Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 122 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 4 where one employee was performing assembling wheels to skid plate (operation #378) and install track bracket to skid plate (operation #364). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, hand/wrist exposed to water/agent (vibration), force applied with fingers, one hand, both hands, from one shoulder and by bending, stooping/bending to fit space, bending to reach objects, twisting to reach objects, stretching to reach objects, shoulders different levels, reach shoulders forward, reach above shoulder, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, abduction, pulp pinch, lateral pinch, palm pinch, finger press, pulp grasp and medial grasp, and closed fist 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 1990 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 378 1) Provide screwdriver with longer handle or adjust articulated arm to redu c the wrist. 2) Provide a vibration dampening handle on the screwdriver. 3) Develop and implement a preventative maintenance program for the torque s screwdriver. 4) Design an automated process or tool to snap hub cap into place. 5) Relocate wheel bins or install storage chutes to reduce awkward posture. 6) Lower the articulated arm to allow operator to straighten wrist during o p 7) Provide uniform fatigue mats over entire floor surface or use shock abso r 8) Provide a sit/stand/lean option. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 364 1) Provide vibration dampening for screwdriver. 2) Develop and implement a preventative maintenance program for the torque s screwdriver. 3) Locate skid plate closer to work area to reduce forceful exertion. 4) Relocate track brackets or install storage chutes to eliminate awkward p o 5) Provide a fixture to support skid plate and eliminate wrist deviation. 6) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 7) Relocate track bracket bins to reduce reaches. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"