Ergonomics for Fire and EMS Departments Ergonomic Hazard Analysis

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Ergonomics for Fire and EMS Departments
Ergonomic Hazard Analysis

• University of Oregon
• Labor Education and Research Center

This material has been made possible by a grant
from the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health
Division, Department of Consumer and Business
Services
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Todays Workshop

• We will
• Review the definition of ergonomics
• Review musculoskeletal risk factors
• Step through the process of conducting a hazard
  analysis

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What is Ergonomics?
Worker
Environment
Task/job
The goal of ergonomics is to design the job to
fit the worker NOT make the worker fit the job.
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Musculoskeletal Risk Factors

• Excessive force/weight
• Awkward postures
• Prolonged postures
• Repetition
• Contact Stress
• Temperature extremes
• Vibration

• Risk magnitude is increased by
• time, intensity, or combining factors

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Activities of Fire/EMS workers
Firefighting
Training / Drills
EMS Operations
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Common Activities Involving Ergonomic Hazards
Fire Fighting

• High rise fires
• Ventilation and
• overhaul procedures
• Hose laying operations
• Ladder work
• Forcible entry
• Extrications
• Extended procedures

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Common Activities Involving Ergonomic Hazards
Training Drills

• Hose rolling
• Carrying heavy equipment
• Physical exertion

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Common Activities Involving Ergonomic
HazardsEMS Operations

• Patient extrication
• Patient transportation

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Some Perspective.

• NIOSH Guidelines
• Load limit for lifting 51 lb
• Spine compression force 764 lb
• Spine compression forces for patient handling
  activities
• Pulling 105 lb patient (with bedsheet) from bed
  to stretcher 832-1708 lb
• Carrying 105 lb patient down stairs using
  stretcher 1012-1281 lb

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Ergonomics Program Elements

• Assessment of musculoskeletal hazards
• Prevention and control of musculoskeletal hazards
• Training
• A medical management system
• Procedures for reporting injuries
• A plan for the implementation of the program
• Methods for evaluating the program

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Why Do A Job Hazard Assessment?

• Each job has actions that stress the body

• Stress takes a number of forms
• Physical muscles,joints, nerves
• Environmental heat, cold, noise or vision
• Psycho-social/organizational scheduling,
  emotional trauma, poor supervision

• Recognizing hazards is the first step toward
  injury prevention

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What is a Job Hazard Assessment?

• Breaking each specific job
• down into elements
• Identifying conditions within a job that
  contribute to risk
• Performed by person with ergonomics training
• Safety committee members
• Line personnel

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Steps to an Assessment

• 1. Identify and prioritize jobs/tasks
• 2. Break down each job into discrete tasks
• 3. Study and assess each task
• - Determine the specific risk factors for each
  task

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1. Identify and Prioritize Jobs

• Identify jobs where
• Work-related injuries have occurred previously
• Frequent non-severe or severe injuries occur
• Past injuries result in restriction from doing
  job
• Workers leave because of inability to perform
  physical requirements of job
• Workers have difficulty sustaining quality
  performance doing job
• Workers complain of pain, fatigue, discomfort
  that does not resolve with rest

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2. Break Job Down into Tasks

• List components of doing a job
• such as when handling a patient

• Lift patient from bed on to stretcher
• Secure patient on stretcher
• Transport patient from house to ambulance
• Lift patient into ambulance
• Secure patient in ambulance

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3. Perform Assessment
Be a DETECTIVE !

• Observe
• Worker performing task
• Work environment
• Work tools and equipment
• Work organization
• Task demands

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3. Perform Assessment (cont.)

• Record observations using
• Check lists
• Photos
• Video analysis
• Interviews
• Small group discussions
• Symptom surveys

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3. Perform Assessment (cont.)

• Measure workstations
• reach distances
• work surface heights
• Measure tool
• size
• weight
• does it vibrate?
• grip

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Consider the Worker

• What are the workers physical limitations?
• Age
• Height
• Fitness level
• Previous injuries

• What body parts are being stressed?
• Neck
• Low back
• Shoulders
• Knees

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Consider the Work Environment

• Is the work environment
• ergonomically advantageous?

• patient home
• ambulance
• fire station

• emergency room
• nursing facility
• community

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Consider the Job/Tasks

• Do you have the right tools and equipment for
  the job? Are they designed to minimize stress?
• Are all the steps necessary to complete the task?
  Why? Are there other ways to complete the task
  that are more safe?
• Do you have the needed personnel to do the job
  safely?

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What and Why Analysis

• Job Carrying medical supplies on every call

Say your department uses a hard pack that weighs
12 pounds empty
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What and Why Analysis

• What are the steps involved in doing this task?
• What body parts are under stress?
• What specific risk factors are present?
• Why must it be done this way?
• What are some things that can be done to reduce
  or eliminate the risk factors?
• What is the cost of this solution?
• What are barriers for this solution?

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Potential Solution
Alternate Medic Packs
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The What and Why Analysis
The dreaded single wide mobile home
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Floor Plan

• 240 pound, 78 yr old woman
• Fell in master bedroom, is not ambulatory
• Back door blocked
• Need to transport her to hospital

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Review and Conclusions

• Musculoskeletal injuries result when risk
  factors occur alone or in combination.
• Job hazard analysis is a tool for examining and
  assessing tasks that place workers at risk for
  musculoskeletal injury.
• Hazard analysis is the first step in finding
  ergonomic solutions and preventing injuries.

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Questions and Evaluation
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• Thank you for your attention