ergonomics industrial. © business & legal reports, inc. 0709 session objectives you will be...
TRANSCRIPT
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Session ObjectivesYou will be able to:• Understand the principles of ergonomics• Recognize the risk factors, signs, and
symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
• Understand our program for identifying, reporting, and controlling MSDs
• Know how to protect yourself from MSD injuries and reduce your risk
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
What Is Ergonomics?• Modify jobs to fit
capabilities of people• Reduce MSDs
• Repetitive reaching, forceful exertions, bending and lifting, or working with vibrating equipment
• Engineering controls• Safe work practices• PPE
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Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Injuries• 1.8 million MSD
injuries each year
• 600,000 MSD injuries require time away from work
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Regulation Of Ergonomics• General Duty Clause• Applies to unregulated hazards
• Failure to keep a hazard-free workplace• Hazard recognized by employer or employer’s industry
• Hazard could cause death or serious harm• Method exists to correct the hazard
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MSD-Type Injuries
Repetitive Motion
63%
Repetitive Placing, Grasping, or
Moving Objects
20%
Repetitive Use of Tools 8%
Typing or Key Entry
9%
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Characteristics of MSDs • Occur from a single event or many small
injuries• Take weeks, months, or years to develop• Produce no symptoms in early stages, but
show symptoms after injury has occurred• Contributing causes may occur at home
and at work• Same MSD may differ in severity from
person to person doing a similar task
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General Signs of MSDs• Less strength for gripping• Less range
of motion• Loss of
muscle function• Inability to do
everyday tasks
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MSD Symptoms• Back and neck—
shooting pain, stiffness• Shoulders—pain,
stiffness, loss of mobility• Arms and legs—
shooting pains, numbness
• Elbow and knee joints— pain, swelling, stiffness, soreness
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MSD Symptoms (cont.)
• Hands and wrists— swelling, numbness, loss of strength
• Fingers—jerking movements, or loss of strength, mobility, and feeling
• Thumbs—pain at the base
• Feet and toes—numbness, tingling, stiffness, burning sensation
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Outward Signs of MSDs• Swelling or
inflammation of joints
• Vigorously shaking hands
• Massaging hands, wrists, or arms
• Cradling arms
• Limping
• Stiff back
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Common MSDs• Carpal tunnel
syndrome• Low back pain• Eye strain• Tendinitis• Trigger finger
Image Credit: Cal OSH & NIOSH
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Common MSDs (cont.)
• De Quervain’s disease—forceful grip
• Carpet layer’s knee—contact trauma
• Rotator cuff tendinitis— repetitive motion
• Herniated disk— bending and twisting
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome
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Act on the Signs of MSDAct immediately:
• Report the problem
• Seek medical attention
• Early treatment and intervention can prevent permanent injury
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
What Do You Think?
1. What do you think is causing this employee’s pain?
2. How can this be improved?
Employee experiences severe back pain often.
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
What Is Causing the Pain?Possibilities:
• Repetitive lifting of heavy objects
• Twisting while lifting
• Poor lifting techniques
• Lifting above shoulders
• Single lifting injury
• Poor conditioning
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
What Can Be Done?• Use lifting aids
• Don’t twist
• Lift using your legs, not your back
• Use a stool or stepladder
• Don’t overdo it
• Keep your back in shape
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Which of these are MSD symptoms?
Check Your Knowledge
Loss of muscle function
Racing heart
Pain
Numbness
Tingling
Dizziness
Excessive cough
Stiffness
Swelling of joints
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
MSDs—Any Questions?• Do you understand
what MSDs are and the signs and symptoms of MSDs?
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Risk Factors That Lead to MSDs• Repetitive motions
• Forceful exertions
• Awkward postures
• Contact stress (pressure points)
• Vibrations
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Risk Factor—Repetitive Motion• Stress on muscles and
tendons• Contributing factors
• Duration and speed of repetitious movement
• Number of muscles involved
• Required force
• Raising and lowering the arm over and over again
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Forceful Exertions• Inflammation of
tendons, nerves, joints• Contributing factors
• Type of grip• Weight of object• Body posture• Type and duration of the
task
Image Credit: OSHAImage Credit: OSHA
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Awkward Postures• Stress on muscles
and tendons• Contributing factors
• Reaching overhead• Force the body must
maintain to hold the position
• Holding fixed positions (static loading)
• Lifting while twisting, reaching, or turning
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Contact Stress• Pressing against or
grabbing a hard object puts pressure on nerves, tendons, and blood vessels
• Contributing factors• Repetition• Duration of contact• Grip strength required
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Vibration• Affects tendons,
muscles, joints, nerves• Contributing factors
• Prolonged grip• Restricts blood supply
to hands and fingers• Tools without vibration
dampening device• Poor power tool
maintenance
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
MSDs Related To Risk Factors
De Quervain’s disease
Trigger finger
Rotator cuff syndrome
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Hand-arm vibration syndrome
Repetition
Posture
Forceful Grip
Contact Stress
Prolonged Vibration
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Can You Identify The Risk Factors?
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Can You Identify The Risk Factors? (cont.)
• Repetitive motion
• Lifting or reaching• awkward position• excessive weight• arms raised
MSDs
• Torn tendon
• Tendinitis
• Back pain
Risk Factors
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MSD Risk Factors—Any Questions?• Do you understand
MSD risk factors and hazards?
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Ergonomics Management• Job assessment
• MSD reporting and response system
• Designated coordinator
• Training
• Encourage employee participation and reporting of MSDs
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Identifying and Controlling MSD Hazards• Determine whether
MSD hazards exist and degree of risk
• Devise a control strategy with your input
• Implement control measures
• Training
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
Control Methods• Install engineering controls including
workstation layout and proper tools• Institute work practice controls including
neutral postures for performing tasks• Administrative controls including
rescheduling to reduce frequency or duration of exposure to MSDs
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) to provide a protective barrier between worker and MSD
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
How to Protect Yourself• Change positions often;
take stretch breaks • Maintain neutral posture
whenever possible• Eliminate or reduce
MSD risk factors• Use material-handling
aids• Report MSD symptoms
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
MSD Prevention and Control—Any Questions?• Do you think you
understand what you need to know about the methods to manage, prevent, and control MSDs?
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0709
• Recognize MSD signs and symptoms• Understand MSD hazards• Take steps to control MSD hazards• Participate in the Ergonomics Program