Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 133 Hazard: ERGONOMIC

hgction 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 12 where one employee was perform- ing inspection of and repair of case (operation #595), line- up and fit (operation #534) and installation of accesseories (operation #666). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hands exposed to water/agents (vibration, hammering), force applied with fingers, force applied with one hand, from one shoulder and by bending, stooping/bending to fit work space, bending to reach work and objects, twist- ing to reach objects, stretching to reach work, shoulder reach behind body, reach shoulders forward, reach above shoulders, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, finger press and medial grasp, 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 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 595/666/534 1) Use adjustable work stations. 2) Provide uniform fatigue mats over work area or shock absorbing footwear. 3) Suspend and counter-weight drills and screwdrivers. 4) Provide vibration dampening pad on drill handle. 5) Provide lighter weight redesigned pop-rivet gun or suspend and counter-weight the present gun to eliminate forceful exertion. 6) Use more workers to provide greater rest break opportunities to eliminate duration and repetition strain on the worker. 7) Use sit/stand/lean option to eliminate static posture. 8) Avoid using hand as a hammer to close locks. 9) Use mechanical ejector to move cases on and off conveyor. 10) Design mechanical means to perform fit operation. 11) Use "lazy susan" (rotating, tilting fixture) tray to support shell on work station to reduce need for wrist deviations in handling shell and reduce reaches in the work station. 12) Provide fixture bar location that does not require twisting motion of back. 13) Use adjustable work station. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"