Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 153 Hazard: ERGONOMIC

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were required to perform tasks involving ergonomic risk factors (including, but not limited to, repetitive motions, force and awkward postures) resulting in stressors that had caused, were causing, or were likely to cause cumulative trauma disorder(s): (a) Department 8, Station 10 where one employee was perform- ing installation of main handle (operation #202), installa- tion of side handle (operation #116) and rivet apron (opera- tion #531). The evaluation of these tasks indicate that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: re- petition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, hands exposed to agents (vibration), force applied with fingers, with one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder and from both shoulders, stretching to reach objects, shoulder reach forward, reach above shoulder, elbow flexion, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation (slight), finger medial grasp, closed fist grip and pinch grip which are causing or likely to cause cumula- tive 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, 1991 document a pattern of cumulative trauma disorders associated with this operation. An employee who was exposed to undue repetitive motion trauma, excessive force and awkward finger, hand and arm positions and a history of CTD related problems while engaged in rivet operation and installing side handles on Line 8. There was no documentation of job reassignment or modification used as a therapeutic approached for conservative medical treatment to address the CTD problem. The employee was returned to the same job stressors which exacerbated the condition as evidenced by continued symptoms. While ultimate responsibil- ity 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 202/116 1) Institute surveillance and preventative maintenance program for torque setting of screwdrivers. 2) Provide vibration dampening. 3) Reduce number of job tasks to increase rest time. 4) Increase number of workers performing the task. 5) Provide mechanical ejector to move cases on and off. 6) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 7) Provide adequate mats or shock absorbing footwear. 8) Locate parts bins closer to and on same level as work station, tilted towards operator. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 531 1) Increase work space. 2) Reorient fixture to reduce twisting and elevated support by right hand. 3) Provide movable support platform for rivet machine. 4) Reduce number of job tasks to increase rest time. 5) Increase number of workers performing task. 6) Provide a movable support fixture to support shell during riveting. 7) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 8) Provide adequate anti-fatigue mat or shock absorbing footwear. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"