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 exposed to serious injury from lifting tasks without administrative or engineering controls. The injuries have occurred throughout the plant but were especially noted in the following departments: A) DEPARTMENT 116 1) BENCH WORKERS WERE OBSERVED LIFTING A CARDBOARD BASKET CONTAINING HINGE PINS FROM A WOODEN PALLET AND DUMPING PINS INTO HOPPER. 2) THE LEAD PERSON OBSERVED LIFTING, PUTTING A BAG OF CARBON POWDER ON HIS SHOULDER AND CLIMBING UP THE LADDER/STEPS TO DUMP THE CONTENTS INTO THE TANK. B) DEPARTMENT 455 WAREHOUSE WORKERS WERE OBSERVED PICKING UP AND PUTTING CARDBOARD BOXES OF PARTS FROM ROLLER CONVEYOR ONTO WOODEN PALLETS AS HIGH AS SIX (6) TIERS. C) DEPARTMENT 125 THE BLACK ADHESIVE COATER AND/OR HELPER WERE OBSERVED RESTACKING SHEETS AS FOLLOWS: PICKED UP ON AT A TIME AND PUT A HAND FULL OF SHEETS FROM PALLET(S) ONTO ANOTHER AND STACKED AS HIGH AS SEVEN (7) FEET HIGH FROM THE FLOOR. D) DEPARTMENT 103 TWO (2) MATERIAL HANDLERS (T/L OPERATORS) WERE OBSERVED PULLING STEEL BOXES OF PARTS WITH A LONG STEEL HOOK FROM BENEATH POWER PRESSES TO MIDDLE OF FLOOR AND THEN LIFTING AND PUTTING BOXES ONTO WOODEN PALLET FOR FORK TRUCKING PURPOSE. E) DEPARTMENT 109 1) THE BUFFER OF BUFFER CUTDOWN WAS OBSERVED PICKING UP AND PUTTING STEEL BOXES OF PARTS, ONE AT A TIME, FROM A CART ONTO ANOTHER FOR BUFFING OPERATION. 2) THE BUFFER OF BUFFER CUTDOWN WAS OBSERVED PICKING UP AND PUTTING STEEL BOXES CONTAINING BUFFED PARTS FROM A TABLE ONTO WOODEN PALLETS AS HIGH AS TWO (2) TIERS. 3) THE ELECTRIC HINGE ASSEMBLER WAS OBSERVED PICKING UP AND PUTTING STEEL TRAYS OF PARTS FORM A WOODEN PALLET ONTO A CART AS HIGHAS FOUR (4) TIERS. F) DEPARTMENT 123 THE PACKER WAS OBSERVED PULLING AND LIFTING ONE END OF A STEEL BOX CONTAINING SCRAP PARTS WITH A STEEL HOOK TO PUT THE BOX ON A WOODEN PALLET. THE EVALUATION OF THESE MANUAL LIFTING TASK INDICATES THAT EMPLOYEES ARE EXPOSED TO AN INCREASED RISK OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES. THE INJURY AND ILLNESS RECORDS FOR 1987, 1988 AND 1989 DOCUMENTED THAT THERE WAS A PATTERN OF MUSCULOSKELETAL/OVEREXERTION INJURY. ABATEMENT NOTE: THE REVIEW OF INJURY AND ILLNESS RECORDS FOR 1987, 1988 AND 1989 REVEALED AND DOCUMENTED THAT MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES OCCURRED PLANTWIDE WITH A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF INJURY REPORTED FOR THE OPERATIONS AND DEPARTMENTS LISTED ABOVE. THE COMMON FACTOR THROUGHOUT THE PLANT IS THAT THESE MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES RESULTED FROM LIFTING, CARRYING, STACKING AND/OR LOADING BOXES AND TRAYS. AMONG OTHER METHODS, FEASIBLE AND USEFUL METHODS TO REDUCE, ELIMINATE OR CORRECT THE HAZARD INCLUDE: 1) TRAINING AND SUPERVISON OF EMPLOYEES IN PROPER LIFTING AND HANDLING TECHNIQUES AND IN THE RECOGNITION AND AVOIDANCE OF HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH MATERIAL HANDLING. 2) EVALUATION OF THE LIFTING TASKS TO DETERMINE PROPER WEIGHT RANGES FOR BOXES AND TRAYS. 3) ERGONOMIC REDESIGN OF WORK STATIONS TO PERMIT REPOSITIONING EMPLOYEES BODIES WHICH WOULD ALLOW EVEN LIFTS, CLOSE TO THE BODY, AND AT A HEIGHT TO MINIMIZE THE STRESS OF THE LIFTS. ABATEMENT SCHEDULE STEP 1- EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE PROTECTION SUCH AS EMPLOYEE TRAINING, PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT, JOB ROTATION, ETC. SHALL BE PROVIDED AS AN INTERIM PROTECTIVE MEASURE UNTIL FEASIBLE ENGINEERING OR ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED OR WHENEVER SUCH CONTROLS FAILS TO REDUCE EMPLOYEE EXPOSURE TO NOMINAL RISK. STEP 2- SUBMIT TO THE AREA DIRECTOR A WRITTEN DETAILED PLAN OF ABATEMENT OUTLINING A SCHEDULE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENGINEERING OR ADMINSTRATIVE MEASURES TO CONTROL EMPLOYEE INJURY DUE TO MANUAL LIFTING TASKS. ENGINEERING CONTROL TO REDUCE MUSCULOSKELETAL STRESSES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, JOB REDESIGN, REDUCTION OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTIAL LOAD DISTANCE FROM THE BODY, REDUCTION OF THE LIFTING FREQUENCY OR WEIGHT AND USE OF MECHANICAL LIFTING AIDS. THIS PLAN SHALL INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM, TARGET DATES FOR THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WHICH MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE DATES REQUIRED BY THIS CITATION: 1) EVALUATION OF THE CONDITIONS, LOCATIONS AND MANUAL LIFTING ACTIVITIES THAT EMPLOYEES ARE PERFORMING AT THE ONSET OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES. 2) EVALUATION OF APPLICABLE CONTROL MEASURE(S). 3) PROCUREMENT, INTALLATION AND OPERATION OF SELECTED CONTROL MEASURES. 4) MONITORING TO ASSURE EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF THE CONTROL MEASURES. STEP 3- ABATEMENT SHALL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY IMPLEMENTATION OF FEASIBLE ENGINEERING OR ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS, UPON VERIFICATION OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING THE OCURRENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES.