What is Ergonomics

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What is Ergonomics?
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Ergonomics

• Ergonomics is the study of a persons work
  related to the tools and machines he/she uses to
  accomplish the task of work.
• Ergonomics is a study of time and motion involved
  in work.
• Ergonomics is improving a work task, procedure,
  process to make the worker more efficient.

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Ergonomics

• Ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace
  conditions and job demands to the capabilities of
  the working population.
• Ergonomics is human engineering.
• Ergonomics is the name of a new regulation
  intended to reduce worker injury

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Ergonomics

• Ergonomics refers to assessing those work-related
  factors that may pose a risk of musculoskeletal
  disorders and recommendations to alleviate them

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Why Do You Need Ergonomics?

• Classroom demonstration

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Ergonomics Program Elements

• Management leadership - paragraph (h)
• Employee participation - paragraph (i)
• MSD management - paragraphs (p), (q), (r) (s)
• Job hazard analysis - paragraph (j)
• Hazard reduction and control measures -
  paragraphs (k), (l), and (m) and evaluation as
  specified in paragraph (u), if the job hazard
  analysis determines that the job presents an MSD
  hazard
• Training - paragraph (t)

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Job Hazard Analysis

• Train the Trainer

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What Is the Step-by-Step Procedure of a Job?

• Observe the job
• Interview the person performing the job
• Break the job into various actions
• Describe the actions
• Measure and quantify risk factors
• Identify conditions contributing to the risk
  factors
• Verify the analysis of the job with the worker

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Observe the Job

• What are the physical work activities?
• Break the job into various actions
• Describe the actions

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Examples of Physical Work Activities

• Exerting considerable physical effort to complete
  a motion
• Doing the same motion over and over again
• Performing motions constantly without shout
  pauses or breaks in between
• Maintaining same position or posture while
  performing tasks

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Examples of Physical Work Activities

• Sitting for a long time
• Using hand and power tools
• Using hands or body as clamp to hold object while
  performing tasks
• Moving heavy objects
• Bending or twisting during manual handling

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What Are the Work Conditions?
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Examples of Work Conditions

• Performing tasks that involve long reaches
• Working surfaces are too high or too low
• Maintaining the same position or posture while
  performing tasks
• Vibrating working surfaces, machinery or vehicles
• Workstation edges or objects press hard into
  muscles or tendons

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Examples of Work Conditions

• Gloves are bulky, too large or too small
• Objects or people are heavy
• Horizontal reach is long
• Vertical reach is below knees or above shoulders
• Object is slippery or has no handles
• Floor surfaces are uneven, slippery or sloped

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Activities and Conditions

• Which of the activities and conditions present
  risk factors?

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What Are the Ergonomic Risk Factors?

• Repetition
• Force
• Duration
• Vibration
• Temperature
• Posture

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Covered Risk Factors

• Repetition - repeating same motions for 2 hours
  at a time or using keyboard/mouse steadily for
  more than 4 hours/day
• Force - lifting, pushing/pulling,
  pinching/gripping unsupported objects
• Vibration - high 30 minutes moderate 2
  hours/day

• Awkward postures - raising or working with hands
  above head or elbows above shoulders kneeling,
  squatting twisting neck,back or wrists more than
  2 hours per day
• Contact stress - more than 10 times/hour more
  than 2 hours per day

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Potential Solutions

• Train-the-Trainer

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Potential Solutions

• Brainstorming
• Leave history behind
• No obstacles
• Anything is possible
• Empowered to do anything
• No limit to resources
• No limit on time
• No bad or stupid ideas

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What Are the Potential Solutions?

• Training solutions
• Engineering solutions
• Task modifications
• Task rotation
• Physical fitness issues
• Posture awareness
• Employee

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Potential Training Solutions

• Principles of body mechanics
• Risk factors
• How to minimize potential injuries

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Potential Engineering Solutions

• Limitations of equipment/tools
• Design principles
• Extreme, Average and Range
• Neutral Posture

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Design Principles

• Commitment to the idea that things, machines,
  etc. are built to serve humans and must be
  designed always with the user in mind
• Recognition of individual differences in human
  capabilities and limitations and an appreciation
  for their design implications

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Management and Leadership

• Train-the-Trainer

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Attitude

• Treat ergonomics as a baseline not a ceiling
• Make it a core value not a program
• Make it a proactive, behavioral approach
• Create a caring culture that is active
• Develop a process that is sustainable
• Strive for continual improvement
• Evaluate your ability to change

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StrategyPulling It All Together

• Get management support
• Develop a plan of action
• Establish priorities
• Selecting the right people
• Call on outside assistance
• Be realistic in your goals
• Get management support

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Management Support

• How do you get it?

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Action Plan

• Form a management/employee ergonomics steering
  team
• Educate the team extensively
• Include upper and middle management on the team
• Know the teams authority
• Meet regularly for review of all ergonomic
  related injuries

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Action Plan

• Establish a written plan with
• Action required
• Responsible person/people
• Start and completion dates
• Evaluation of changes

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Establish Priorities

• Review past illness/injury data
• Discomfort surveys
• Job analysis
• Low cost/High Impact
• Easy fix
• Productivity increases

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Select the Right People

• Employee who performs the job
• Expert
• Acceptance
• Change Agents
• Employee Leaders
• Management Leaders

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Outside Assistance

• Fresh Look
• Broad Experience
• Lack of Time/Resources
• Limited Knowledge
• Unbiased Opinion

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Be Realistic

• Pie in the sky
• Reasonable goals/expectations
• Behavior based
• 3 years

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Management Support

• How do you keep it?

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What Policies Will You Put in Place to Manage
Your Ergonomics Core Values?
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Policies

• Review existing safety and health policies for
  application

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How Do You Evaluate the Effectiveness of This
Program?
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What Measures Will You Compare?
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What Goals Will You Establish?
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What Tool Will You Use to Share Information
Regarding MSD Hazards?
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How Do You Manage the Suppliers of Equipment
When the Solutions Involves Them?
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How Do You Manage and Determine the Role of the
Health Care Professional?
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How Do You Educate Your Customers Concerning the
Solution?
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References

• Web Sites
• Professional Magazines
• Trade Magazines
• Books
• Professional Associations
• Hand Outs

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Best Management Practices

• Industry based perspective
• Format to share ideas internally
• Vehicle to share ideas externally

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Ergonomics Program Elements

• Management leadership - paragraph (h)
• Employee participation - paragraph (i)
• MSD management - paragraphs (p), (q), (r) (s)
• Job hazard analysis - paragraph (j)
• Hazard reduction and control measures -
  paragraphs (k), (l), and (m) and evaluation as
  specified in paragraph (u), if the job hazard
  analysis determines that the job presents an MSD
  hazard
• Training - paragraph (t)

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Management Leadership

• Assign and communicate responsibilities
• Provide designated persons with the authority,
  resources, and information necessary
• Ensure that policies and practices encourage and
  do not discourage
• Early reporting of MSDs, their signs and
  symptoms, and MSD hazards and
• Employee participation in the ergonomics program
• Communicate periodically with employees

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Employee Participation

• Have ways to promptly report MSDs, MSD signs and
  symptoms, and MSD hazards
• Receive prompt responses to their reports
• Provided with a summary of the requirements of
  the standard have ready access to a copy of the
  standard and to information about MSDs, MSD signs
  and symptoms, MSD hazards, and your ergonomics
  program
• Have ways to be involved in the development,
  implementation, and evaluation of your ergonomics
  program.

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Control Steps

• Ask employees to recommend measures to reduce MSD
  hazards
• Identify and implement initial controls within 90
  days of determining that job meets the Action
  Trigger.
• Initial controls substantially reduce exposures
  even if they do not reach the levels specified in
  1910.900 (k)(1)
• Permanent controls meet 1910.900 (k)(1)

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MSD Management

• Includes
• Access to a Health Care Provider
• Any necessary work restrictions, including time
  off to recover
• Work restriction protection
• Evaluation and follow-up of MSD incidents
• MSD management. . .does not include medical
  treatment, emergency or post-treatment
  procedures.

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Training

• Initial training must be provided to
• Each employee in a job that meets the Action
  Trigger
• Supervisors or team leaders
• Other employees involved in setting up and
  managing your ergonomics program
• Follow-up training every 3 years

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Ergonomics Program Evaluation

• Evaluate at least every 3 years and when you
  have reason to believe that program is not
  functioning properly
• How
• Consult employees about effectiveness and
  problems
• Review elements to ensure functioning effectively
• Determine whether MSD hazards are being
  identified/addressed
• Determine whether achieving positive results

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MSD Management

• Includes
• Access to a Health Care Provider
• Any necessary work restrictions, including time
  off to recover
• Work restriction protection
• Evaluation and follow-up of MSD incidents
• MSD management. . .does not include medical
  treatment, emergency or post-treatment
  procedures.

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Records

• In written or electronic form
• Employee reports of MSDs, MSD signs and symptoms,
  and MSD hazards
• Your response to such reports
• Job hazard analyses
• Hazard control measures
• Quick fix process
• Ergonomics program evaluations and
• Work restrictions, time off work, HCP opinions

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Records

• Retain records for 3 years or until
  replaced/updated -- whichever comes first
• Except HCP opinions -- retain for duration of
  employment plus 3 years
• Except if employee worked
• no record retention
• but must provide record to employee

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Does Job Pose an MSD Hazard?

• Employer must conduct a job hazard analysis (JHA)
  using one or more of the following
• Use one or more of the hazard identification
  tools listed in Appendix D-1, if the tools are
  relevant to the risk factors being addressed
• The occupation-specific hazard identification
  tool in Appendix D-2
• A job hazard analysis conducted by a professional
  trained in ergonomics
• Any other reasonable method that is appropriate
  to the job and relevant to the risk factors being
  addressed.

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Does Job Pose an MSD Hazard?

• JHA must include
• All employees who perform the same job OR
• A sample of employees in that job who have the
  greatest exposure to the relevant risk factors
• JHA steps
• Talk with those employees and their
  representatives about the tasks that may relate
  to MSDs AND
• Observe employees performing the job to identify
  risk factors and to evaluate the magnitude,
  frequency, and duration of exposure to those risk
  factors

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Appendix D is ErgonomicsNo Mans Land

• Job Strain Index - proposed method by Moore
  Garg
• Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation
• Snook Push/Pull Tables
• Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)
• Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)
• ACGIH Hand/Arm Vibration TLV

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Appendix D is ErgonomicsNo Mans Land

• GM-UAW Risk Factor Checklist
• Washington State App. B Criteria for Analyzing
  and Reducing WMSD Hazards
• VDT Workstation Checklist

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MSD Signs

• . . . objective, physical findings that an
  employee may be developing an MSD.
• Decreased range of motion
• Deformity
• Decreased grip strength
• Loss of muscle functions

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MSD Symptoms
. . . physical indications that an employee may
be developing an MSD.

• Pain
• Numbness
• Tingling
• Burning
• Cramping
• Stiffness

• MDS symptoms do not include
  discomfort.

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An MSD Incident

• When the MSD is
• work-related AND
• requires days away from work, restricted work, or
  medical treatment beyond first aid
• OR
• When MSD signs/symptoms are
• work-related AND
• last for 7 or more days after the employee
  reports them to employer

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New Action Trigger Approach

• 1. Employee reports MSD or MSD Signs/Symptoms
• 2. Employer determines whether reported MSD is an
  MSD incident
• 3. IF MSD Incident has occurred AND the
  employees job routinely involves, on one or
  more days a week, exposure to one or more
  relevant risk factors in the Basic Screening
  Tool (Table W-1)
• 4. THEN employer must use Quick Fix or develop
  and implement an ergonomics program