Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 134 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 13 where one employee was perform- ing stripping- installation of bumper strip and cover plate (operation #558). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, hands exposed to water/agents (vibration), force applied with fingers, with one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders, by twisting and by bending, stooping/bending to fit work space, work space constrains worker movements, twisting to reach objects, stretching to reach objects, reach shoulders forward, reach overhead, reach above shoulders, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation and ulnar de- viation, finger push, abduction, lateral pinch, finger press, pulp grasp and medial grasp, and closed fist, pistol, and pinch grip which are causing or likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders. The employer did not implement an effec- tive control strategy to reduce or eliminate such disorders. The injury and illness records for 1988, 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 558 1) Pad edges of all bins. 2) Relocate cover plate part bins to reduce reaching. 3) Suspend and counter-weight pop-rivet gun. 4) Provide vibration dampening handle for pneumatic screwdriver and torque suppressor. 5) Redesign pop-rivet gun to reduce awkward posture and pressure in the palm by use of a lighter tool which can be held in a vertical position. 6) Use holster for clippers and reshape handle to reduce forces acting on hands and instruct operator to set scissors aside during cover plate riveting. 7) Add additional stripping station to reduce work load and increase rest time. 8) Move shells into work area by using another conveyor at right angles to main conveyor OR use an automatic mechanism which moves shells into work area, on and off the conveyor. 9) Eliminate scissors by designing cutting device which cuts stripping material exactly to fit. 10) Investigate alternate means of installing cover plates faor hot melt material. 11) Provide a sit/stand/lean option to reduce prolonged static posture. 12) Provide adjustable work station and surface. 13) Use uniform fatigue mats or appropriate footwear. 14) Use a horizontal rotating jig for stripping. The case can be slid from the conveyor onto the jig and then back to alleviate the need for lifting the case. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"