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Ergonomics and the UC Berkeley Campus

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Ergonomics and the UC Berkeley Campus Mallory Lynch, MA, CEA Ergonomics Specialist April 26, 2006 What is Ergonomics? It is the science of fitting the job, tool or ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Ergonomics and the UC Berkeley Campus


1
Ergonomics and the UC Berkeley Campus
  • Mallory Lynch, MA, CEA
  • Ergonomics Specialist
  • April 26, 2006

2
What is Ergonomics?
  • It is the science of fitting the job, tool or
    task to the individual
  • Risk Factors
  • Repetition
  • Awkward Posture
  • Force
  • Vibration
  • Contact Stress

3
Ergonomics
  • The majority of the ergonomics injuries on our
    campus are related to working on the computer
    however, the departments with the highest injury
    rates have job tasks that are non-computer
    related.
  • The Ergonomics Task Force is an interdisciplinary
    group with members from Capital Projects
    (Architects), Disability Management Services,
    Environmental Health and Safety, Ergonomics_at_Work,
    Human Resources, Occupational Medicine, Physical
    Therapy and Procurement and Business Contracts.
    They work together to develop strategies to help
    with ergonomic challenges on the campus.
  • They use different ergonomics tools to understand
    the problems and develop solutions.

4
Ergonomics Tools
  • Tools
  • Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Anthropometric Data
  • Architectural Graphic Design Guide
  • Ergonomics Job Analysis
  • Focus Groups
  • Mock ups
  • Personal Interviews
  • Pilot Programs
  • Questionnaires
  • Video taping

5
(No Transcript)
6
Job Hazard Analysis Tools
  • Snook Push/Pull/Lift/Lower/Carry Hazard Tables
  • Washington State Checklist
  • Rapid Upper Limb Assessment - RULA
  • Rapid Entire Body Assessment - REBA
  • Job Strain Index
  • National Institute of Safety and Health -NIOSH
    Lifting Guide (Manual Material Handling)
  • American Conference of Governmental Industrial
    Hygienists Hand Activity Level and Threshold
    Limit Values ACGIH HAL-TLV

7
Case 1 Physical Plant
  • Injury data showed high rate of ergonomic
    injuries for custodians, including low back,
    neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand
  • Job tasks were specific to trash and recycle
    functions
  • These tasks included collecting trash and recycle
    separately and also throwing filled plastic bags
    into outside garbage bins
  • Met with department management for review of data
  • Personal interviews with supervisors and staff
    and job task analysis of specific trash and
    recycle tasks
  • Developed recommendations
  • Pilot program for feasibility of interventions

8
Trash and Recycle Containers
  • Pulling one container and pushing another
    container are unsafe. This contributes to using
    awkward postures with the arms and back.
  • Tying two containers together and pulling them is
    unsafe because it places stress on the shoulder
    and back. In addition, the containers take more
    effort to maneuver.

9
A New Option for Staff
  • Psychophysical data from interviews
  • RULA tool adjusts for awkward shoulder positions
  • Snook tables, 1991 push versus pulling
  • Product identified and department provided
    samples for staff to test
  • The Rubbermaid Tandem Brute Dolly is a safer
    alternative because it offers a way to push both
    containers. In addition, the dolly takes less
    effort to maneuver in narrow spaces and on uneven
    terrain.

10
Placing Filled Bags into Outside Garbage Bins
  • Trash and recycle collected and placed in larger
    trash bags to be emptied into the outside
    dumpsters
  • Staff transport filled bags down the stairs or in
    the Brute Dollies
  • Outside dumpsters are 48 inches tall and cannot
    be modified because the campus uses rear loading
    trucks to collect and dump the dumpsters.
  • Majority of staff reach above shoulder height to
    place bags into the bins
  • Weight of bags vary 15-50 pounds

11
Challenges with Existing Design
  • Staff need to grasp the bag near the top to
    properly throw bag to reduce being cut
    consequently, the existing design requires the
    majority of the staff to frequently raise the
    bags above shoulder height when placing them into
    the dumpsters. (Anthropometric data).
  • Department has job lifting requirement of 50
    pounds, which is too much for this job task
    (Snook Tables 1991)

12
Establishing Better Standards
  • Set up standards for staff to tie off bags at
    weight limits that felt comfortable for them but
    not to exceed 25 pounds (Snook Tables 1991)
  • Provided training for staff to practice new
    techniques and understand weight limit (handouts
    in 5 languages)

13
Campus Departments Working Together as a Team
  • TRASH ENCLOSURE
  • DESIGN CRITERIA
  • 6/2003
  • Ergonomic Design For People Eastman Kodak 1986
  • Snook Pull Table, 1991

14
Design for the Smallest Population Percentile
15
Design for the Smallest Population Percentile
  • Access to the top of outside garbage can should
    not exceed 36 inches.
  • The previous design showed a 24 inch concrete
    ramp around the back of the garbage bins to raise
    the worker up higher.

16
Physical Plant
  • Questions or comments regarding Case 1

17
Case 2 Reception Counters at University Health
Services
  • Reception counters built using architectural
    graphic standards.
  • Transaction counter (24 in. L x 12 in. D x 42 in.
    H)
  • Cookson fire doors close at night
  • ADA accessibility

18
Reception Counters
  • Built in counters for staff (90 in. L x 24 in. D
    x 30 in. H)
  • Reaching up and forward to client
  • Numerous injuries to neck and shoulder
  • With a remodel
  • what tools would you use to help understand the
    risk factors?
  • how would you decrease the reach and provide for
    more adjustability?

19
Tools
  • American with Disabilities Act
  • Anthropometric Data
  • Architectural Graphic Design Guide
  • Ergonomics Job Analysis
  • Washington State Checklist
  • Focus Groups
  • Mock ups
  • Personal Interviews
  • Working with table manufacturers

20
Adjustable workstations
  • Take out the built-in counter
  • Provide two height adjustable tables having a
    shallower depth
  • Place the computers in the corner area to provide
    more desk space around the employee.

21
Modified the Transaction Counter
  • Change the transaction counter to position the
    client closer to the employee.
  • Relocate the ADA table and change the sign in
    practice to make it a universal design.

22
Reduced the Reach
  • Change the transaction counter to position the
    client closer to the employee.

23
Mock Up To Give Visual Representation
  • Creates staff buy-in
  • Identifies potential improvements to proposed
    design
  • Finished product

24
Reception Counter
  • Questions or comments regarding Case 2

25
Case 3 Campus Dining
  • New dining facility opened in 1/2003
  • Serve between 900-1307 lunches and 1500-2500
    dinners/day
  • 9 ergonomic injuries have occurred in the dish
    room since the opening
  • Met with managers, supervisors and staff to
    better understand the different tasks

26
Dish room
  • 5 tier tray conveyor
  • 3 stations to break down trays
  • Trough at station 1 is 12 inches wide
  • Trough at station 2 is 24 inches wide
  • Trough at station 3 is 24 inches wide
  • 2 trays can fit in each tiered compartment
  • Dish machine runs parallel to tray conveyor

27
Tray Conveyor
  • Key issues identified in the area included
  • Excessive reaching to grab trays and items on the
    trayveyor
  • Frequent lifting and carrying filled racks
  • Staff shortages
  • Limited area to stage the dirty dishes

28
Quick Fix Recommendations
  • Unbolt the top tray on the conveyor to eliminate
    reaching above shoulder height
  • Block part of the next section so only one tray
    can fit in the area.
  • Consider going back to using larger trays so only
    one can fit on each level
  • Position shorter staff at stations with least
    amount of reach to conveyor
  • Provide more staff

29
Silverware
  • 4 out of the 9 ergonomic injuries happened while
    lifting and carrying heavy racks of silverware
    and from repetitive handling of the silverware.
  • The silverware goes through the machine 3 times.
    Staff sort the clean silverware after the first
    time through and put like utensils in containers.
    These containers are placed in racks.

30
Quick Fix Recommendations
  • Staff should reduce the amount of dirty
    silverware they place in the full rack or
  • Provide half size silverware racks
  • Weight should not exceed 10 pounds to make it
    easier for the staff to transport

31
More Quick Fixes
  • Reduce the weight by only placing eight filled
    utensil containers in the rack that has 16 slots.
  • Place several empty racks on the cart to raise
    the overall working height of sorting utensils.
  • Use a small cart to transport the racks to and
    from the dish machine.

32
Long Term Recommendations
  • Design of dish room is too small for volume of
    meals
  • Dish room needs to be remodeled
  • Hire a dish room consultant
  • Get input from dish room staff
  • Provide ergonomic input throughout all phases of
    the remodel
  • Study University of Iowa design
  • 2 single level tray conveyors and six separate
    stations to break the trays down.
  • Ample storage and areas to stage dirty dishes

33
Campus Dining
  • Questions or comments regarding Case 3

34
How do we make sure the design is functional for
the application?
  • Engineers, architects, designers, ergonomists,
    managers, supervisors and employees should be
    involved from the beginning.
  • Hold focus groups to best understand any issues
    the departments are having with their existing
    design.
  • Work simulation and workstation/equipment
    guidelines
  • Develop functional design guidelines that work
    for the different applications
  • Universal design
  • Equitable use
  • Flexibility in use
  • Simple and intuitive use
  • Low physical effort
  • Perceptible information
  • Tolerance for error
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