Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 109 Hazard: ERGONOMIC

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The emp l employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazard s causing or likely to cause serious physical harm to employees, in that empl o to perform tasks involving ergonomic risk factors (including, but not limit e force and awkward postures) resulting in stressors that had caused, were ca u to cause cumulative trauma disorder(s): a) Department 31, Station 4 where one employee was perform- ing punching for glides (operation #423) and riveting glides to shell (operation #518). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, force applied with fingers, with one hand, with both hands and from both shoulders, stretching to reach objects, reach shoulders forward, elbow flexion and elbow extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation(left) and ulnar deviation (right), finger push, abduction, palm pinch and finger press, and pinch grip which are causing or likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders. The employer did not implement an effective control strategy to reduce or eliminate such disorders. The injury and illness records for 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 document a pattern of cumulative trauma disorders associated with this operation. While ultimate responsibility for correcting the hazard rests with the employer, given his superior knowledge of the operation, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard include, but are not limited to, the following: ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 423/518 1) Provide mechanical ejector to move shell on and off conveyor. 2) Pad sharp edges of bins of rivet glide machine. 3) Provide adjustable machines to prevent stooping to use controls. 4) Provide wooden platform on rivet machine to prevent supporting of shell w 5) Use appropriate, shock absorbing, footwear or cushioned fatigue mat to r e and feet. 6) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 7) Reduce the number of job tasks to increase rest time. 8) Tilt and lower height of glide supply box to reduce reaches and keep the m SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"