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

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were required to perform resident transfers resulting in stresses that had caused or were likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries: (a)Nurses and nurses aides were required to perform solo or two-person manual lifts of residents from beds, wheelchairs and toilets. The employer did not implement an effective control strategy to reduce or eliminate such tasks. The injury and illness records for 1998, 1999 and 2000 indicate a pattern of musculoskeletal injuries from such tasks. Feasible and acceptable abatement methods include following the guidelines set forth by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in the book titled "Ergonomics: How to Contain On-the-Job Injuries in Health Care" and implementing a no-lift' policy which utilizes lift assist devices for resident transfers. Note: Abatement certification and supporting documentation are required for this item.