Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 250 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 13 where one employee was per- forming double pack (operation #599). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wrist exposed to agents (vibration, hammering), force applied with fingers, one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders and by twisting and bending, work space constrains worker movements, stoops/bends to fit work space, twisting to reach objects, stretching to reach objects, bending to reach objects and work, shoulders different levels, reach above shoulders and forward, reach overhead, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, flexion, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar deviation and rotation, finger push, abduction, medial grasp, pulp and palm pinch, finger press and lateral pinch, 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 1990 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 599 1) Provide uniform anti-fatigue mat over entire work area or use shock absorbing footwear. 2) Redesign station to eliminate twisting and the need to lift cases from conveyor to table to packing machine. 3) Extend vertical surface of packing stations to guide suitcases into cartons. 4) Carton sealer should be same level as packing station so case can be pushed into carton to eliminate lifting. 5) Bend nozzle of glue gun to eliminate deviation. 6) Reduce number of tasks to increase rest time. 7) Design conveyor to deliver case to worker by using diverter bar. 8) Eliminate use of rails on conveyor. 9) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 10) Provide additional employee to increase rest time. 11) Carton sealer used at this station should be used in other packing areas. 12) Box folding should be modified to eliminate force necessary to open and fold boxes and to use fist to hit box closed. 13) Provide rack or table even with the packing area to eliminate bending. 14) Use automatic labeling device. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"