Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 236 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 77, Station 4 where one employee was perform- ing hook-up (operation #535), rivets hinges (operation #172), install straps into case insert (operation #418) and install foam insert (operation #332). The evaluation of these tasks indicate that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp, force applied with fingers, with one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders, twisting to reach objects, stretch to reach objects, shoulder reach forward, shoulders different levels, reach above shoulder, elbow extension and flexion, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, lateral pinch, palm pinch, finger press and medial grasp, pinch grip 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 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 had a history of CTD realted problems. A flare up of this condition occurred while performing hook up operations on Line 77. A surgical procedure was performed. The employees exposure to this ergonomic hazard was not reduced in that prior to the surgery, no offer of job reassignment, an adequate number of days off work or restricted work activity was made. The employee was returned to work at the same hook up position after surgery without modification of the ob duties or the work station, which as exacerbated the medical condition. 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 172 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Provide adustable height and reorient rivet prongs to reduce wrist deviations. 3) Bring washer bin closer to operator, tilt bin forward and pad edges. 4) Provide support platform for machine. 5) Reduce the number of tasks to increase rest time. 6) Provide automatic means of opening plastic bags or redesign dis- tribution of parts to operator. 7) Provide mechanical ejector or diverter bar. 8) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 9) Redesign layout of parts for easier access. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 535 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Provide adjustable height rivet machine and reorient prongs for easier hookup operation. 3) Reduce the number of tasks to increase rest time. 4) Provide mechanical ejector to move cases on/off conveyor. 5) Design device to assist in supporting and manipulating case while riveting hinges together. 6) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 7) Provide adjustable machine. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 418/332 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work station or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Provide sit/stand/lean option. 3) Rearrange layout of component parts to reduce reaching. 4) Provide mechanical aid for strap insertin. 5) Reduce the number of tasks to increase rest time. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"