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Ergonomics
Re-Engineered
Ergonomics
“The
Study of Man and his Relationship to his Work”
Ergonomics/human factors is a
multidisciplinary activity striving to assemble information on people's
capacities for use in designing jobs, products, workplaces, and equipment.
The process is inter-disciplinarian: it bases its theories on
physiology, psychology, anthropometry, and various aspects of engineering.
In the past, ergonomics served mainly to increase efficiency, and
thereby productivity. This is
no longer the prime goal. Indeed
now, the following objectives more closely define the benefits to be gained
by ergonomic research:
-
Development of systems to manage your programs to prevent ergonomic related
injuries and illnesses
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Development of systems to
manage your medical programs to insure proper treatment and follow-up of
ergonomic related injuries and illnesses.
-
Fitting the demands of your
operations to the efficiency of man in order to reduce stress.
-
Designing your machines,
equipment, and installations so that they can be operated with greater
efficiency, accuracy and safety.
-
Working out the proportions and
conditions of your workplace to ensure correct body posture.
-
Adapting
your lighting, air-conditioning, noise, etc., to suit man's physical
requirements.
Health
Consultants, Inc. Prevention
Programs
Step
#1 Program Development – We assist you in
establishing your goals and objectives too initiate an ergonomic program
which involves the following:
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Epidemiological Evaluation
– we study the rates of
occurrences to the specific to your facility.
This data is used relative to the specific job-sites that are
analyzed.
-
Economic Evaluation –
we study your
actual cost resulting
from ergonomically related disorders to include an assessment of the Direct
and Indirect cost.
-
Pre-Hire Program - we
assess and develop job essential functions of each of your job operations to
insure proper job placement
-
Pre-Hire Medical Evaluation
Program -
the development of a
program to insure that appropriate and thorough medical evaluations are
performed
-
Regulatory Compliance Status
- we
assess your compliance status related to ergonomics as per the guidelines
being proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Step
#2 Job Site Analysis -
We analyze to determine if certain
engineering controls or redesign can be accomplished which precludes the
repetitiveness or extensiveness of hand and wrist motion.
This involves an onsite evaluation of each job operation to collect
anthropometric measurements of your operations for comparison to scientific
data; to evaluate anatomical positioning of the body and its parts, and the
forces, such as weigh, that are placed on the worker.
This is accomplished by utilizing the following methods and tools:
-
National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - Using the NIOSH Manual Material
Handling guidelines, job sites that involve lifting are evaluated.
This evaluation involves a determination of such factors as object
weight, frequency of lift, location at time of lift, relation of object to
the center of the body, and vertical distance of lift.
These data are mathematically computed to determine the Maximum
Permissible Lift and Action Level and whether the operation is in excess of
these. Only 25% of males and 1%
of females are able to lift at or above the MPL without injury, whereas 99%
of males and 75% of females are able to perform at or below the AL without
injury. The goal is to use this
data to make job site adjustments to prevent injuries.
-
Tool Design - An evaluation of tools you utilize, which may place body
parts such as the hands and wrists into awkward positions, which may lead to
hand or wrist injury.
Identification of other job sites into which your employees may
be rotated periodically which are less stringent or intensive to the hand
and wrist.
-
 Anthropometric
Measuring - Measurements of your job sites are taken to determine the
percentile of the population by body size or part, which can safely perform
the job functions.
Step
#3 Written Report - The
results of each of the evaluations and analyses are presented to you in a
written report outlining a “Road-Map” to the development of and
continuation of a RSI prevention program.
The report technically outlines findings with recommendations on
actions that you will need, to prevent the injuries now and in the future,
while at the same insuring compliance with the provisions of the anticipated
OSHA standard. The following
are areas some of the areas that are identified:
-
Worker Training -Training
sessions to teach your employees about the hazards involved with his or her
work-site, methods to prevent injury, warm-up exercises and methods to
work-harden themselves against injury.
-
Supervisors Training – Training
sessions to teach your supervisors techniques to monitor the workplace and
the behaviors of workers that may lead to RSI injuries.
-
Ergonomic Coordinator Training
– This
training is for those your individual(s) assigned with the responsibility of
development and coordination of the Ergonomic program.
-
Medical Management Program
- Coordination and
collaboration with your medical support personnel is developed.
This involves sessions with your support medical personnel to ensure
that they are aware of the ergonomic hazards at the particular job sites
when they are evaluating them for injuries or illnesses, both occupational
and non-occupational. Also a
program of light duty and specialty evaluations can be developed.
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Methods for Monitoring and
Feedback - This
involves a method for workers and supervisors to monitor and provide
feedback to management, in an ongoing prevention program.
Also our consultants will complete a survey each quarter to evaluate
the success of the program instituted.
Re-Engineered Ergonomics
“The
Study of Man and his Relationship to his Work”
One
of the greatest threats to the competitiveness and “bottom line” for
employers today is the risk of occupational Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI)
in their workforce. Quite
often, frustrated by the requirements of regulatory guidelines, the employer
looses sight of the fact that these types of injuries are the fastest
growing workplace injuries. Injuries,
which directly affect the cost of doing business.
At the present time these injuries cost US employers approximately
$15- $20,000,000,000.00 a year in direct medical cost and
$45-$60,000,000,000.00 in indirect, non-insured cost.
Each year more than 650,000 lost workday cases occur.
Of these, the majority are the most costly in the form of back
injuries. Considering that the
workforce is aging with the becoming of age of the Post World War II
Babyboomers, yielding an average age of the population at 40 years old, it
is inevitable that the incidence of musculo-skeletal disorders will continue
to rise. At present, there are
more than one hundred different types of job-induced injuries and illnesses
resulting from wear and tear on the body.
As significant as the age factor is, in addition, employers are
struggling with an ever-decreasing labor pool so that every effort to
maintain their workforce is needed. It
just makes good business sense to take action to prevent these injuries now
rather than making business decisions dependent upon whether the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will issue a
requirement or not.
Another
factor contributing to the rates of RSI is the increasing number of females
in the workforce. In 1960, less
than one-half of females in the population were in the paid workforce.
Today more than seventy-five percent are working.
Studies indicate that females are at more risk for the onset of RSI
due to several anatomical and physiological factors at some job sites than
are their male counterpart.
At
any rate, it is apparent that the OSHA has identified the need to issue a
standard and has conducted the research necessary to prove that viable
Ergonomic programs work. As
such, after initially beginning work toward issuing guidelines back in 1979,
on November 23, 1999 the agency promulgated a proposed standard in the
federal register. This followed
a failed attempt by members of the US Congress to again prevent the agency
from issuing a standard. Apparently
the evidence indicating that actions are needed to prevent RSI lead to their
decision to vote against the resolution.
This is understandable in consideration of the aforementioned cost to
US employers with evidence that 2.73 million worker’s compensation claims
for RSIs have occurred in recent years.
Also, the fact that OSHA estimates that one out of three workers’
compensation dollars paid for claims are for these type injuries.
In a presentation in Atlanta on January 18, 2000, Jim Drake, OSHA
Ergonomic Coordinator, Region IV, indicated that activities to finalize the
standard are “on track” and the goal is to finalize by December 2000.
Introduction
 In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the
reporting of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) and other work-related disorders due to
ergonomic hazards. CTDs account for an increasingly large percentage of workers’
compensation costs each year, and they represent nearly half of the occupational illnesses
reported in the annual Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey. Government agencies report
that much of the increase in CTDs is due to changes in process and technology that expose
employees to increased repetitive motion and other ergonomic risk factors; some may be
attributed to increased awareness --by industry, labor, and government--and reporting of
these disorders.
A major factor which may contribute to the incidence of CTDs now and
in the future relates to the aging workforce in America. With the becoming of age of the
"baby-boomers," who make up 1/3 of the American population (78 million) and at
least half the workforce, the average age of the population is 40 years old. As such, from
an ergonomic perspective, older workers are more subject to disorders of the
musculo-skeletal system such as those caused by repetitive motion and other ergonomic risk
factors.
In addition to an aging workforce, in regards to ergonomic issues
one must consider the changing sexual demographics. In 1960, less than one-half (½) of
females in the "child-bearing" years (25-34) and "post child-bearing"
years (35 >) were in the paid workforce. In the past twenty years an estimated
three-quarters (¾) are in the paid workforce. Though females perform on an equal basis as
their male-counterpart, there ability to push, pull, lift, etc. is different.
Regulatory Action
According to government experts, finding solutions to the problems
posed by ergonomic hazards may well be the most significant workplace safety and health
issue of the 1990’s and beyond. Of course, the effective management of worker safety
and health protection includes all work-related hazards, whether or not they are regulated
by specific federal standards. The OSHAct clearly states that the general duty of all
employers is to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized serious
hazards. This includes the prevention and control of ergonomic hazards.
In January 1989, OSHA published voluntary, general Safety and Health
Program Management Guidelines (Federal Register, Vol. 54, No. 16, January 26, 1989, pp.
3904-3916), which are recommended to all employers as a foundation for their safety and
health programs and as a framework for their ergonomics programs. In addition, OSHA has
developed ergonomics program management guidelines specifically for the meatpacking
industry.
Related to these guidelines, OSHA has stated that they expect
employers to implement effective ergonomics programs, adapted to their particular
workplaces, containing the major elements described in the guidelines. OSHA’s field
inspection staff have been instructed that failure to implement the guidelines is not in
itself a violation of the General Duty Clause of the OSHAct. The guidelines provide
information on the steps employers should take (1) to determine if they have
ergonomic-related problems in their work-places, (2) to identify the nature and location
of those problems, and (3) to implement measures to reduce or eliminate them.
Program Elements
OSHA has stated that employers should take whatever measures are
appropriate -- including those set forth in the guidelines -- to address the problems
found, if any. If no problems exist, employers should keep on with current efforts to
maintain a safe and healthful workplace. The guidelines are divided into three primary
sections:
* a discussion of the importance of management commitment and employee involvement
* recommended program elements
* essential, detailed guidance and examples for the program
elements.
These guidelines are based on technical discussions and
recommendations from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
representatives of industry, employee representatives in industry, and other sources.
The four program elements are:
Worksite Analysis
· Hazard prevention and control
Medical management
Training and education
Ergonomic Training Course for Program
Management Personnel
Training and education is one of the major elements outlined by the
OSHA and the NIOSH to prevent the occurrence of ergonomically related injuries and
illnesses. Such training is beneficial for employees who may be at risk to ergonomic type
hazards and those with the responsibility to evaluate job sites where such risk exist.
The staff of Health Consultants, Inc. provides several different
training courses to assist employers in the area of ergonomic injury/illness prevention.
These programs include:
* Program Management Personnel Course
* Production Worker Course
* Supervisor’s Course
* Occupational Health Nurse Course
Program Management Personnel Course
This 8 hour course is designed for those personnel who have the
responsibility to evaluate worksites in order to identify ergonomic hazards and to assess
the risk of exposure to such hazards. In addition, the methods to abate or eliminate the
hazard and or decrease the risk is discussed.
The specific course subjects include:
- Introduction to Ergonomics - "Designing the work to the
man" - 1 hour
In this one hour session the student is introduced to the discipline
of "ergonomics", the significance of the ergonomic program, i.e. epidemiology,
and the regulatory activity related to the issue of ergonomic disorders.
In this one hour session, the student is introduced to the anatomy
of the structures related to the most common types of ergonomic disorders - Upper
extremities (wrist, forearm, and arm) and the Back.
- Job Site Evaluation and Assessment 2 hour
In this two hour session, the student is introduced to the methods
of evaluating and making assessments for actions at job sites where ergonomic hazards and
risk factors may exist. The subjects discussed include:
Job Flow Analysis
Tool Design
Anthropometric Job Site Measurements
NIOSH Manual Material Handling Measurements
- Medical Ergonomic Disorders - 1 hour
In this one hour session, the student is introduced to the
patho-physiological and anatomical changes that occur with the most common medical
ergonomic disorders - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Back Injuries.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - This disorder is a common medical ergonomic entity related to
repetitive and cumulative trauma to the wrist and forearm. Because of the mechanisms of
injury it is important for the student to under what and how specific anatomical
structures are damaged in order to understand what changes in work activities are
necessary.
Back Injury - Back injuries are the most costly workers compensation
injury in industry today. The student is taught the mechanism of injury for common back
injuries and in order to appropriately evaluate risk factors at job sites, the Proper
Lifting Techniques and Biomechanics
- Practical Exercise - Job Site Analysis
In this one hour session, the students are proctored by the
instructor in the evaluation of a job site which may have ergonomic hazards and risk
factors. In groups, the students must document their findings and
recommendations.
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