Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 259 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 16, Station 9 where one employee was perform- ing installing of top and side handles (operations # 202/208) and rivet apron (operation #531), hook-up (opera- tion #535) and machine rivet pad (operation #555). The evaluation of these tasks indicate that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hand/wr- ist contact with sharp edges and vibration, force applied with fingers, with one hand, with both hands, from one shoulder, from both shoulders and by bending, work space constrains worker movement, bending to reach objects, and to see work, twisting to reach objects and work, stretching to reach objects and work, reaching forward, reaching above shoulder, stretching to reach objects, 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, medial grasp, closed fist grip and pinch grip which are causing or likely to cause cumulative trauma disorders. The employer did not implement an effec- tive 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. 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 202/208 1) Rearrange layout of equipment to minimize travel between tasks. 2) Develop surveillance and preventative maintenance program for torque setting of screwdrivers. 3) Provide vibration dampening on handles of screwdrivers. 4) Reduce the number of job tasks to increase rest time. 5) Reduce the number of screws necessary for installation of handles. 6) Provide additional worker to perform one of the handle installation operations. 7) Provide mechanical ejector or diverter arm to move cases on and off conveyor. 8) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 9) Provide uniform, cushioned mats or use shock absorbing footwear. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 531 1) Provide uniform fatigue mat over area or ensure operators wear appropriate footwear. 2) Provide height and orientation adjustable rivet machine. 3) Pad and tilt all part bins. 4) Reduce the number of job tasks to increase rest time. 5) Move riveting machine closer to conveyor table to reduce lifting. 6) Design a moveable fixture to support shell during riveting. 7) Perform the apron positioning operation off the conveyor on a work surface of appropriate height. 8) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work station. 9) Reorient the job operation to reduce vertical reach. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 535 1) Provide adjustable machine.' 2) Provide uniform fatigue mat over area or ensure operators wear appropriate footwear. 3) Reduce the number of job tasks to increase rest time. 4) Increase the number of workers performing the task. 5) Provide mechanical ejector or diverter bar to move cases on and off conveyor. 6) Provide shell support while positioning for hook-up. 7) Install device to assist in lifting case while riveting hinges together. 8) Combine hook-up and pad riveting operations in one machine which will rotate the case automatically. 9) Use tool and not hand to push in the hinges prior to riveting. 10) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable height machine. ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: OPERATION 555 1) Provide uniform cushioned mat over area or ensure operators wear appropriate footwear. 2) Reduce the number of job tasks to increase rest time. 3) Provide fixture with horizontal movement capability to support and move case during riveting in pad. 4) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable machines. 5) Reduce the number of job tasks to increase rest time. 6) Increase number of operators performing the tasks. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"