Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 226 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 13, Station 10 where one employee was perform- ing install handle and set escutcheon (operation # 537), washer on handle end cap (operation #295) and install handle trim (operation #637). The evaluation of these tasks indicate that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hands exposed to vibration, force applied with fingers, one hand, both hands, from one shoulder, both shoulders and applied by bending and twisting, bending to reach work, stoop/bends to fit work space, elbow flexed and extended, hand/wrist extension, flexion, radial and ulnar deviation and rotation, fingers medial grasp, 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 cumula- tive 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 537, 295/637 1) Provide adjustable, tiltable work station. 2) Institute surveillance and preventative maintenance program for torque setting of screwdrivers, provide vibration dampening. 3) Suspend and counterweight tool. 4) Provide vertical position for handle installation. 5) Provide lower work table and platform for installing escutcheon. 6) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 7) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 8) Provide mechanical means of installation to reduce repetitive twisting and squeezing and for connecting trim and handle end caps. 9) Lower shell when attaching escutcheon or attach escutcheon by placing in fixture rather than placing on top of vertical shell. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"