Ergonomic hazards

Ergonomic hazards include improperly designed tools or work areas. Improper lifting or reaching, poor visual conditions, or repeated motions in an awkward position can result in accidents or illnesses in the occupational environment. Designing the tools and the job to be done to fit the worker should be of prime importance. 

Chemical hazards arise from excessive airborne concentrations of mists, vapors, gases, or solids that are in the form of dusts or fumes. In addition to the hazard of inhalation, many of these materials may act as skin irritants or may be toxic by absorption through the skin. There are thousands and thousands of potentially harmful chemicals found in the workplace. Workers face the possibility of exposure on a daily basis to these harmful chemicals. 

The majority of occupational health hazards arise from inhaling chemical agents in the form of vapors, gases, dusts, fumes, and mists, or by skin contact with these materials. The degree of risk of handling a given substance depends on the magnitude and duration of exposure. 

To recognize occupational factors or stresses, a health and safety professional must first know about the chemicals used as raw materials and the nature of the products and by-products manufactured. This sometimes requires great effort. The required information can be obtained from the material safety data sheet (MSDS), which must be supplied by the chanical manufacturer or importer to the purchaser for all hazardous materials under the hazard conununication standard. The MSDS is a summary of the important health, safety, and toxicological information on the chanical or the mixture ingredients. Other stipulations of the hazard communication standard require that all containers of hazardous substances in the workplace be labeled with appropriate warning and identification labels. If the MSDS or the label does not give complete information but only trade names, it may be necessary to contact the mannfacturer of the chemicals to obtain this information. 

Many industrial materials such as resins and polymers are relatively inert and nontoxic under normal conditions of use, but when heated or machined, they may decompose to form highly toxic by-products. Information concerning these types of hazardous products and by-products must also be included in the company s hazard communication program. Breathing of some materials can irritate the upper respiratory tract or the terminal passages of the lungs and the air sacs, depending on the solubility of the material. Contact of irritants with the skin surface can produce various kinds of dermatitis. 

---

Walk-through survey An examination or inspection of a workplace involving a review of hazardous materials present and/or used, observation of work practices, and consversations with individuals to identify all of the actual or potential chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic hazards. 

Hazards may also result from the interaction between company employees and the work environment these are called "ergonomic" hazards. If the physical, psychological, or environmental demands on workers exceed their capabilities, an ergonomic hazard exists. These hazards, in themselves may lead to fiirther major incidents when the individual cannot perform properly under stress during critical periods of plant... 

This safety audit is used for identifying inputs and material flows, processes and intermediates, and final products - but with special attention paid to human-material/process/equipment interactions that could result in (a) sudden and accidental releases/spills, (b) mechanical failure-based injuries, and (c) physical injuries - cuts, abrasions, and so on, as well as ergonomic hazards. Additional sources of adverse effects/safety problem areas are records/ knowledge of in-plant accidents/near misses, equipment failures, customer complaints, inadequate secondary prevention/safety procedures and equipment (including components that can be rendered non-operable upon unanticipated events), and inadequacies in suppliers of material and equipment or maintenance services. 

The high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, has motivated the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to focus on standardization efforts. Recently, OSHA announced the initiation of rulemaking under Section 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 655, to amend Part 1910 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations and requested information relevant to preventing, eliminating, and reducing occupational exposure to ergonomic hazards. 

Ergonomic Hazards— Workplace hazards related to the design and condition of the workplace. For example, a workstation that requires constant overhead work is an ergonomic hazard. 

Enforcement pertaining to ergonomic hazards through application of the general duty clause in the OSHA Act (Section 5(a)(1))... 

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the occurrence of injuries and illnesses due to ergonomic hazards. 

Commitment and involvement are complementary and essential elements of a sound safety and health program. Commitment by management provides the organizational resources and motivating force necessary to deal effectively with ergonomic hazards. 

Management involvement demonstrated through the priority placed on eliminating the ergonomic hazards. 

B. Hazard Prevention and Control. Ergonomic hazards are prevented primarily by effective design of a job or job site. An employer s program should establish procedures to correct or control ergonomic hazards... 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Potential ergonomic hazards should be considered when selecting PPE. 

Administrative Controls. A sound overall ergonomics program includes administrative controls that reduce the duration, frequency, and severity of exposure to ergonomic hazards. 

D. Training and Education. The last major program element for an effective ergonomic program is training and education to ensure that employees are sufficiently informed about the ergonomics hazards to which they may be exposed and thus are able to participate actively in their own protection. 

There are no specific training requirements for ergonomics. However, employees who have been trained to identify and avoid ergonomic hazards are better able to avoid those hazards, leading to a safer workplace. 

Inflammation of the tendon sheath of the thumb attributed to excessive friction between two thumb tendons and their common sheath. Usually caused by twisting and forceful gripping motions with the hands and is considered an ergonomic hazard. Deadman Switch... 

Environmental and ergonomic hazards inclnde slip, trip, and fall hazards, walking and working snrfaces, lighting, and tasks with repetitive motions. Psychosocial hazards address issues such as workplace violence, work-related stress, sleep deprivation, mental problems, chemical dependency, alcohol abuse, and horseplay on the job. 

Ergonomics and human factors are often used interchangeably. Ergonomic hazards refer to workplace conditions that pose the risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system of the worker. Ergonomic hazards include repetitive and forceful movements, vibration, temperature extremes. 

By 1991, that percentage had increased to over 60 percent. A conservative estimate of the medical costs of treating one industrial case of carpal tunnel syndrome, a type of cumulative trauma disorder affecting the wrists and hands, is about 20,000 a year. This cost estimate does not take into consideration the costs involved with lost work time, replacement workers, and lower productivity. Only the common cold and the flu cause workers to miss more work annually. Additional expenses to the employer resulting from ergonomic hazards in the workplace are administrative expenses associated with flling insurance claims and recordkeeping. 

Are there repetitive motion or other ergonomic hazards associated... 

Redesigning a work station to relieve physical stress and/or remove ergonomic hazards... 

The common ill-health effects of ergonomic hazards are musculoskeletal disorders (back injuries, covered in Chapter 13, and work-related upper limb disorders including repetitive strain injury being the main disorders) and deteriorating eyesight. 

---