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

Nevada Revised Statute 618.375(1): Every employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees: The employer, located at 4100 East Lone Mountain Road, North Las Vegas, NV 89031, failed to furnish employment and a place of employment that was free from recognized hazards for employees who operated powered industrial trucks, as follows: a.Employees were required to operate a Raymond Model 8400 pallet truck, in a triple pallet configuration, which resulted in risk factors that caused, or were likely to cause, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome, or possible shoulder injuries. Physical conditions required continual operation of the equipment in 7 of 14 work assignments. Three additional assignments also included operation of the equipment, with four work assignments that excluded that specific truck operation. When the rotation of assignments were followed, operators would likely be assigned to triple pallet trucks 50%, and up to approximately 70% of continuous work performance in a 4 week cycle. Repetitive force is applied by the fingers to grasp and twist the operator's controls, and a pulling or pushing action with shoulder and arm movements control the equipment's turning radius. Employees were exposed to hand and finger injuries and two recordable cases, (one in 2008; one in 2009 - each required surgery), were documented on the employer's OSHA 300 (Injury and Illness) Logs. Medical provider's documentation also supported hand and wrist injuries for an additional employee and shoulder and neck pain for another, related to operation of the triple jack. Another possible ergonomic injury indicator provided from January 2008 to date: 43 events were documented for equipment operator visits to the employer's on-site nurse for finger, hand, wrist, arm, should, and back complaints. Among other methods, one feasible means of abatement is to re- evaluate administrative controls, and implement a rotational schedule to ensure that Raymond model pallet trucks are rotated with other manufacturer's trucks (those with control designs that differ from Raymond's design) to limit continual exposure to one specific truck. MOTE: Raymond trucks recently added a purchase option referred to as "PowerSteer - which significantly reduces the effort required to maneuver a pallet truck, up to 90% resulting in increased operator comfort over the course of a shift" according to the manufacturer's website. REFERENCES: 1) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - Gathering & Examining Evidence of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (Step 4). 2) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet.