Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 238 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 5A-C where one employee was performing final inspect and repair (operation #595), pack case in plastic bag (operation #143), pack case into carton (operation #599). The evaluation of these tasks indicate that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hands exposed to water/agents (vibration), force applied with fingers, with one hand, both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders and by bending and twisting, stoop/bends to fit work space, work space constrains worker movements, bending to reach work and objects, twisting to reach objects, stretching to reach objects, shoulder differ- ent levels, shoulder reach forward, reach above shoulder and reach overhead, reach behind body, throw objects over shoulder, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, abduction, palm pinch, pulp pinch, finger press, medial grasp, and closed fist 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 1990 and 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 269 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Provide adjustable work bench to accommodate sit/stand/lean option. 3) Reduce number of tasks to increase rest time. 4) Eliminate the need for worker to exert hand pressure when pushing. 5) Tilt parts bin or provide chute to eliminate extended reaching. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 595/535 1) Reduce reaches for tools. 2) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 3) Provide lowered fixture to hold shell during hook up operation similar to line 31. 4) Relocate hot air gun to eliminate reaching and twisting motion. 5) Provide vibration dampening for power tools. 6) Counterweight and suspend screwdriver. 7) Institute a preventative maintenance program to set and maintain appropriate torque. 8) Reduce the number of operations or provide additional workers to increase rest time. 9) Provide fixture to hold shell during hookup; design a mechanical means of hinge pin insertion. 10)Provide mechanical ejector to move cases on and off belt. 11) Design fixture which will support case during manipulations. 12) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 13) Locate materials closer to worker. 14) Provide mechanical diverter bar to deliver cases close to the worker. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 599 1) Adjust work station to allow more space for worker. 2) Redesign station to eliminate twisting and the need to lift cases from packing station to conveyor. 3) Angle handle of glue gun to reduce wrist deviations. 4) Extend vertical surface of packing stations to guide suitcases into cartons. 5) Conveyor should be same level as packing station so case can be pushed into carton. 6) Install a packing platform which can lift the case mechanically to the conveyor. 7) Lower the table provided for packing. 8) Carton sealer should be same level as packing station so case can be pushed into carton to eliminate lifting. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"