Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 137 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 15 where one employee was perform- ing final inspection of and repair of case (operation #595). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist exposed to agents (vibration, hammering), force applied with one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders and by twisting, bending to reach work, stretching to reach objects, shoulders different levels, reach shoulders forward, reach above shoulders, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, abduction, lateral pinch, and medial grasp, and closed fist 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 1) Use adjustable work stations. 2) Provide cushioned platform and uniform fatigue mats or shock absorb- ing footwear. 3) Provide vibration dampening pads on power tool handles. 4) Suspend and counter-weight power drills, screwdrivers and pop-rivet guns. 5) Eliminate the use of manual pop-rivet guns. 6) Install fit machine to eliminate the need to use a hammer. 7) Use mechanical ejector to move cases on and off conveyor. 8) Use "lazy susan" tray to support shell on work station to reduce need for wrist deviations in handling shell and reduce reaches in the work station. 9) Use sit/stand/lean option to eliminate static posture. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"