Ergonomics and OSHA

Injuries related to workplace musculoskeletal disorders (WMDs) have declined significantly since the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) printed its Ergonomics Program Management Pointers for Meatpacking Plants in 1993. Through guidelines, voluntary trade efforts, and outreach, rates of WMDs nationwide have declined 30-40% in the past fifteen years.
Voluntary Tips
OSHA has developed voluntary, trade-specific tips to help employers acknowledge and management ergonomic hazards. OSHA ergonomic guidelines cowl the following industries:
Meatpacking plants
Poultry processing
Nursing homes
Shipyards
Retail groceries
While these industry-specific pointers differ from each other in details, all are based mostly on the same approach to solving ergonomic issues and are applicable to other industries.
Ergonomic Method
Any workplace will use OSHA's process for safeguarding workers from ergonomic hazards, even within the absence of specific ergonomic guideline for that industry.
OSHA's ergonomic process includes:
1. Management Support: Management sets goals and objectives for the ergonomics process. Management provides adequate resources to implement the process.
2. Employee Involvement: Employees present issues and suggestions, give early reports of symptoms, and participate in ergonomics groups and task groups.
3. Coaching: Trainers experienced in ergonomics for the particular trade train workers on recognition and prevention of ergonomic hazards and a way to participate within the ergonomics process.
4. Downside Identification: Observe the workplace, review injury and illness information, survey workers, and conduct job analyses to identify current and potential ergonomics-connected risk factors.
OSHA lists five general factors which will lead to musculoskeletal disorders among workers:
Force - the quantity of physical effort would like to try and do a task (like significant lifting, pushing, pulling).
Repetition - performing the identical motion or series of motions frequently for an extended amount of time.
Awkward postures and prolonged static postures - positions that put stress on the body, like repeated or prolonged reaching on top of the shoulder; bending forward or to the side; or twisting, kneeling, or squatting. Maintaining one position for a amount of your time (prolonged static postures) puts considerable stress on the body, even if the position itself is not awkward.
Contact stress - pressing the body or part of the body against laborious or sharp edges. Examples embody leaning the forearm against a table edge and using the hand as a hammer.
Vibration - using vibrating tools such as sanders, chippers, drills, grinders, or reciprocating saws. Causes fatigue, pain, numbness, increased sensitivity to cold, and decreased sensitivity to touch in fingers, hands, and arms. Whole body vibration might damage joints.
5. Solutions: Changes to equipment, work practices, and procedures.
6. Injury Reporting: Prompt response to reports of symptoms or concerns, together with acceptable medical treatment where needed.
7. Evaluation: Regular assessment through observation, employee input, and information injury and illness knowledge analysis.
Enforcement
whereas there's no enforceable OSHA standard for ergonomics, all employers have a general responsibility to guard employees from hazards that may cause serious injury. As such, OSHA expects each place of employment that has ergonomic hazards to require the steps necessary to scale back the hazards and protect workers. The ergonomic pointers can help direct these efforts.

Article Source: http://casinoarticles.us

William Evan has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Ergonomics, you can also check out his latest website about: Turtle Aquariums

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated