Worker Selection and

1
Chapter 13

• Worker Selection and
• Training Criteria

2
Worker Selection

• Purpose Right worker for right job

3
Worker Screening

• The goal of worker screening is to
• Identify high risk people.
• Identify previous musculoskeletal problems (CTS,
  LBP)
• identify low fitness individuals

4
Worker Screening

• Screening should include
• History and Physical Examination
• Identification of present health problems.
• Implementationof appropriate treatment.

5
Worker Screening

• All screening devices should be evaluated for
• Accurate (validity of identification)
• Sensitive (identifies those who will develop
  disease or injury)
• Specific (identifies those who will not develop
  disease or injury)
• Predictive (identifies who is REALLY at risk)

6
According to Tsai, et. al., (1992)

• Risk of Low Back Pain greater among
• smokers,
• overweight,
• those in physically demanding jobs

7
According to Scheer et al (1997)

• Inclusion of a preventive conditioning program at
  work may be useful to reduce the chance of
  recurrent work disabilities
• Companies willing to make an investment in worker
  fitness programs can generally recover the
  associated expenses by lessening the workers
  compensation costs.

Reference 3940
8
Recommendations generated by Tai et al to reduce
risk

• 1. Injury prevention program.
• 2. Employee education.
• 3. Increased attention to ergonomics.
• 4. Medical counseling.
• 5. Support for personal fitness programs.
• 6. Workplace smoking cessation.
• 7. Weight reduction programs.

9
Job fitness programs

• Stretching programs
• Wellness education
• Benefits
• Examples

10
Prescreening Considerations

• Anthropometry
• Range of motion
• Muscle strength
• General fitness

11
Criteria for Physical Assessment in Worker
Selection

• 1. Is it safe to administer?
• 2. Does it give reliable, quantitative values?
• 3. Is it related to specific job requirements?
• 4. Is it practical?
• 5. Does it predict risk of future injury or
  illness?

12
Quantitative Testing?

• 1. Hardware flexible for diversity.
• 2. Minimal administration time.
• 3. Minimal time for instruction and learning.
• Cost-benefit analysis????

13
Match the person to the job

• Administrative controls
• Worker rotation
• Work-rest cycling

14
Safety training programs

• Job specific
• Follow through
• Incentives
• Feed-back
• Adjunct tools
• Back belts
• Back alerts

15
Preemployment Training

• Minimizing risk
• Use of tools

16
Preemployment Training

• Minimizing risk
• Use of tools
• Safety in lifting
• risks of unskilled lifting.
• basic biomechanics of lifting.
• effects of lifting on the body.
• awareness of bodys strengths and weaknesses.
• avoiding the unexpected.

17
Implementing an Ergonomics Program

• 1. Management responsibility
• Overall coordination
• Program execution

18
Implementing an Ergonomics Program

• 2. Written policy and plan
• Identify organizational structure
• Outline program goals
• Provide a timetable for achieving them.

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Implementing an Ergonomics Program

• 3. Ergonomics team
• Safety/medical
• Engineering
• Operations management
• Union representatives
• Other (maintenance, production employees,
  purchasing, etc.)

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Implementing an Ergonomics Program

• 4. Employee involvement
• Suggestion/complaint systems
• Interviews with individuals when job evaluations
  are made
• Employee surveys
• Department-level ergonomics teams
• Small group discussions when certain jobs are
  being addressed

21
Training

• 1. Principles of ergonomics and cumulative
  trauma.
• 2. Employee work methods.
• 3. Employee information on cumulative trauma
  (specific).

22
Communications

• 1. With employees.
• 2. Within a facility.
• 3. Between company facilities.

23
Identifying Jobs at Risk

• 1. Job evaluations.
• Visual walk-throughs
• Job-by-job checklists
• Video analysis of selected jobs
• Formal job analysis
• methods analysis
• measurement of risk factors
• detailed ergonomics evaluations

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Identifying Jobs at Risk

• 2. Questionnaires and surveys.
• Experience with problems.
• Where they feel improvement is needed.

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Identifying Jobs at Risk

• 3. Personnel data analysis.
• High turnover.
• Entry level.

26
Making Job Improvements

• 1. Short range
• 2. Long range
• 3. Brainstorming
• 4. Tracking system

27
Medical Management

• 1. Early recognition.
• 2. Systematic evaluation and referral
• 3. Conservative treatment and follow-up.

28
Monitoring Progress

• 1. Injury illness trends
• 2. Ergonomics log

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Monitoring Progress

• 3. Special studies
• Pre and post job analysis
• Employee survey results
• Worker compensation costs
• Turnover and absenteeism
• Quality and productivity

30
Monitoring Progress

• 4. Management review