1. OSHA Compliance for Temp Agencies and Host Employers
Ergonomics
OSHA Compliance for Temp Agencies and Host Employers

2. What is Ergonomics?
“Ergonomics is an applied science concerned with the design of workplaces, tools, and tasks that match the physiological, anatomical, and psychological characteristics and capabilities of the worker.” Vern Putz-Anderson
“The Goal of ergonomics is to ‘fit the job to the person,’ rather than making the person fit the job.” Ergotech
“If it hurts when you are doing something, don’t do it.” Bill Black
The term ergonomics comes from the Greek words ‘ergo’ meaning ‘work’ and ‘nomos’ meaning ‘law(s)’. So, basically ergonomics means the ‘laws/principles of human work.’
Ergonomics as a field has to do with designing work spaces that promote optimal human performance.
For a long time, system design, whether a machine or a manufacturing plant layout, was focused solely on the product. In recent times we have recognized the role of the human as a part of the system – and thus the importance of integrating human dimensions and capabilities into the overall design process.

3. Why do we care about Ergonomics?
OSHA
Employee
Turnover
ADA
Quality
Injured Workers
Insurance Costs
Whether we want to believe it or not, ergonomic design can have a significant impact on our businesses.
Poor ergonomic design in the workplace can lead to costly injuries. Often these jobs are undesirable, leading to high turnover and absenteeism.
Also, ergonomic deficiencies can impact productivity and quality – fatigued or uncomfortable workers make more mistakes and/or take shortcuts.
Additionally, while there is no OSHA ergonomic standard, companies with significant ergonomic injuries can still be cited under the general duty clause (5a1).
Increased Productivity
Absenteeism

4. Ergonomic Injuries - WMSDs
Year in and year out, ergonomically related injuries (often referred to as work-related musculoskeletal disorders – WMSDs) make up a significant portion of serious days away injuries.
In 2010, Overexertion + Repetitive Motion injuries made up 32% of all days away injuries. Overexertion injuries are often associated with strains, sprains and tears resulting from lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying, reaching, etc. activities.
Overexertion is self-descriptive – it means injuries resulting from over-stressing the body to accomplish a job task…a sign of a sub-optimal ergonomic design.
[Chart based on data from 2010 BLS Annual Summary Data]

5. Ergonomic Injuries – Body Impacts
Overexertion
Back – 52%
Shoulders – 18%
Abdomen – 7%
Arms – 5%
Legs – 5%
Repetitive Motion
Wrists – 43%
Shoulders – 13%
Back – 11%
Arms – 9%
Hands – 5%
Fingers – 5%
Leading injuries by body part for overexertion and repetitive motion exposures.
Have you experienced any of these types of injuries in your workplaces?
[Data built from 2010 BLS Annual Summary Data]

6. Costs of Ergonomic Injuries
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
MSDs of the Back
Upper Extremity
MSDs
Average Claim
Average Costs per Claim ($)
It should come as no surprise that since ergonomic injuries result in significant days away outcomes, that they result in significant costs.
More than simple workers’ comp costs – days away injuries impact efficiency and quality as workers are forced to be shifted around, do multiple jobs…or if temp workers are hired, you have a loss of experience (not to mention placing a novice worker in an injury prone job).
Liberty Mutual’s 2010 Workplace Safety Index ranks overexertion injuries as the #1 most costly injury in the US – at $13.4 Billion in direct costs to employers (25% of all injury costs).
Source: Workers’ Compensation data from Insurance Companies 1993

7. The Bottom Line on Ergonomic Injuries
Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index (2012)
#1 Cost Driver = Overexertion Injuries
$13.6 Billion in Direct Costs to Employers
27% of all Injury Costs
Resource:

8. OSHA and Ergonomics
OSHA can and will cite ergonomic hazards under the “5(a)(1)” General Duty Clause, if:
An ergonomic hazard exists,
The hazard is recognized,
The hazard is causing, or likely to cause, a serious injury,
And if a feasible means exists to reduce the hazard
Patrick Kapust with OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs told attendees at the recent American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Safety 2009 conference that the agency has issued 19 General Duty Clause citations for ergonomics since 2002.
During the same time period, OSHA conducted 4,500 ergonomic inspections and issued 640 hazard alert letters on ergonomics. The companies that received those letters can expect follow-up from OSHA.
Also at the ASSE conference, OSHA administrator Jordan Barab said ergonomics was “the 60,000-pound elephant in the room.” He acknowledged the prohibition on a new ergonomics standard, but said, when it comes to ergonomics, “we can fix this.”

9. Benefits of Good Ergonomics
Increased productivity
Decreased injury risk
Decreased mistakes/rework
Decreased lost work days
Increased efficiency
Decreased turnover
Improved morale

10. WMSD Risk Factors
In the 90s NIOSH undertook significant research to identify the key workplace risk factors leading to musculoskeletal disorders. This is a chart from one of their publications – NIOSH – that details the evidence.
Identifying the risk factors for ergonomic injuries in your workplace is the first step to improvement.

11. Common WMSD Risk Factors
Force
Vibration
Posture
Environment
Frequency
Personal Factors
Duration

12. Risk Factors for Injuries
Forceful Exertions
Weight of load
Location
Frequency
Stability
Coupling
Awkward Postures
Bending
Twisting
Reaching

13. Risk Factors for Injuries
Repetitive Motion
Frequent reaching
Assembly tasks
Keying
Packaging
Vibration
Tools
Mechanized Equipment

14. Risk Factors for Injuries
Environmental
Visual
150 Lux in MMH
Thermal
Increased accidents away from comfort zone
Hot: Added metabolic heat gain
Cold: Decreased blood flow to extremities

15. Risk Factors for Injuries
Environmental, cont.
Worker/Floor Surface Coupling
Maintain static coefficient of friction of 0.4, preferably 0.5
ANSI A : Standard for the Provision of Slip Resistance on Walking/Working Surfaces
Floor Conditions/Housekeeping
Shoe style
Floor angle
Surface coatings

16. Risk Factors for Injuries
Personal Risk Factors
Gender
Age
Anthropometry
Lift Technique
Attitude
Strength
Training

17. Ergonomics Assessment Tools
Tier I Tools: Tier II Tools
Checklists: Quantitative:
Quick Exposure Checklist Job Safety Analysis
Washington State Checklists NIOSH Work Practice Guide to Manual Lifting
NIOSH Checklists (97-117) Stover Snook’s Psychophysical Tables for
Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)
Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)
Job Strain Index
Occupational Repetitive Action Methods
Knowing the risk factors is one thing – determining if the risk is significant is another. Luckily there are a number of survey tools available to assist with baseline risk assessment. We’ll look at one good one from WISHA – the WISHA WMSD Caution/Hazard Checklist…(modified by Thomas Bernard of USF)

18. Awkward Postures - Low work
Bending
Kneeling
Squatting
If the location of your work is too low, you’re going to have to get into an awkward posture to get to it. Typically that means bending your back, kneeling or squatting. It can also mean bending your head and neck forward.
If ergonomics is about adapting the work to fit you, instead of asking you to adapt to the work, what do you think some ergonomic solutions might be?
These postures are hard on the back and the knees

19. WISHA Ergonomics Checklist

20. WISHA Ergonomics Checklist

21. WISHA Ergonomics Checklist

22. WISHA Ergonomics Checklist

23. Implementing Ergonomic Controls
Elimination
Substitution
Engineering Control
Policies
PPE
8 Deadly Wastes
Tools, Equipment, Processes
Effectiveness
Workstation Design, Mech. Assist
After we identify risk factors, what do we do about them…
Assess the risks – use checklists, analysis tools, etc. to determine where the risk is significant
Develop solutions – hierarchy of controls
Often we go right to PPE or work practices…but, often these can be highly ineffective for ergonomic interventions.
Elimination – is this activity value added
Substitution – can we do the task another way, or use different tools, equipment, etc to accomplish the task.
Engineering controls – redesigning the workstation, adjustability
Policies – work practices, techniques, rest breaks, job rotation
PPE – none!!
Test solutions – apply in a small area first, then expand (based on situation)
Implement, Standardize
Review, Sustain/Improve
Job Rotation, Rest Breaks, Safe Practices
???

24. Reducing low work Raise and/or tilt the work for better access
Use a stool for ground level work
Use tools with longer handles
Alternate between bending, kneeling, sitting, and squatting
If the work is too low, one solution to consider is finding a way to raise the work.
If that’s not possible, can you use a low stool to provide support so that you can sit lower near the level of the work?
Long-handled tools can be used in some cases so that you can stand upright and work.
If none of the above will work, it at least helps some to alternate between different postures, so that you don’t spend too much time in any one position.

25. Ergonomics at Work Reducing low work Raise and tilt the work
This is one example of a simple way to raise and tilt lightweight boxes for easy loading and unloading. It’s a box stand made out of PVC pipe. For $20 worth of pipe and glue, and a little time measuring and cutting with a hacksaw, some workers were able to make their jobs a little easier.

26. Ergonomics at Work Reducing low work Raise the work
This is another example, where some workers decided it would be easier to stack lengths of pipe at the end of the process if they raised the stack a little. Placing the stack on a homemade wheeled cart makes it easier to move to the next step.

27. Meter reader – golf club handle extension
Ergonomics at Work
Reducing low work
Meter reader – golf club handle extension
This person fitted the tool (a long screwdriver) he uses for opening water meter covers, with a golf club handle. This allows him to open and close the meter box without bending, kneeling or squatting.

28. Awkward Postures High work
If your work is too high, it will result in reaching with your hands overhead or your elbows above your shoulders. It can also result in having to tilt your head back to look up.
This posture is hard on the shoulders, neck and back

29. Reducing high work Use an elevated work platform or rolling stairs
Use tools with longer handles
Limit overhead storage to infrequently used items
Bring the work down and tilt for easier access
Here are some simple ways to reduce working up high:
Use an elevated work platform or rolling stairs (“safety ladder”)
Use tools with longer handles
Limit overhead storage to infrequently used items
Bring the work down and tilt it for easier access

30. Use a tool with longer handles
Ergonomics at Work
Reducing high work
Use a tool with longer handles
Our groundskeeper has gone from using a standard hedge trimmer to one with an extension handle. The trimmer at the top has an adjustable angle. Long-handled tools need to be kept as light as possible, to avoid straining the hands and wrists. Look for lightweight materials such as aluminum.

31. WISHA Ergonomics Checklist
Hands and Wrists:
Pinch Grip
Grasp Grip
Repetitive Motion of Hands
Keying
Hand Impacts
Hand and Arm Vibrations
Neck and Shoulders
Neck Posture

32. What are some of the symptoms of WMSDs?
Discomfort
Burning
Pain
Swelling
Numbness
Change in color
Tingling
Tightness, loss of flexibility
Report symptoms if:
Pain is persistent, severe or worsening
Pain radiates
Symptoms include numbness or tingling
Symptoms keep you from sleeping at night
WMSDs have many different symptoms, many of which you may have experienced at one time or another. These include discomfort, pain, numbness, tingling or burning sensations, swelling and inflammation, changes in skin color, and tight muscles or loss of flexibility in a joint. Having one or more of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have an injury, though.
Everyone has had muscle aches or stiffness after working or exercising hard, especially when you’re not used to it. Usually these symptoms go away as you rest or as you get used to the work. That’s different from symptoms of injury, which last longer or include things like numbness and tingling that mean something more serious might be going on. Sometimes these symptoms might make it difficult to do your job or things around the house, or they might wake you up at night and keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. The important thing is not to ignore what your body is trying to tell you. Often simple changes to the way you work are all that are necessary to prevent these symptoms from becoming a WMSD.

33. Why is it important to encourage reporting of symptoms?
Minor injuries can easily become chronic injuries
Injured workers, absenteeism, turnover, insurance costs
Can lead to surgery and disability
Early treatment is more successful
Some WMSDs can be very serious, resulting in lost work days, permanent disability, or even surgery. However, the good news is that early treatment is often very simple and successful. Therefore, it’s important for your own health to report symptoms as early as you can.

34. Ergonomics and Temporary Workers
Ergonomics Awareness Training
Risk Assessment
Solution Development and Implementation
Engineering Controls
Job rotation, rest breaks, safe practices
On-the-job training
Hazard or near-miss reporting
Injury reporting and recordkeeping