Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 192 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 7, Station 6 where one employee was performing pop-rivet lift levers (operation #674), install escutcheon- combo lock and name plate (operation #687), install bumper strip (operation #558), hookup case with hinge (operation #535). The evaluation of these tasks indicates 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, from both shoulders, by bending and by twisting, stoop/bend to fit work space, bending to reach work, twisting to reach work and objects, stretching to reach objects and work, shoulders different levels, shoulder reach forward, reach above shoulder, reach ovehead, elbow extension and flexion, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, palm pinch, lateral pinch, finger press, abduction, pulp grasp and medial grasp, and pinch, pistol and closed fist 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 1988, 1989, 1990 and 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 had a history of CTD related problems while engaged in stripping, hook up, using scissors, an air screwdriver, rivet gun and a hinge pin tool while working on Line 7. There was not documentation of job reassignment or modification or restrictions used as a therapeutic approach for conservative medical treatment to address the CTD problem. The employee was returned to the same job stressors which exacerbated the medical conditions. 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 674/687 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Provide lighter and redesigned pop-rivet gun. 3) Suspend and counterweight pop-rivet gun. 4) Direct air exhausts away from hand. 5) Suspend screwdriver at lower level to reduce upward reach. 6) Provide vibration dampening. 7) Provide preventative maintenance for tool and ensure proper torque setting is maintained. 8) Screwdriver design similar to tool used for ring and center lock install on line 78 could be used for this operation. 9) Reduce number of job tasks to increase rest time. 10) Increase number of workers performing operation. 11) Provide fixture for shell to reduce deviations. 12) Provide closer proximity for draw bolts. 13) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 14) Relocate lift lever box to keep reach below shoulder height. 15) Provide part chutes to improve access to parts. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 558 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Tilt and pad all parts bins. 3) Relocate parts bins to eliminate above shoulder reaches and twisting. 4) Provide brake for jig to prevent employee using body as a brace. 5) Suspend screwdriver at a lower level to reduce upward reach. 6) Provide preventative maintenance for tool and ensure proper torque setting is maintained. 7) Provide holster for scissors. 8) Redesign tool to reduce pressure in palm. 9) Reduce number of job tasks to increase rest time. 10) Provide mechanical ejector to move cases on and off the conveyor. 11) Provide powered lift assist to lift case into rotating jig. 12) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 13) Relocate cover plate storage to reduce twisting. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 535 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Provide brake for stripping jig to eliminate employee using body to stop jig rotating. 3) Relocate hinge pin storage to eliminate reaching. 4) Prohibit use of hand as a means of pushing or hammering in hinge pin. 5) Reduce the number of job tasks performed to increase rest time. 6) Provide mechanical means of inserting hinge pin to reduce repetition. 7) Provide adjustable work stations. 8) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 9) Use mechanical diverter bar to deliver cases close to the worker. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"