Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 123 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 5 where one employee was performing assembling wheels (operation #344) and rivet spring blocks to track bracket and to hinge (operation #371/380). The evalua- tion of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, stooping/bending to fit space, bending to see work and to reach objects, twisting to reach objects, stretching to reach objects, reach shoulders forward, reach above shoulder, elbow extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, lateral pinch, finger press and pulp grasp, 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. 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 344 1) Expand work space to eliminate restriction of motions. 2) Relocate wheel bin or use parts chutes. 3) Provide mechanical lifting device for movement of parts bins. 4) Change orientation of grease application operation to reduce awkward postures. 5) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 6) Use shock absorbing footwear or uniform fatigue mats. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 371/380 1) Expand work space to eliminate restriction of motions. 2) Bring foot control closer to operator and locate nearer floor surface level. 3) Provide uniform fatigue mat over entire floor surface and use shock absorbing footwear. 4) Provide uniform platform that covers entire work area if it is needed at all. 5) Elevate and tilt parts bins to reduce stooping and reaching. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"