Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 177 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 11, Station 10, where one employee was per- forming packing (operation #:599). The evaluation of this task indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, force applied with fingers, one hand, both hands, one shoulder, both shoulders, by bending and by twisting, stooping/bending to fit work space, work space constrains worker movement, bending to reach objects, shoulders different levels, reach behind body, reach forward, reach above shoulder, reach overhead, throw objects over shoulder, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wr- ist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, abduction, pulp pinch, palm pinch, finger press and medial grasp, 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 1989, 1990, 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 599 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Change orientation of the glue gun to eliminate deviation. 3) Design conveyor to deliver case to worker by using diverter bar. 4) Extend vertical surface of packing stations to guide suitcases into cartons. Locate carton sealer at the same level as packing station so case can be pushed in to eliminate lifting. 5) Provide packing platform which can be lowered for box building and raised for sliding case into box and box onto conveyor. 6) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"