Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 110 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 5 where one employee was perform- ing pop-riveting lift levers (operation #674) and installing handles (operation #202). The evaluation of these tasks indicate that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, hands exposed to agents (forced movement, vibration), force applied with fingers, with one hand, and from one shoulder, bending to see work, shoulder abduction, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation and ulnar deviation, finger push, abduction, palm pinch, medial grasp and finger press, and closed fist grip, pistol grip 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 elimin- ate such disorders. The injury and illness records for 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 674 1) Provide uniform fatigue mat. 2) Suspend and counter-weight rivet gun to eliminate forceful exertions. 3) Reduce weight of rivet gun to eliminate forceful exertions. OR 4) Provide an ergonomically designed riveter which allows the employee to p e while keeping the elbow in close to the body and at aproximately a 90 degre e in an ergonomically neutral position. (The current tool could be modified t down configuration with the actuator mechanism on the opposite side of the t 5) Add more operators to increase rest break opportunities and reduce strai n 6) Change shell orientation to more upright position with aid of shell supp o wrist deviations when using pop-rivet gun. 7) Provide sit/stand/lean option to reduce static posture. 8) Provide a full adjustable work station for the employee. 9) Provide properly fitting gloves to minimize excess finger pressure while operations. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 202 1) Provide sit/stand/lean option to reduce static posture. 2) Provide an even standing surface. 3) Pad and tilt bins. 4) Provide surveillance and a preventative maintenance program for torque s e screwdrivers. 5) Ensure all screwdriver torques are set appropriately to reduce forceful e 6) Provide vibration dampening handle on screwdriver. 7) Use suitable, shock absobing footwear to reduce discomfort from static p r SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"