Ergonomics Programs: Program Development

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Ergonomics ProgramsProgram Development

• TM 655
• SDSMT
• Summer 2006

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Reading Assignment

• MacLeod
• Chapter Five
• OSHA Meatpacking Guidelines
• OSHA 3123, See Course Website

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Top Management Commitment

• Visible serious commitment
• Placing a priority on eliminating hazards
• Integrate SH programs at the same level as
  production
• Assign responsibilities, authority, and resources

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Written Program

• Endorsed by top management
• Outlines goals and plans
• Estimated implementation dates
• Customized to each plant
• Available to all personnel
• Reviewed regularly

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Employee Involvement

• Suggestions feedback encouraged
• Without fear of reprisal
• Prompt reporting of symptoms
• Prompt evaluation and possible treatment
• Membership on Ergonomics Team
• Ergonomics Team receives symptom reports
  suggestions for evaluation

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Program Review Evaluation

• Regular review ( semi-annual)
• Analysis of trends in injury rates
• Employee surveys
• Before / After surveys of changes
• Records of job improvements
• New or revised goals

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Worksite Analysis

• Identification
• Evaluation
• Control

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Worksite Analysis

• Analyze medical, safety, insurance records for
  evidence of CTDs
• Insure confidentiality of patient records
• Incident Rate Analysis
• Count incidences of properly diagnosed CTDs per
  100 full-time employees per year

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Incident Rate
( of new cases) (200,000 work
hours) IR _______________________________
of hours
worked 200,000 (40 hrs/wk) (50 wk/yr) (100
workers) Evaluate trends by department, units,
job titles, operations, work stations, etc.
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Ergonomics Checklist

• Focused on physical / temporal risk factors
• Systematic
• Helps novices be experts
• ID higher and lower risk jobs
• Apply before after changes
• Apply to planned and new workspaces

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Body Part Discomfort Map
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Employee Surveys Interviews

• Interviews are usually superior, but more time
  consuming
• Get employees more involved
• Employees have a wealth of ideas

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Worksite Analysis

• Checklist may suggest one or more advanced
  analyses
• Biomechanical
• Psychophysical
• NIOSH Lifting Guide
• Physiological
• Postural
• Hand Tool
• Vibration

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Worksite Analysis

• Performed by an ergonomist
• Ergonomics Team
• Ergonomist
• Occupational Health Nurse
• Design Production Engineers
• Maintenance
• Employee representation
• Line Supervisor

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Hazard Prevention Control

• Engineering Controls
• Administrative Controls
• Personal Protective Equipment

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Engineering Controls

• Most desirable approach
• Redesign or Modify
• Workstation
• Tools
• Work Methods
• Fit the worker

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Engineering Controls

• Establishing optimal work methods
• Adjustable workstations
• Tilt bins or containers
• Tool balancers
• Conveyors, Turntables
• Jigs, Fixtures
• Rounded or padded edges on work surfaces
• Mechanical assist devices
• Selection of ergonomic tools

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Work Surfaces

• Adjustability
• Ease of Adjustability
• Avoid sharp edges
• Consider sit/stand options

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Placement Storage of Materials

• Consider frequency and weight
• Store heaviest and most frequent at knuckle
  height, Power Zone
• Store medium items from knee to shoulder
• Store only light items below knee or above
  shoulder

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Work Station Accessories

• Arm rests
• Wrist rests
• Foot rails and foot rests
• Document holders

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Engineering Controls
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Engineering Controls
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Hazard Prevention Control

• Engineering Controls
• Administrative Controls
• Personal Protective Equipment

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Administrative Controls

• Secondary to Engineering Controls
• Insure proper methods are used
• Effective maintenance housekeeping
• Proper use of tools equipment
• Employee conditioning
• New employee conditioning

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Administrative Controls

• Limiting overtime on high risk jobs
• Ensuring adequate rest breaks
• Job rotation
• Job enlargement
• Teaming
• Reduce production rates
• Last resort

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Microbreaks

• What is a microbreak?
• Take them frequently

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Standing Fatigue Interventions

• Proper footwear
• Shoe inserts
• Anti-fatigue mats
• Footrails
• Promote good lower extremity circulation

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Hazard Prevention Control

• Engineering Controls
• Administrative Controls
• Personal Protective Equipment

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Personal Protective Equipment

• After engineering administrative controls are
  exhausted
• Gloves
• Finger cots
• Arm guards
• NOT PPE
• Braces, splints, back belts

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Wrist Splints
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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Medical Management

• Involvement of qualified medical personnel
• Certified Occupational Physicians
• Certified Occupational Health Nurses
• Member of Ergonomics Team
• Active surveillance for symptoms
• Thorough diagnosis

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Medical Management

• Conservative treatment
• Conservative return to work
• Systematic monitoring follow-up
• Work hardening
• Consider light duty transition
• Recordkeeping
• Tracking trends
• Promote stretching strengthening programs

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Training Education

• Keep employees informed of program
• Train
• Production workers
• Engineers
• Maintenance housekeeping personnel
• Supervisors Managers
• Medical personnel

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Training Education

• Customized for each plant and its written program
• General specific training levels
• Train on disorders symptoms
• Risk Factor Awareness including
• Personal, psychosocial, non-occupational
• Engineering control strategies

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Lifting

• Squat lift generally better than stoop
• bend with your knees, not your back
• keep the load close
• get a good hand hold
• move slowly, no jerks allowed
• know or test the load
• Avoid twists

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More Lifting Tips

• Get help (from a person or an assist device)
• Eliminate lifts
• Reduce loads
• Store properly
• Get a strategic delivery
• Use proper technique on light loads

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Ergonomics Program Guidelines

1. Top Management Commitment
2. Written Program
3. Employee Involvement
4. Program Review Evaluation
5. Worksite Analysis
6. Hazard Prevention Control
7. Medical Management
8. Training Education

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Barriers to Successful Ergonomics Programs

• Lack of funding
• Implementation delays
• Poor attendance by middle managers
• Viewing ergonomics as a productivity program
• Excessive dependence on consultants
• Failure to develop internal ergonomics expertise

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A Bad Ergonomics Program?
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Ingredients for Effective Ergonomics Programs

• Leadership commitment
• Clear purpose
• Worker / supervisor involvement
• Rigorous problem solving
• Active Ergonomics Team with expertise
• Ergonomics is a process, not a program
• Start small expand - Kaizen

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HW5

• Case Example 4
• Page 105-109
• Due as soon as possible