Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 015 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 death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to an increased risk of developing cumulative trauma disorder(s) from tasks that they were performing; engineering and administrative controls were not implemented: a) Dept 5 - Manual seat adjuster area - "W" (position seventeen on line filmed) where employees who repeatedly perfrom the task of packing assemblies which require various trunk and arm postures (excessive reaching; trunk rotation, lateral bending and rotation) were exposed to ergonomic stresses which are likely to result in cumulative trauma disorders. On or about 8/24/89. Among other methods some feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct this hazard are: Priority 1 - Packing bin could be "spring loaded" so as more assemblies are added to the bin, the lower it will sink. (workers operate at a more constant height. Priority 2 - Teach workers to wait for the assemblies to come close to them on the conveyor belt rather than reaching up the line for the parts.