Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: ERGONOMIC

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were required to perform lifting tasks resulting in stresses that had caused, were causing or were likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries: (a) Imperial Delivery Services; Delivery Department; Employees with the job title of Driver performing frequent lifting during the task of loading, unloading and delivery of 40 pound newspaper bundles. The evaluation of this manual lifting task indicates that employees are exposed to a hazard which is causing or likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries. The employer did not implement an effective control strategy to reduce or eliminate such injuries. The 1992 OSHA 200 injury/illness log documented musculoskeletal injuries; On or about 3/25/93. (b) Imperial Delivery Services; Shipping Area; Employees with the job title of Floor Operator performing frequent lifting during the task of loading and unloading of 40 pound newspaper bundles. The evaluation of this manual lifting task indicates that employees are exposed to a hazard which is causing or likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries. The employer did not implement an effective control strategy to reduce or eliminate such injuries. The 1992 OSHA 200 injury/illness log documented musculoskeletal injuries; On or about 3/25/93. ABATEMENT NOTES: Among other methods, one feasible method to reduce this hazard is to establish and enforce adequate procedures such as those stipulated in: 1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Work Practices Guide for Manual Lifting." Public Health Service. Centers for Disease Control National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. DHHS(NIOSH) Pub. No. 81-122. Cincinnati, Ohio. 1981. 183 Pp. Elements essential to an Ergonomics Management Program include at a minimum: (1) Worksite Analysis to recognize and identify existing manual lifting hazards in the work place. This analysis should include development and use of an ergonomic questionnaire. Periodic surveys of the work site shall be conducted at least annually to evaluate work practices and engineering controls. Employee participation in the ergonomic program should be encouraged through a mechanism such as a safety committee. (2) Medical Management which includes accurate recordkeeping of manual lifting injuries. The program should address recognition, evaluation, treatment, and referral of lifting cases. Systematic work site review by the medical team should also be included in the program. Adequate treatment of ergonomic related cases should be provided (including not reassigning injured employees to a job until it has been modified to minimize the hazards that resulted in the injury) along with adequate time off for recovery after surgery or other aggressive intervention. (3) Training and Education for exposed employees, including methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Re-training should be done annually, or as operations change. Training should address hazards associated with the job, the risks of developing musculoskeletal injuries, symptoms of exposure and how to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries. A supervisors' training program should also be implemented to allow recognition of the signs of musculoskeletal injuries and to reinforce the employer's ergonomic program. (4) Hazard Prevention and Control which includes engineering, work practice, and administrative controls where relevant. Examples of engineering, work practices and administrative controls applicable to this work place include: (a) Administrative controls are implemented which reduce the duration, frequency, and severity of exposure to manual lifting hazards. These controls may include job rotation, reduction of repetitions, multiple person lifts, and preventative maintenance of related equipment. (b) Work practice controls are implemented which include proper work techniques, new employee conditioning, proper placement of loads, and reduction of weight lifted. Examples of work practice controls applicable to this work place include: Installation of mobil or fixed lifting devices or conveyers. Installation of mobil/fixed lifting equipment in the work vans. (c) Engineering controls are designed by a qualified ergonomist and may include work station design, tool and handle redesign, and use of mechanical lifting aids. The goal of this program should be to make the job fit the person. Examples of engineering controls applicable in this work place include: Installation of a powered belt conveyor which can be placed into the trucks such that bundles that are conveyed up or down the mechanism can be lifted from a ergonomically desirable height. ABATEMENT SCHEDULE STEP 1 ¿9/1/93! Development of an ergonomics program for work site analysis, medical management, and training and education, as detailed in items 1-3, above. Step 2 ¿10/1/93! Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of administrative, work practice and engineering controls as detailed in items 4(a) -4(c) above. ALL PROPOSED CONTROL MEASURES SHALL BE APPROVED FOR EACH PARTICULAR USE BY A PERSON TRAINED IN THE EVALUATION OF WORK PLACE CONDITIONS WHICH CAUSE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS. SIXTY (60) DAY PROGRESS REPORTS ARE REQUIRED DURING THE FULL ABATEMENT PERIOD Step 3 ¿7/1/94! Full implementation of administrative, work practice, and engineering controls as described in items 4(a)- 4(c)