Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 210 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 76, Station NA-5 where one employee was performing final case assembly (operation # 325). The evaluation of this task indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand exposure to vibration, force applied with fingers, force applied with one or both hands, force applied from one shoulder, worker twisting to reach objects, shoulders at different levels, reaching forward, above shoulder level and overhead, elbow flexion, rotation and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, ulnar deviation, rotation, finger abduction, finger press, pulp 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 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 325 1. Modify process for inserting hinge pin. 2. Use pointed (awl-like) tool to clear holes and align shells for insertion of the hinge pin. 3. Educate operators and ensure the use of a hammer instead of hands to insert hinge pin. 4. Educate operators to move to the side of the table where they can use more normal hammer action to drive the hinge pin through the connecting hinge holes. 5. Use a clamping device of appropriate height to align and hold shell hinges for insertion of the hinge pin similar to Department 73. 6. Reduce warping so that holes are maintained in proper alignment. 7. The work table should be adjustable and each operator trained to adjust the table to the most appropriate height. 8. Arrange part bins in front of operators to limit turning or trunk twisting to the side. 9. Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 10. Ensure that the standing surface is even and used in conjunction with work surface height adjustment. 11. Further adjustments are needed to overcome reaching and leaning on the edge of the work surface. Tools need to be located closer to operators to avoid excessive reaching. 12. An alternative to adjustable work station height is the use of platforms of variable elevation and that incorporate an cushioned surface. Avoid creating problems due to different levels between platform and floor surfaces. To reduce the detrimental effects of hand and arm vibration, the following recommendations (from the Internation- al Standards Organization, ISO 5349.2, 1986) should be considered. 13. Reduce the vibration by anti-vibration handle/mountings, vibration dampening or where appropriate, eliminate any out of balance components in the equipment. 14. Institute a preventative maintenance program for all equipment. 15. Ensure that the tools are appropriate for the task. 16. Ensure that adequate training and instruction are provided in the proper use of the tool. 17. Educate workers to grasping tool as lightly as is possible consist- ent with safe work practice and tool control. 18. Vibration hazards are reduced when continuous vibration exposure over long periods is avoided. Therefore work schedules with adequate rest breaks are essential. 19. Investigate for the incidence of Vibration White Finger (VWF) at least annually. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"