands. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. GGG) Fabrication- Bottom Butt Trimmer: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated ulnar deviation of the wrist caused by using an in-line knife handle to make various cuts; 2) shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist-high conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. HHH) Fabrication-Top Butt Boner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) shoulder and elbow abduction caused by tossing meat onto the elevated conveyor; 2) shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist-high conveyor. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. III) Fabrication-White Boner: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated wrist supination caused by the horizontal cutting of meat; 2) repeated contact trauma on the back of the fingers caused by the metallic support rod of the meat hook. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to thesestressors. JJJ) Fabrication-Round Splitter: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction while cutting meat hanging on the overhead chain conveyor; 2) repeated grip with force caused by using the hook to place downward pressure on the meat being cut away from the bone. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. KKK) Fabrication- Round Dropper: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated shoulder and elbow abduction while cutting meat hanging on the overhead chain conveyor; 2) repeated grip with force caused by using the hook to place downward pressure on meat being cut away from the bone. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. LLL) Fabrication-Round Trimmer: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) shoulder flexion with the torso flexed caused by extended reaches for meat on the waist high conveyor; 2) repeated contact trauma on the back of the fingers caused by the metallic support rod of the meat hook. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. MMM) Fabrication-Flap Meat Separator: Evaluation of this task indicates that employees are exposed to the ergonomic stressors of: 1) repeated deviation of the wrist caused by making cuts while gripping an in-line handle knife; 2) repeated supination of the forearm while using an inline handle with a stab-type grip. These ergonomic stressors are causing or are likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders as evidenced by a review of the company's injury and illness records which document that a significant number of cumulative trauma disorders have been caused by exposure to these stressors. ABATEMENT METHODS: Feasible means to correct these hazards include continuing the development and implementation of a comprehensive written ergonomics management program, monitored by a qualified ergonomist, and continuing the development and implementation of a comprehensive medical management program monitored by a qualified health care provider, which utilizes the following elements: I. WORK SITE ANALYSIS to recognize and identify existing ergonomic risk factors in the workplace. This analysis should include further development and refinement of ergonomic illness checklists and employee questionnaires. Frequent surveys of the workplace shall be conducted by a qualified ergonomist to identify and evaluate ergonomic stressors and the workpractices and engineering controls needed for their abatement. The survey shall include a job analysis of all high risk, restricted duty, and other jobs used within an administrative control scheme. The job analysis shall specifically identify all ergonomic stressors and the body part affected. Employees on restrictive duty shall not be placed on jobs where conditions exist that could re-injure body parts being protected by a restricted duty assignment or on jobs which when performed with restricted capacity place excessive strain on another body part. Employee participation in the program should be encouraged through a mechanism such as a safety committee. II. HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL which includes continuing the development and use of engineering, work practice and administrative control measures and personal protective equipment, where deemed relevant. 1) Engineering controls are to be designed by a qualified ergonomist and may include work station redesign, tool redesign, and changes in work methods, The goal of this program should be to make the job fit the person. Examples of control measures applicable to the cited work station listed above may include but are not limited to the following: A) Fabrication- Chuck Boxer: i) Redesign the box conveyor by lowering it so it delivers the boxes to the employees at a height which eliminates or minimizes elevated reaches above shoulder level. ii) Install a diverter bar on the waist high conveyor which will move the meat products towards the edge of the conveyor belt closest to the employee. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. B) Fabrication- Brisket Boxer: i) Redesign the box conveyor by lowering it so it delivers the boxes to the employees at a height which eliminates or minimizes reaches above shoulder level. ii) Install a diverter bar on the waist high conveyor which will move the meat products towards the edge of the conveyor belt closest to the employees. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. C) Fabrication- Loosemeat(HRI) Bagger: i) Redesign the bag rack by lowering it so it delivers the bags to the employees at a height whicheliminates or minimizes elevated reaches above shoulder level. ii) Redesign the bagging table to a width which eliminates or minimizes the extended reaches for meat in the metal trough. iii) Train employees to utilize a power-type grip rather than a pinch grip when grasping the bags filled with meat. This type grip may be accomplished by supporting the bag of meat on the bottom of the bag, with both hands, rather than grasping it at the top. iv) Install a bag rack to support the bag while the employee loads meat into it. This rack should be of adjustable height so the employee can position the bag opening at a level lower than midtorso minimizing elbow abduction. v) Redesign the bagged meat takeoff conveyor by lowering it and placing it between the employees to eliminate the 180 degree movement of employees and abducted elbows. vi) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. Power grips should be utilized in place of pinch grips. The object being lifted should be grasped at the bottom with both hands utilizing a power grip. D) Fabrication- Rib Bagger: i) Redesign the workstation to eliminate employees reaching over the plastic tub and to the end of the conveyor for meat and avoid the 180 degree transfer movement of the meat. This can be accomplished by placing the bagging station adjacent and to the side of the conveyor end. ii) Redesign the bagging station to eliminate or minimize the extended reach and torso flexion during the pulling of the bag over the rib pieces by making the workstation height adjustable. Relocate the box of bags under the table by placing the front of the box flush with the table front and inclining the bagging rack up and away from the employees. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. E) Fabrication- Loosemeat(HRI) Sorters: i) Reduce the width or install a diverter bar on the waist high conveyor to move the meat products towards the edge of the conveyor belt closest to the employees. ii) Place any bins adjacent to the employees to avoid throws behind the coronal plane of the body. Bin height should be low enough such that employees do not have to abduct the elbow for transfer of meat. iii) Train employees on the importance of maintaining upper limbs in low angles of deflection from the sagittal plane of the body. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. F) Fabrication- Loosemeat(Peeled Tenders and Ball Tips) Sorter: i) Redesign the workstation to eliminate the repetitive 180 degree movements of meat by placing the main bagging station adjacent to the waist high conveyor belt. The scale may be incorporated as part of this station and should be located so all tasks are performed in front of the body at waist level. ii) Redesign the bagged meat takeoff conveyor by relocating the loading end to a position over the back of the bagging station at a height which will eliminate or minimize abduction of the shoulders and elbows. iii) Remove the side panel of the meat conveyor at the employee workstation to eliminate the possibility of contact trauma with the wrist. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. G) Fabrication- Loosemeat(Peeled Tenders and Ball Tips) Bagger: i) Redesign the workstation to eliminate the repetitive 180 degree movement of meat by placing the main bagging station adjacent to the waist high conveyor belt. The scale may be incorporated as part of this station and should be located so that all tasks are performed in front of the body at waist level. ii) Redesign the bagged meat takeoff conveyor by relocating the loading end to a position over the back of the bagging station at a height which will eliminate or minimize abduction of the shoulders and elbows. iii) Re-size the workstation table to minimize the reach necessary to access meat at the rear of the table. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. H) Fabrication- Loosemeat(Chuck Room) Bagger: i) Redesign the bag roll rack by lowering it so it delivers the bags to the employees at a height which eliminates or minimizes reach distances and arm elevations above shoulder level. ii) Redesign the bagging table to a width which eliminates or minimizes the extended reaches for meat at the rear of the table. iii) Relocate the bagged meat takeoff conveyor to the side or in front of the employees eliminating the 180 degree transfer of bagged meat. iv) Educate employees to utilize a power-type grip rather than a pinch grip when grasping the bags filled with meat. This type grip may be accomplished by supporting the bag of meat from the bottom of the bag, with both hands, rather than grasping the bag at the top. v) If the bag-holding jig is used then, it must be designed to be of adjustable height and theworkers trained to adjust it so that the elbows and shoulder are not abducted when putting meat into the bag opening. vi) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. Power grips should be utilized in place of pinch grips. I) Fabrication- Round Bagger: i) Reposition the supply of bags so that they can be accessed without causing elevated reaches. Materials should be accessible while maintaining the elbows in close to the torso, the hands moving no higher than shoulder height and all tasks being performed in an area of about a 120 degree arc in front of the body. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. . J) Fabrication- 8313 Machine (HRI Loosemeat): i) Redesign the workstation by extending the feed conveyor or install a slide such that the meat is delivered to the employee without causing an extended reach. Materials should be accessible while maintaining the elbows in close to the torso, the hands moving no higher than shoulder height and all tasks being performed in an area of about a 120 degree arc in front of the body. Repetitive reaches out to the sides and behind the body should be avoided at all times. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. K) Fabrication- Loin Bagger: i) Reposition the supply of bags so they can be accessed without causing elevated reaches. Materials should be accessible while maintaining the elbows in close to the torso, the hands moving no higher than shoulder height and all tasks being performed in an area of about a 120 degree arc in front of the body. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. L) Fabrication- Loin Boxers: i) Redesign the box conveyor by lowering it so it delivers the boxes to the employees at a height which eliminates or minimizes reach elevations above shoulder level. ii) Modify the workstation allowing the employee to slide the meat products into boxes. The whole body fatigue is caused by the relatively high frequency of the lifting task. A mechanical aid such as a slide will eliminate the lifting task. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torsoshould not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. M) Fabrication- Rib Boxers: i) Redesign the box conveyor by lowering it so it delivers the boxes to the employees at a height which eliminates or minimizes reaches above shoulder level. ii) Modify the work station allowing the employees to slide the meat products into the boxes. This will limit the twisting of the torso and the whole body fatigue caused by the frequency of the lifting task. A mechanical aid such as a slide will eliminate the lifting task. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. N) Fabrication- Round Boxers: i) Redesign the box conveyor by lowering so that it delivers the boxes to the employees at a height which eliminates or minimizes reaches above shoulder level. ii) Modify the workstation allowing the employees to slide the meat products into boxes. This would limit the twisting of the torso and the whole body fatigue caused by the frequency of the lifting task. A mechanical aid such as a slide will eliminate the lifting task. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. O) Fabrication- Loosemeat Boxers: i) Redesign the box conveyor by lowering it so it delivers the boxes to the employees at a height which eliminates or minimizes reaches above shoulder level. ii) Modify the workstation allowing the employee to slide the meat products into the boxes. This will limit the twisting of the torso and the whole body fatigue caused by the frequency of the lifting task. A mechanical aid such as a slide will eliminate the lifting task. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. P) Fabrication- Chuck Bagger: i) Reposition the supply of bags so that they can be accessed without causing elevated reaches. Materials should be accessible while maintaining the elbows in close to the torso, the hands moving no higher than shoulder height and all tasks being performed in an area of about a 120 degree arc in front of the body. ii) Educate the employees to utilize a power-type grip rather than a pinch grip when grasping the bags filled with meat. This type of grip should be performed by supporting the bag of meat from the bottom of the bag, with both hands, rather than grasping it at the top. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and reaches out to the sides and behind the torso should be eliminated. Twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. Power grips should be utilized in place of pinch grips. Q) Fabrication- Brisket Bagger: i) Redesign the workstation extending the conveyor belt over to the employee's immediate vicinity eliminating the tossing of the bagged meat. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. R) Fabrication- Pectoral Muscle Bagger: i) Educate employees to pick the meat up off of the conveyor before it has moved behind the coronal plane of the body. Meat should picked up while maintaining the elbows in close to the torso and in an area of about a 120 degree arc in front of the body. ii) Educate the employees to utilize a power-type grip rather than a pinch grip when grasping the bags filled with meat. This type grip may be accomplished by supporting the bag of meat from the bottom of the bag, with both hands, rather than grasping it at the top. iii) Redesign the conveyor so it extends to the employee workstation allowing meat loading either to the side or in front of the employee. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and reaches out to the sides and behind the torso should be eliminated. Twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. Power grips should be utilized in place of pinch grips. S) Fabrication- Pectoral Muscle Ring Bagger: i) Redesign the bag holding ring jig so the height can be adjusted. Educate the employees on correct working heights and enforce the adjusting of the holding ring so that the elbows and shoulder are not abducted when putting meat in the bag opening. It is recommended that the ring extend over the edge of the table at approximately waist level. ii) Redesign the takeoff conveyor so it extends to the employee workstation allowing meatloading either to the side or in front of the employee. iii) Educate employees to utilize a power-type grip rather than a pinch grip when grasping the bags filled with meat. This type grip may be accomplished by supporting the bag of meat from the bottom of the bag rather than grasping at the top. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated out away from the body and reaches out to the sides and behind the torso should be eliminated. Twisting of the torso while performing repetitive tasks should be avoided at all times. Power grips should be utilized in place of pinch grips. T) Fabrication- Whizzard Knife (Button Remover): i) Provide an ergonomically designed T-type knife handle which allows the employee when making cuts to use a pulling motion towards the body rather than the current rotating of the wrist motion. ii) Minimize the vibration energy transmitted from the tool to the hand. Vibration can be minimized by: a) using tool handles with built-in vibration dampening material; b) wrapping tool handles with vibration dampening material; c) or providing tool users with gloves padded with anti-vibration material. Care must be taken when wrapping tool handles or wearing gloves as forces may be increased by making handles to large to grip easily, increasing the risk of tendon strain, especially for employees with small hands. Maintenance should be performed on a regular basis to tools as vibration can increase the potential for carpel tunnel syndrome. iii) Ensure that the tool is properly sharpened to minimize the grip strength necessary to perform the cuts. iv) Decrease the reach distance from the employee to the meat on the conveyor. This can be accomplished by decreasing the cutting table width, decreasing the conveyor width, and/or providing and enforcing the use of a longer meat hook. v) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. U) Fabrication- Whizzard Knife (Round Bone): i) Provide an ergonomically designed knife which places the bend in the handle rather than requiring the employee to use the current scooping cut. ii) Minimize the vibration energy transmitted from the tool to the hand. Vibration can be minimized by: a) using tool handles with built-in vibration dampening material; b) wrapping tool handles with vibration dampening material; c) or providing tool users with gloves padded with anti-vibration material. Care must be taken when wrapping tool handles or wearing gloves as forces may be increased by making handles to large to grip easily, increasing the risk of tendon strain, especially for employees with small hands. Maintenance should be performed on a regular basis to tools as vibration can increase the potential for carpel tunnel syndrome. iii) Ensure that the tool is properly sharpened to minimize the grip strength necessary to perform the cuts. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintainingthe body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. V) Fabrication- Whizzard Knife (Fat and Bone Lines): i) Provide an ergonomically designed knife handle which places the bend in the tool rather than in the employee's wrist. ii) Minimize the vibration energy transmitted from the tool to the hand. Vibration can be minimized by: a) using tool handles with built-in vibration dampening material; b) wrapping tool handles with vibration dampening material; c) or providing tool users with gloves padded with anti-vibration material. Care must be taken when wrapping tool handles or wearing gloves as forces may be increased by making handles to large to grip easily, increasing the risk of tendon strain, especially for employees with small hands. Maintenance should be performed on a regular basis to tools as vibration can increase the potential for carpel tunnel syndrome. iii) Ensure that the tool is properly sharpened to minimize the grip strength necessary to perform the cuts . iv) Decrease the reach distance from the employee to the meat on the conveyor. This can be accomplished by decreasing the cutting table width, decreasing the conveyor width, and/or providing and enforcing the use of a properly sized meat hook. v) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. W) Fabrication- Hind Quarter Saw: i) Relocate the activation switch to a position which does not require an overhead or extended reach. ii) Reduce the size of the saw table minimizing the distance the employee has to push the hind quarter or redesign the workstation to include a slide tray which the employee activates without extended reaches. iii) Relocate the water spray nozzle to a position which does not require elevated reaches or install a series of fixed nozzles which can be activated by a switch or foot pedal. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated above shoulder height or out away from the body. X) Fabrication- Wing Saw: i) Reduce the size of the saw table to minimize the distance the employee has to push the hind quarter or redesign the workstation to include a slide tray which the employee activates without extended reaches. ii) Relocate the water spray nozzle to a position which does not require an elevated reach or install a series of fixed nozzles which can be activated by a switch or foot pedal. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated above shoulder height or out away from the body. Y) Fabrication- Well Saw: i) Redesign the saw to incorporate good ergonomic features such as: a) a trigger bar which will spread the activation forces across a wider area; b) a handle which will maintain the right wrist in a neutral position during usage; b) and either a rounded or padded edge or handle added onto the blade bar which will maintain the left wrist in a neutral position and reduce contact trauma on the hand while the employee pulls the saw through the meat during the cut. ii) Attach a load suspension cord to the body of the saw reducing the force needed to support the saw. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. Z) Fabrication- Chuck Saw: i) Reduce the size of the saw table to minimize the distance the employee has to push the hind quarter or redesign the workstation to include a slide tray which the employee activates without extended reaches. ii) Relocate the water spray nozzle to a position which does not require an elevated reach or install a series of fixed nozzles which can be activated by a switch or foot pedal. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The elbows should not be elevated above shoulder height or out away from the body. AA) Fabrication- Intestine Braiding: i) The practice of intestine braiding should be eliminated. If the four intestines need to be grouped then they should be placed in a bag or other form of container eliminating the hand and forearm rotations. ii) Develop a machine that automatically braids the intestines. This device could rotate the intestines, in a fashion similar to the employees hand rotations, while the employee holds them in position. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. BB) Fabrication- Tripe Trimmer: i) Provide a mechanical arm which unhooks the tripe after the employee is through trimming it. This mechanical unhooking device could either be activated by hand or a foot pedal. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. CC) Kill- Pet Food: i) Modify the work station so the employee can move the product onto a downhill slide. This ramp can be designed so that the worker slides the product onto it while maintaining the elbows in close to the torso with all the tasks being performed in an area of about a 120 degree arc in front of the body. ii) Install a diverter bar on the gut conveyor moving the larger products close to the employee. This diverter can be designed to sit off the conveyor 1-2 inches in the air which would allow the smaller pieces of product to maintain their position on the conveyor while moving the larger pieces such as the gutbag towards the employee. iii) Provide gloves that fit properly and do not decrease tactile sensitivity. Gloves should be made of a material that increases the coefficient of friction between the hand and the slick guts. Correct fit and materials will reduce the hand and finger force required to hold and manipulate the guts. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. DD) Kill- Rotator Round Runner: i) Educate the employee to maintain arm motions in a 120 degree arc in front of the body during the slicing operation. ii) Place a serrated semi-circular intestine rack at a lower level so that during the draping of the intestines the employee will not have to elevate the elbows up over the rack to access the intestines. This rack could incorporate adjustability through a pneumatic two level actuator where if one height is not acceptable to complete the task the employee could change the height giving him optimum positioning for a comfortable slicing action. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. EE) Kill- Omasum Saw: i) Redesign the work station so the automatic omasum unhooker will kick the omasum free at the beginning of the work station rather than at the end. The slanting of portions of the work table will also place the omasum in a ergonomically desirable location for the worker to complete the task. ii) Redesign the workstation so the employee can slide the omasum off of the trim table and into a compartment which is pushed through the saw. This can be accomplished by cutting out a section of the trim table edging nearest the saw, reducing the height of the push carriage compartment which carries the omasum through the saw, and installing another side and two front barriers to the push carriage which will comprise a semi-box configuration into which the product can be slid. A handle can be attached to the carriage which will reduce the arm extension necessary to push the omasum through the saw blade. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. FF) Kill- Knocker:i) Replace the single finger trigger with a trigger bar to distribute the force of activation across a wider area. ii) Adjust the tension in the suspension cable to minimize upward force consistent with the operator's job requirements. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive i) Redesign the line so employees can limit torso flexion to less than 6-10 degrees from vertical. A horizontal bar which will hold the head and body away will allow the hook conveyor and tail section to move closer to the employee. The cut can now be made away rather than down the torso. ii) Provide an ergonomically designed handle for the rotary knife. This handle should allow the employee to grip and cut while maintaining the wrist in a substantially neutral position. iii) Minimize the vibration energy transmitted from the tool to the hand. Vibration can be minimized by: a) using tool handles with built-in vibration dampening material; b) wrapping tool handles with vibration dampening material; c) or providing tool users with gloves padded with anti-vibration material. Care must be taken when wrapping tool handles or wearing gloves as forces may be increased by making handles to large to grip easily, increasing the risk of tendon strain, especially for employees with small hands. Maintenance should be performed on a regular basis to tools as vibration can increase the potential for carpel tunnel syndrome. iv) Ensure that the tool is properly sharpened to minimize the grip strength necessary to perform the cuts. v) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. HH) Kill- Low Backer: i) Educate the employee on how to maintain an ergonomically neutral position when making the skinning cuts. ii) Redesign the line by lowering the conveyor. This will minimize the amount of elbow abduction necessary to make the cuts. iii) Provide an ergonomically designed handle for the rotary knife. This handle should allow the employee to grip and cut while maintaining the wrist in a substantially neutral position. iv) Minimize the vibration energy transmitted from the tool to the hand. Vibration can be minimized by: a) using tool handles with built-in vibration dampening material; b) wrapping tool handles with vibration dampening material; c) or providing tool users with gloves padded with anti-vibration material. Care must be taken when wrapping tool handles or wearing gloves as forces may be increased by making handles to large to grip easily, increasing the risk of tendon strain, especially for employees with small hands. Maintenance should be performed on a regular basis to tools as vibration can increase the potential for carpel tunnel syndrome. v) Ensure that the tool is properly sharpened to minimize the grip strength necessary to perform the cuts. vi) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions.II) Kill- Second Butter: i) Redesign the line so employees limit torso flexion to less than 6-10 degrees from vertical. A horizontal bar which will hold the head and body away will allow for the hook conveyor and tail section to be moved closer to the employee and the cut to be made away rather from than down the torso. ii) Provide an ergonomically designed handle for the rotary knife. This handle should allow the employee to grip and cut while maintaining the wrist in a substantially neutral position. iii) Minimize the vibration energy transmitted from the tool to the hand. Vibration can be minimized by: a) using tool handles with built-in vibration dampening material; b) wrapping tool handles with vibration dampening material; c) or providing tool users with gloves padded with anti-vibration material. Care must be taken when wrapping tool handles or wearing gloves as forces may be increased by making handles to large to grip easily, increasing the risk of tendon strain, especially for employees with small hands. Maintenance should be performed on a regular basis to tools as vibration can increase the potential for carpel tunnel syndrome. iii) Ensure that the tool is properly sharpened to minimize the grip strength necessary to perform the cuts. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. JJ) Kill- Hanging Heads: i) Modify the workstation to alleviate either the frequency of the lifting task or reduce the weight of the lift. This can be accomplished by: a) install a lifting aid utilizing a suspension hook similar to those used to support tool weights; b) raise the conveyor line and install a slide tray so the head can be slid over to the hook for attachment; c) convert the task into a two person operation where employees rotate after each head is lifted. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive lifting tasks. The torso should not be bent forward more than 6 to 10 inches from vertical and reaches should not exceed 16 to 17 inches forward. The load should be kept close to the body and the feet rotated while turning the entire body rather than twisting the back. Flexing the torso while performing repetitive lifts should be avoided at all times. KK) Kill- Head Washer: i) Modify the work station by automating the outer head washing portion of the task. This can be accomplished by enclosing the left hand portion of the wash trough and installing several water jets which will clean the head in a carwash type fashion. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. LL) Kill- Gutter: i) Redesign the line to elevate the carcass as it moves along minimizing the torso flexion. ii) Provide a knife which has been designed for the gutting task minimizing the amount of elbowabduction and wrist deviation while making the cuts to separate the guts from the spinal column area. iii) Eliminate the employee torso flexion during the final cut to separate the spleen from the rest of the guts on the conveyor by having an employee stand on the floor adjacent to the conveyor perform the task. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. MM) Kill- Pre Gutter: i) Redesign the knife to eliminate or minimize the necessity for awkward wrist postures during motions. A short curved blade which can be held blade side down in a neutral wrist posture and drawn down the belly of the carcass would reduce torque on the wrist during the cutting stroke. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. NN) Loading Dock- Box Stacker: i) Reduce the weight of meat in each boxes to a level which when calculated by the NIOSH 1991 lifting equation will be protective of the workers. ii) Install a palletizer system which allows the employees to slide the boxes onto the pallets in a correct configuration without lifting. iii) Utilize a lifting aid such as a hoist to load the boxes. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and proper lifting techniques. OO) Kill Floor- Wrapping Tongues: i) Modify the workstation so the tongues in the water bin are at a height which doesn't require an extended reach to access them. This can be accomplished by installing an adjustable height grate in the water bin, slanted towards the employee, which could keep the top layer of tongues just below the surface. Additionally, the water level could be increased by approximately four inches and the angle of incline on the drain pan decreased. ii) Modify the workstation by decreasing the distance between the wrapping table and the box conveyor. iii) Instruct the employee to position boxes for loading in front of the coronal plane of the body at the wrapping station. iv) Instruct the employee to avoid flexing the wrist during wrapping or install an automatic wrapper. v) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. PP) Kill Floor- Offal Boxing: i) Redesign the workstation such that the sorting table is inclined towards the employee, extends to the boxing station and has an slide for packages not ready to be boxed. The employee would then either slide the packages into boxes in front of the coronal plane of the body or slide thepackages away from the immediate boxing area. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. QQ) Pet Food- Hide Room: i) Redesign the workstation by locating the bins adjacent to the sides of the wash basin such that the product is transferred laterally rather than behind the coronal plane of the body. ii) Redesign the workstation by raising the height of the product in the wash basin up to the employee's waist height and decreasing the width of the basin. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. RR) Fabrication- Trim Upgrade: i) Redesign the workstation by lowering the takeoff conveyor belt and its side panel closest to the employee so the tosses are approximately shoulder height or lower. ii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. SS) Fabrication- Trim Sorter: i) Redesign the workstation to place the bins to the side or in front of the employees. ii) Redesign the workstation such that employee is not leaning over the small conveyor. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. TT) Fabrication- CO2 Injector/Restricted: i) All jobs where workers are medically restricted should have a job analysis performed which identifies whether potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present. ii) Where potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present, the worker should not be assigned the task without concurrence from the physician that the stressors will not inhibit the worker's recovery. iii) When the worker has been assigned to a task, the supervisor should periodically monitor the job to ensure that work is being performed within the parameters of the restriction. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. UU) Fabrication- Sorting Meat & Bagging/Restricted: i) All jobs where workers are medically restricted should have a job analysis performed which identifies whether potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present. ii) Where potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present, the worker should not be assigned the task without concurrence from the physician that the stressors will not inhibit the worker's recovery.iii) When the worker has been assigned to a task, the supervisor should periodically monitor the job to ensure that work is being performed within the parameters of the restriction. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. VV) Fabrication- Boning Brisket/Restricted: i) All jobs where workers are medically restricted should have a job analysis performed which identifies whether potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present. ii) Where potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present, the worker should not be assigned the task without concurrence from the physician that the stressors will not inhibit the worker's recovery. iii) When the worker has been assigned to a task, the supervisor should periodically monitor the job to ensure that work is being performed within the parameters of the restriction. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. WW) Fabrication- Skirt Puller: i) Redesign the work site to lower the conveyor line so overhead reaches are eliminated or minimized. ii) Redesign the work site to incorporate the use of a stationary hook which will place tension on the skirt while the employee performs the cutting. iii) Educate the worker to avoid over-shoulder activities. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. XX) Fabrication- Tender Puller: i) Redesign the workstation lowering the high conveyor so shoulder and elbow abductions are minimized or eliminated. ii) Provide a long meat hook and enforce the use of it when snagging meat prior to cutting. iii) Educate the employee to maintain the wrist in a ergonomically neutral position during cutting and hooking operations. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. YY) Fabrication- Clod Puller: i) Redesign the conveyor inclining the line so the height of the cut is kept below shoulder level. ii) Redesign the work site to incorporate the use of a stationary hook which will place tension on the skirt while the employee performs the cutting. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. ZZ) Fabrication- Arm Boner:i) Develop an ergonomically designed handle for the knife which places the bend in the tool rather than the employees wrist. ii) Educate the worker on the importance of maintaining neutral wrist positions and the methods of meat cutting which maximize this position. AAA) Fabrication- Brisket Boner: i) Provide a long meat hook reducing the distance the employee's body must cover to access the meat on the waist-high conveyor. ii) Redesign the workstation reducing the width of the cutting table and/or the conveyor belt. iii) Educate the worker on the hazards associated with ergonomically stressful postures to ensure proper use of the workstation. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. BBB) Fabrication- Chuck Boner: i) Educate the worker on the hazards associated with ergonomically stressful postures to ensure proper use of the workstation. Some of the cuts such as trimming out between the ribs could be performed as two semi-straight cuts rather than one wrist rotation cut. ii) Redesign the workstation incorporating a method which will place tension on the meat bones without using the wrist as the tension device. An example of this type control of would be a hook attached to a cable which could exert a static or variable tension when activated. iii) Redesign the workstation lowering the elevated conveyor to minimize or eliminate elbow abduction during transfers of meat products. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. CCC) Fabrication- Rib Boner: i) Educate the worker on the hazards associated with ergonomically stressful postures to ensure proper use of the workstation. ii) Redesign the workstation incorporating a method which will place tension on the meat slabs without using the wrist as the tension device. An example of this type of control would be a hook attached to a cable which could exert a static or variable tension when activated. iii) Redesign the workstation to lower the elevated conveyor to minimize or eliminate elbow abduction during transfers of meat products. iv) Redesign the workstation to reduce the width of the cutting table and/or the conveyor belt. v) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. DDD) Fabrication- Hind Shank Puller: i) Redesign the conveyor by inclining the line so that the height of the cut is maintained below shoulder level. ii) Redesign the work site to incorporate the use of a stationary hook which will place tensionon the skirt while the employee performs the cutting. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. EEE) Fabrication- Front Shank Boner: i) Educate the worker on the hazards associated with ergonomically stressful postures to ensure proper use of the workstation. ii) Redesign the workstation lowering the elevated conveyor to minimize or eliminate elbow abduction during transfers of meat products. iii) Redesign the workstation to reduce the width of the cutting table and/or the conveyor belt. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. FFF) Fabrication- Finger Meat Bagging/Restricted: i) All jobs where workers are medically restricted should have a job analysis performed which identifies whether potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present. ii) Where potential job stressors relating to the restriction are present, the worker should not be assigned the task without concurrence from the physician that the stressors will not inhibit the worker's recovery. iii) When the worker has been assigned to a task, the supervisor should periodically monitor the job to ensure that work is being performed within the parameters of the restriction. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. GGG) Fabrication- Bottom Butt Trimmer: i) Develop an ergonomically designed handle for the knife which places the bend in the tool rather than in the employees wrist. ii) Educate the worker on the importance of maintaining neutral wrist positions and the methods of meat cutting which maximize this posture. iii) Redesign the workstation to reduce the reach distances for the employees or provide a long meat hook when retrieving meat from the conveyor. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. HHH) Fabrication-Top Butt Boner: i) Redesign the workstation by lowering the elevated conveyor to minimize or eliminate elbow abduction during transfers of meat products. ii) Redesign the workstation reducing the reach distances for the employee or provide a long meat hook for use when retrieving meat from the conveyor. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. III) Fabrication- White Boner: i) Develop an ergonomically designed handle for the knife which places the bend in the tool rather than the employees wrist. ii) Educate the worker on the importance of maintaining neutral wrist positions and the methods of meat cutting which maximize this posture. iii) Redesign the meat hook to eliminate the small surface area of the metallic support bar contacting the back of the fingers. This type of meat hook may be more desirable than the through the fingers type of meat hook. The design should allow the worker to loosen the grip without loosing the hook. A redesign where the support structure is broadened and/or padded to spread the force over a greater surface area will minimize the trauma potential. iv) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. JJJ) Fabrication- Round Splitter: i) Redesign the conveyor inclining the line so the height of the cut is maintained below shoulder level. ii) Redesign the work site incorporating the use of a stationary hook which will place tension on the round while the employee performs the cutting. iii) Educate the worker to avoid over-shoulder activities and on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. KKK) Fabrication- Round Dropper: i) Redesign the conveyor inclining the line so the height of the cut is maintained below shoulder level. ii) Redesign the work site incorporating the use of a stationary hook which will place tension on the round while the employee performs the cutting. iii) Educate the worker to avoid over-shoulder activities and on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. LLL) Fabrication- Round Trimmer: i) Redesign the workstation reducing the reach distances of the employees or provide a long meat hook when retrieving meat from the conveyor. A worker was observed with a long meat hook but the hook was not used on some extended reaches and was not long enough to prevent other extended reaches. ii) Redesign the meat hook to eliminate the small surface area of the metallic support bar contacting the back of the fingers. This type of meat hook may be more desirable than the through the fingers type of meat hook. The design should allow the worker to loosen his grip without loosing the hook. A redesign where the support structure is broadened and/or padded to spread the force over a greater surface area will minimize the trauma potential. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintainingthe body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. MMM) Fabrication-Flap Meat Separator: i) Educate the employee on the importance of avoiding ergonomically stressful positions such as ulnar wrist deviations or forearm supination when performing cuts. ii) Develop an ergonomically designed handle for the knife which places the bend in the tool rather than the wrist. iii) Educate the employees on the basics of body mechanics and the importance of maintaining the body in an ergonomically neutral position when performing repetitive motions. 2) Where engineering controls can not eliminate the hazards, administrative controls should be implemented which reduce the duration, frequency, and severity of employee exposure to ergonomic stressors. These controls may include but are not limited to job rotation and reduction of repetitive rate through additional staffing or the reduction of line speeds. For any administrative control scheme, a detailed job analysis must be performed on each job within the scheme to assure that parallel stressors, body part movements or musculoskeletal system usage are not present. The affect of the utilization of various type of personal protective equipment shall be evaluated to assure that currently used equipment is not exacerbating or causing ergonomic stressors. 3) Work practice controls shall be implemented which may include but are not limited to proper work techniques, and conditioning and ramp-in of new employees, injured employees returning to the job, or employees returning from leave or other absences III. MEDICAL MANAGEMENT: Continued development and implementation of a medical management program which includes accurate record keeping of ergonomic illness cases. The program shall address early recognition, evaluation and referral of cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) illness cases, and should include conservative treatment and conservative return to work, including work hardening prior to return to full duty, The medical management program is to be established under the supervision of a physician or occupational health nurse (OHN) with training in the prevention and treatment of CTDs. Systematic work site review by the medical practitioners shall also be included in the program. Discrimination against employees for reporting or incurring a CTD shall be prohibited. The program shall include, but is not limited to, the following elements in order to prevent and /or limit the severity and exacerbation of CTDs: a) Qualified health care providers shall be trained in the early recognition , evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of CTDs, OSHA record keeping requirements, and physical assessment of employees. b) Health care providers shall perform workplace walk through which will allow the identification of potential light duty jobs, and the direct observation of individual work practices in order to remain knowledgeable about operations described by employees. This shall be done when new jobs are established or as jobs change and shall be documented. Appropriate assignments to light duty jobs will be made and tracking ofemployees shall be performed so as to assure that an employee's medical condition is not aggravated or exacerbated. c) A written ergonomic job analysis describing the various ergonomic hazards found on each job shall be developed and made available to the health care providers. The employees in the health department shall provide input to the development of the job analysis. Periodic review and revision of the ergonomic job analysis shall be conducted, particularly when jobs change. d) A CTD Surveillance shall be performed in order to identify jobs needing intervention to eliminate ergonomic hazards. Surveillance shall be both passive, by reviewing data such as illness records, and active, through administration of an employee symptom survey. Health care providers will provide input in this surveillance to identify high risk departments, production lines, or jobs. e) A CTD evaluation shall be done to identify individuals with any sign or symptoms of CTD, allowing early treatment to limit the conditions' severity. The health care provider should perform a CTD evaluation of employees assigned to jobs with known ergonomic hazards or areas found to have CTD problems by surveillance. The CTD evaluation shall include a medical and occupational history, and physical examination of the musculoskeletal and nervous system as they relate to CTD's. The examination shall include inspection, palpation, range of motion (active, passive, and resisted), and other pertinent maneuvers of the upper extremities and back. Examples of the pertinent maneuvers for the hands and wrists include Tinel's test, Phalen's test, and Finkelstein's test. Such evaluations shall be documented. f) Evaluation and treatment of employees with complaints consistent with CTDs shall be based on protocols triggered by medical history and physical examination. Written protocols for health surveillance for the evaluation, treatment and follow-up of workers with signs and symptoms of CTDs shall be developed and used. These protocols shall be documented in writing, reviewed, and updated, by a physician, at least annually. Conservative medical treatment shall be followed for initial symptoms and signs, in order to prevent increased morbidity of CTD cases. If initial treatment of the CTD has not resulted in prompt improvement or resolution of the signs of symptoms, the employee shall be taken off the job causing the problem, or placed on restrictions by the health care provider. The restricted employee will be placed on appropriate jobs, consistent with their capability, which do not pose parallel stressors, by health care providers familiar with the job requirements. Symptomatic employees shall be followed up to determine the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment. Employees with severe symptoms, positive physical finding, disorders, or signs resistant to treatment shall be immediately referred to a physician for further evaluation. In no event shall employees with signs or symptoms undergo conservative treatment for longer that two weeks without first being referred to a physician for evaluation. Conservative therapy and time away from the from the job causing the problem deserves an adequate trial before surgical intervention is contemplated. Recommendations for surgery should be referred for a second opinion to a physician other than a surgeon. Appropriate amount of time off work after surgery shall be assured. A physical evaluation of the worker after time away from work, to assess work capabilities should be performed to ensure appropriate job replacement upon return to work. If the employee is being medically followed for CTDs, the medical department will review the ergonomic analysis on the job causing the problems. If a job has no ergonomic analysis available, the job will be analyzed for ergonomic stressors. g) The health care providers shall be responsible for entering the appropriate information onto the OSHA forms and thus should be appropriately and adequately trained on OSHA's recordkeeping requirements. Health care providers shall enure the appropriate documentation of medical treatment (including self-administered treatment) and the retention of such documents. h) Evaluation of the medical management program should be performed on a periodic basis to assure effectiveness of all of the elements. A formal documented tracking and surveillance program to monitor CTD trends in the plant and to follow those employees being treated for CTDs shall be instituted. The foregoing recommendations for specific medical management actions are made as a result of the following problems in the current medial program observed during the inspection: 1) Many of the "Supplementary record of occupational injuries and illnesses" report forms were not filled out with sufficient completeness to determine the nature of the injury and how it relates to the task which was performed at the time of the injury. Many of the forms listed the job the person was assigned to instead of the name of the task that was being performed at the time of the injury. These do not always agree and are generally too vague (ie, I was performing my regular task as a.....). Most records state which hand or shoulder was hurt but there was no reference as to whether this was the knife hand, hook hand, etc. The reports should be filled out in greater detail in order to provide adequate information concerning the nature of a hazard during the annual records review. 2) Employees were placed on restrictive duty assignments as a result of job related injuries and the employer failed to fully evaluate each restrictive duty job to assure that similar conditions did not exist which would aggravate existing injuries. A more thorough job analysis should be conducted for each restrictive duty job to assure that ergonomic stressors do not exist that will aggravate existing employee injuries. IV. TRAINING AND EDUCATION: Continued development and implementation of training and education for employees. Training should address the hazards associated with the job, the risk factors which cause cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), symptoms of exposure includingsign and symptoms of cumulative trauma disorders, and how to prevent the occurrence of CTDs including the use of engineering and administrative controls and their maintenance. Retraining should be performed at least annually and as operations change. Supervisors and union ergonomic monitors who have the day to day responsibility for monitoring and enforcing the companies ergonomics program should receive additional training sufficient to assure competency in the oversight of the program and control measures within their areas of responsibility. ABATEMENT OF THE CITATION SHALL BE ACCOMPLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE: STEP 1a) Development of an effective ergonomic program for worksite analysis, engineering controls, and training and education, as detailed in sections I, II, and IV, above. Submit to the Area Director a written plan of abatement which identifies and details a schedule for the implementation of the ergonomic program. All proposed control measures shall be approved for each particular use by an ergonomist who is qualified in the evaluation of workplace conditions which cause ergonomic stressors. b) Development of an effective medical management program which contains the elements detailed in Section III, above. Submit to the Area Director a written plan of abatement which identifies and details a schedule for the implementation of the medical management program developed in accordance with section III, above. The medical management program shall be developed and approved by a medical provider who is qualified in the recognition, evaluation and treatment of ergonomic related injuries and illnesses, such as CTDs. Step 1 abatement programs are due by: May 17, 1995 STEP 2a) Implementation of the ergonomic program for worksite analysis, engineering controls, and training and education developed in Step 1a. One-hundred twenty (120) day progress reports are required during the abatement period. b) Implementation of the medical management program developed in Step 1b. One-hundred twenty (120) day progress reports are required during the abatement period. The first progress reports for step 2 are due by: September 17, 1995 STEP 3a) Implementation of training and education and of administration, work practice, and engineering controls shall be completed by the violation abatement date shown below. b) Implementation of an effective medical management program shall be completed by the violation abatement date shown below.