Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 131 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 10 where one employee was perform- ing drilling for hook-up (operation #219), pop-riveting lift levers (operation #674), installing lift lever handles (operation #435) and assembling handles (operation #642). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, hands exposed to agents (forced movements/vibration), force applied with fingers, one hand, both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders, by twisting and by bending, stooping/bending to fit work space, twisting to reach work and objects, bending to see work, stretching to reach objects, shoulders different levels, reach shoulders forward, reach above shoulders, elbow flexion, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch radial de- viation, ulnar deviation and rotations, 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 219 1) Perform drilling off line in fixture to prevent wrist deviation and shou l 2) Redesign work stataion so that worker can perform drilling vertically us i suspended, counterweighted drill. 3) Suspend and counterweight drill, and pad handle with vibration dampening 4) Reduce number of job tasks to increase rest time. 5) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 6) Provide fatigue mat to cover entire floor surface or shock absorbing foo t ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 674 1) Redesign orientation of fixture to improve elbow posture. 2) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 3) Provide fatigue mat to cover entire floor surface or shock absorbing footwear. 4) Provide divertor bar or mechanincal ejector to move cases on and off the conveyor line. 5) Provide lighter and re-designed pop-rivet gun. 6) Suspend and counterweight pop-rivet gun, and pad handle with force absorbing material. 7) Add more operators to perform tasks. 8) Change location of boxes or provide part chutes in close proximity to operator. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 435 1) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 2) Provide fatigue mat to cover entire floor surface or shock absorbing footwear. 3) Develop surveillance and preventative maintenance program for torque setting of screwdriver. 4) Provide torque suppressor and vibration dampening handle material on screwdriver. 5) Provide divertor bar or mechanincal ejector to move cases on and off the conveyor line. 6) Provide alternative means of pushing components into fixture. 7) Provide side handle grip for screw driver to achieve proper wrist posture. 8) Reduce vertical reach for screwdriver. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 642 1) Reduce number of job tasks to increase rest time. 2) Increase number of operators performing the task. 3) Provide mechanical means to assemble handle. 4) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 5) Provide fatigue mat to cover entire floor surface or shock absorbing footwear. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"