Osha The Study Of Work

Ergonomics can be defined simply as the study of work.More specifically,ergonomics is the science of designing the job to fit the worker,rather than physically forcing the worker 's body to fit the job. Adapting tasks,work stations,tools,and equipment to fit the worker can help reduce physical stress on a worker 's body and eliminate many potentially serious,disabling work r lated musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Ergonomics draws on a number of scientific disciplines,including physiology, biomechanics,psychology,anthropometry, industrial hygiene,and kinesiology. Who needs to read this booklet? You need to know about ergonomics if you are an employer or an employee in the manufacturing,construction,maritime,and agricultural industries and you or your employees ' work activities and job conditions include:

Get a Grip! Problem Pharmaceutical technicians hand-tighten dozens of vaccine jug lids daily.If not adequately tightened,the jugs could leak and spoil products worth thousands of dollars.Testing revealed, however,that most operators are poor judges of cap torque --resulting in significant unwarranted hand and wrist stress. Operators also were marginally capable of using the proper torque required to tighten caps adequately. Solution: The company purchased a dial torque wrench,made a special cap torque attachment,and trained the technicians to use the new equipment. Cost:About $8 per worker. 1 U.S.Department of Labor,Bureau of Labor Statistics,News Release ,

If work tasks and equipment do not include ergonomic principles in their design, workers may have exposure to undue physical stress,strain,and overexertion,including vibration,awkward postures,forceful exertions, repetitive motion,and heavy lifting. Recognizing ergonomic risk factors in the workplace is an essential first step in correcting hazards and improving worker protection. Ergonomists,industrial engineers,occupational safety and health professionals,and other trained individuals believe that reducing physical stress in the workplace could eliminate up to half of the serious injuries each year.Employers can learn to anticipate what might go wrong and alter tools and the work environment to make tasks safer for their workers.

MSDs,or musculoskeletal disorders,are injuries and disorders of the soft tissues (muscles,tendons,ligaments,joints,and cartilage)and nervous system.They can affect nearly all tissues,including the nerves and tendon sheaths,and most frequently involve the arms and back.

Work-related MSDs occur when the physical capabilities of the worker do not match the physical requirements of the job.Prolonged exposure to ergonomic risk factors can cause damage a worker 's body and lead to MSDs. Conditions that are likely to cause MSD problems include the following:

Occupational safety and health professionals have called these disorders a variety of names,including cumulative trauma disorders, repeated trauma,repetitive stress injuries,and occupational overexertion syndrome. These painful and often disabling injuries generally develop gradually over weeks, months,and years.

• Arms
• Back
• Hands
• Wrists
• Fingers
• Legs
• Neck
• Shoulders

Yes.Risk factors not related to your job can cause or contribute to MSDs.These factors include:

• MSDs account for 34 percent of all lost-workday injuries and illnesses.
• Employers report nearly 600,000 MSDs requiring time away from work every year.
• MSDs account for $1 of every $3 spent for workers ' compensation.
• MSDs each year account for more than $15 billion to $20 billion in workers ' compensation costs.Total direct costs add up to as much as $50 billion annually.
• On average,it takes workers 28 days recover from carpal tunnel syndrome,longer than the time needed to recover from amputation or fractures.
• Workers with severe injuries can face permanent disability that prevents them from returning to their jobs or handling simple,everyday tasks. How much does it cost to prevent MSDs? Many solutions to ergonomic problems in the workplace are simple and inexpensive.For example,awkward and uncomfortable positions can be eliminated by:
• Adjusting the height of working surfaces,
• Providing telephone headsets,
• Supplying anti-fatigue mats,
• Varying tasks,
• Providing short breaks,
• Reducing the weight and size of items workers must lift,
• Putting supplies and equipment within easy reach of the worker,
• Providing ergonomic chairs or stools,and
• Supplying the right tool for the job and the right handle for the worker. Good ergonomics is good economics. How can ergonomics help my workplace? Providing a workplace free of ergonomic hazards can do the following:
• Lower injury rates as MSD incidences go down;
• Increase productivity by making jobs easier and more comfortable for workers;
• Improve product quality because fewer errors will be made when using automated processes that demand less physical effort;
• Reduce absences because workers will be less likely to take time off to recover from muscle soreness,fatigue,and MSD-related problems;
• Reduce turnover as new hires are more likely to find an ergonomically designed job within their physical capacity;
• Lower costs as workers ' compensation and other payments for illness and replacement workers go down;
• Improve worker safety;
• Increase worker comfort;
• Reduce worker fatigue;and
• Improve worker morale.

MSDs are often easy to prevent.If you are an employer whose workplace poses ergonomic risk factors or whose workers report MSDs,you can address this problem by:

Job hazard analysis identifies problemjobs and risk factors associated with them.This step helps employers determine whatjobs and work stations are the source of thegreatest problems.The most effectiveworksite analyses include all jobs,operations,and work activities where there are ergo-nomic risk factors,regardless of whether theemployer 's medical records indicate thatworkers have developed MSDs.A thorough job analysis is important tosuccessfully prevent or reduce the variousMSD hazards at a work site.Workers exposedto ergonomic risk factors may develop a va-riety of symptoms.Moreover,a combinationof factors in a single job or work station maycause MSDs.For example,research hasshown that various symptoms among VDToperators result from problems in equip-ment,work stations,the office environment,and job design,or a combination of these.Inaddition,VDT operators experience not justone simple MSD,but often eyestrain,head-aches,and excessive fatigue as well as neck,back and muscle pain,and stress.A com-prehensive analysis of the worksite will iden-tify the interplay of how various ergonomicrisk factors affect workers.Video display terminals(VDTS)should be equippedwith adjustable anddetachable keyboards,display screens that tilt upand down,brightness andcontrast controls,and flexiblecopy holders that reduce thedistance between the screenand the source material.CTS and Repetitive MotionThe meatpacking industry is one of themost hazardous industries in the UnitedStates because workers can make as manyas several thousand repetitive motions perday in assembly line processes,such asdeboning meats,with no variation in mo-tion.The motions place physical stress andstrain on the wrists and hands,resultingin CTS.In manufacturing,garment makers,who often perform fast-paced pieceworkoperations involving excessive repetitivetasks,increase their risk of developing CTS.Garment industry jobs often require work-ers to push large amounts of materialsthrough machinery while sitting onunadjustable metal stools.Workers doingthese jobs can sustain disabling wrist,back,and leg injuries.

Employers can prevent MSD hazards byproperly designing the job or work station andselecting the appropriate tools or equipmentfor that job.Based on information from thejob analysis,an employer can establish pro-cedures to correct or control risk factors byusing:

MSD management is another importantelement of an effective ergonomics program.Proper MSD management focuses on earlyidentification and evaluation of signs andsymptoms of MSDs and helps eliminate or r -duce the risk of developing MSDs.Employers should include the followingelements in any MSD management program:

Problem:At a glass ceramic cooktopplant,workers manually lift uncut platesof glass onto a waist-high conveyor belt,where it is then stacked vertically on anearby L-shaped holder.A forklifthandles the strapped holder carrying theglass.The holder,however,presents theglass at knee-height,making workersbend each time to pick up the glass.Solution: The workers devised a standmade from a wooden shipping crate andplaced it beneath the L-holder to raisethe glass to waist height.Cost: A little labor.

Training programs will go a long way toward increasing safety awareness among managers and supervisors,designers,buyers, mechanics,and workers who perform the jobs.Training and education ensure that employers sufficiently inform workers about ergonomic risk factors at their worksites so they are better able to participate actively in their own protection.Suggestions and input from workers aware of ergonomic risk factors can be very helpful in designing improved workplaces to reduce MSD hazards. A good ergonomics training program will teach employees how to properly use equipment,tools,and machine controls as well as the correct way to perform job tasks. For example,employers should encourage work methods that allow workers to keep their joints in a neutral position (wrists straight and elbows bent at a right angle)while using tools requiring manual force to prevent excessive force on joints and tendons.Employers also should tell workers to avoid all side-to-side twisting and quick motions of their wrists and to keep their hands in line with their forearms while using tools or operating equipment.Employers should provide the appropriate controls or tools,as necessary,to reduce or eliminate awkward positions. To minimize or prevent back disorders, employers should teach workers to avoid long reaches,maintain neutral postures,and use proper lifting techniques.Using correct posture is important whether an employee is sitting,standing,pulling,pushing,lifting,or using tools or equipment.Training workers in general lifting techniques also can help reduce the strain leading to back disorders.For example,employees should use their leg muscles and bend their knees to pick up and lower heavy loads.Providing appropriate equipment,such as conveyors or carts,lift tables and list assists,can also reduce load weight,minimizing incorrect lifting and potential injury.

Problem:Employees in a poultry processing plant complained that ill-fitting protective gloves did not provide adequate protection. Solution:The poultry processing company bought workers protective gloves from several manufacturers to provide a wide range of sizes for better fit. Cost: Negligible.

Problem:Employees in many different offices experience pain from their daily tasks. Solution:Train workers to properly use the adjustments already provided in their chairs,computer monitors,and furniture systems.Changes in the placement of telephones,printers,and in-boxes can lead to better working posture.In addition, training and encouraging employees to take micro-breaks help overused parts of the body rest and recuperate. Cost: Nothing.