Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 246 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 73, Station 9 where one employee was perform- ing hook-up (operation #535), insert champher hing pin (operation #582) and rivet top stay (operation. The evalua- tion of these tasks indicate that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist contact with sharp edges, force applied with fingers, with one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders and by bending, bending to reach work, twisting to reach objects, shoulder reach forward, reach above shoulder, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, abduction, lateral pinch, pulp pinch, palm pinch, finger press and pulp grasp, 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 535/582/113 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Provide lowered fixture to hold shell during hook up operation similar to line 31. 3) Relocate hinge pin storage to eliminate reaching. 4) Support platform for stay rivet machine. 5) Prohibit use of hand as a means of pushing or hammering in hinge pin. 6) Pad bin edges of rivet machine. 7) Provide a mechanical means of hing pin insertion. 8) Provide adjustable work station with sit/stand/lean option. 9) Provide mechanical diverter to deliver cases close to the worker. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"