Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 121 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 72, Station 3A where one employee was perform- ing back drill bottom shell (operation #290), back drill top shell (operation #291) and rivet pad and lock catch (opera- tion #520). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: re- petition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, hand exposed to water/agents (vibration, air exhaust), force applied with fingers, with one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder and from both shoulders, work space constrains worker movements, bending to see work, bending to reach work, stretching to reach objects, shoulders different levels, reach shoulders forward, reach above shoulders and reach overhead, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, palm pinch and medial grasp, and pinch and closed fist 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 1989, 1990, and 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 290/291 1) Design multi-punch or drill for frames to eliminate need for manual dril l 2) Provide vibration dampening handle for drill. 3) Develop and implement preventative maintenance program for power drills. 4) Use mechanical ejector to move cases on and off conveyor. 5) Design a rotating support fixture for the shell. 6) Provide a support for the shell to eliminate use of body to hold shell. 7) Rearrange operation to prevent lifting of shell around pole. 8) Provide uniform fatigue mats over entire floor of work space or use shoc k 9) Provide sit/stand/lean option. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 520 1) Install wooden platform to support case during rivet prep operations. 2) Ensure all contact edges of bin are padded. 3) Reduce number of job tasks to increase rest time. 4) Provide appropriate footwear or fatigue mat over work space area. 5) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 6) Use mechanical ejector to move case on and off conveyor. 7) Develop autofeed device for rivet machine. 8) Provide height and orientation adjustable machine. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"