Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 260 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 10N where one employee was performing inspection of and repair of case (operation #595) which includes line-up and fit (operation #534). The evaluation of these tasks indicates that the employee is exposed ergonomic stressors including: repetition, hands exposed to vibration from hammering, force applied with fingers, force applied with one hand, from one shoulder and by bending, stooping/bending to fit work space, bending to reach work and objects, twisting to reach objects, stretch- ing to reach work, reaching behind body, reaching forward, reaching above shoulders, elbow flexion and extension, hand/wrist extension, pinch, radial deviation, ulnar devia- tion and rotation, finger push, finger press and medial grasp, and closed fist grip, pistol 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 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 595/666/534 1) Provide sit/stand/lean option with adjustable work stations. 2) Provide uniform cushioned mats over work area or shock absorbing footwea r 3) Suspend and counter-weight drills and screwdrivers. 4) Provide vibration dampening for power tools. 5) Provide lighter weight redesigned pop-rivet gun or suspend and counter-weight the present gun to eliminate forceful exertion. 6) Design mechanical means to perform fit operation. (Install mechan- ical means of performing "fit" as in Department 73 and eliminate the use of hand as hammer.) 7) Design support fixture which will support case during manipulations. 8) Move wet pack closer to operator to eliminate twisting motion of upper body and vertical reach. 9) Minimize vertical and horizontal reaches by installing a rotating, tiltable fixture which will support case during manipulations. SEE ABATEMENT NOTE: "ERGONOMICS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM"