You are on page 1of 49

Ergonomics and

Safety
ROSALES, ROEL
DOROIN, CHRISTIAN WAKYN
DEL MUNDO, JAN LAUREN

The history of workplace development in our


world is characterized by jobs and technologies
designed to improve processes and increase
productivity. All too often in the past, little or no
concern was given to the impact of the job
process or technology on workers.

As a result, work processes and machines have


sometimes been unnecessarily dangerous.

Human involvement in work processes is still


the key to the most significant and enduring
productivity improvements.

If a machine or system is uncomfortable,


difficult, overly complicated, or dangerous to
interact with, human workers will not be able to
derive the full benefit of its use.

The proliferation of uncomfortable and


dangerous workplace conditions is now widely
recognized as harmful to productivity, quality,
and worker health and safety.

The advent of the science or ergonomics is


making the workplace more physically friendly.

What is Ergonomics?
Ergon work
Nomos laws
In practice, it consists of the scientific
principles (laws) applied in minimizing the
physical stress associated with the
workplace (work).

-The science of conforming


the workplace and all of its
elements to the worker.

Benefits of Ergonomics
Improved health and safety for workers
Higher morale throughout the workplace
Improve quality
Improve productivity
Improve competitiveness
Decreased absenteeism and turnover
Fewer workplace injuries/health problems

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICAL


STRESS

Sitting vs. Standing

Stationary vs. Mobile/Movable


Large vs. Small Demand for Strength/Power
Good vs. Bad Horizontal Work Area
Good vs. Bad Vertical Work Area
Nonrepetitive vs. Repetitive Motion
Low vs. High Surface Contact
Presence vs. Absence of Environmental Factors

Sitting vs. Standing

Sitting is less stressful than standing.

Ergonomic Chair

Stationary vs. Mobile

Large vs. Small Demand for


Strength/Power

Good vs. Bad Horizontal Work


Area
A good horizontal work area is one that
designed and positioned so that it does not
require the worker to bend forward or to
twist body from side to side.
Bad horizontal work areas increase the like
likelihood of physical stress.

Good vs. Bad Vertical Work Area


Workers are not required to lift their hands
above their shoulders or bend down to
perform to any task.

Repetitive vs. Nonrepetitive Motion

Low vs. High Surface Contact


Surface stresses can result from contact
with hard surfaces as tools, machines, and
equipment.

Presence vs. Absence of


Environment

The more environmental factors that to be


contended with on the job, the more stressful
the job.

WORKSITE ANALYSIS
PROGRAM
FOR ERGONOMICS
Doroin, Christian Wakyn

WHAT???
A PROGRAM TO CONDUCT A WORKSITE
ANALYSIS AND IDENTIFY THE STRESSOR IN
THE WORKPLACE
- STARTING POINT FOR FINDING AND
ELIMINATING FACTORS THAT MAY BE A
SOURCE OF ERGONOMIC PROBLEM

WHO???
PROFESSIONAL ERGONOMIST
ERGONOMIC TEAM
..
ANY QUALIFIED PERSON

HOW???
ANALYZE CURRENT WORKPLACE
CONDITIONS AND PLANNED CHANGES
FOR EACH SPECIFIC AND INDIVIDUAL
WORKPLACE..

GATHERING INFORMATION
FROM AVAILABLE SOURCES
RECORDS ANALYSIS AND TRACKING
(MEDICAL,SAFETY,INSURANCE ETC. RECORDS)
INCIDENCE RATES

=
for upper extremity disorders and/or back injuries should be
calculated by counting the incidences of CTDs and reporting
their incidences per 100 full time workers per year per
facility.
CTD = cumulative trauma disorder

SCREENING SURVEYS
IDENTIFY JOBS THAT PUT EMPLOYEES AT
RISK
CHECKLIST
SHOULD INCLUDE POSTURE, MATERIALS HANDLING
AND UPPER EXTREMITY FACTORS .. (SHOULD BE
TAILORED FOR SPECIFIC WORKPLACE)

ERGONOMIC RISK FACTORS


CONDITIONS OF JOB PROCESS, WORKSTATION, WORK
METHOD

CTD RISK FACTORS


REPETITIVE AND/OR PROLONGED ACTIVITIES
FORCEFUL EXERTIONS
PROLONGED STATIC POSTURES
AWKWARD POSTURES OF THE UPPER BODY
CONTINUED PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH WORK
SURFACES
EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS (FROM POWER TOOLS)
COLD TEMPERATURES
INAPPROPRIATE OR INADEQUATE HAND TOOLS

BACK DISORDER RISK FACTORS


BAD BODY MECHANICS
LIFTING OR MOVING OF OBJECTS WITH
EXCESSIVE WEIGHT OR ASSYMETRIC SIZE
PROLONGED SITTING
LACK OF EQUIPMENT IN WORKSTATION
POOR GRIP ON HANDLES
SLIPPERY FOOTING

MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS

SOMETIMES REFFERED TO AS

MULTIPLE CAUSATION
CAUSED BY:
CTD RISK FACTOR + BACK DISORDER RISK
FACTOR

ERGONOMIC JOB HAZARD


ANALYSES
SHOULD BE ROUTINELY PERFORMED BY A
QUALIFIED PERSON FOR JOBS THAT PUT
WORKERS AT RISK
HELPS TO VERIFY LOWER RISK FACTORS
DETERMINE IF RISK FACTORS ARE REDUCED
OR ELIMINATED

JOB HAZARD ANALYSES CAN BE DONE


BY:
WORKSTATION ANALYSIS

IDENTIFY ALL RISK PRESENT IN EACH WORKSTATION


FOR UPPER EXTREMITIES
MEASURE OF REPETITIVENESS, TOOL MANIPULATION AND
CYCLE TIME OR CYCLE PER WORK SHIFT

TOOLS CHECKING
BODY POSTURE AND MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT

LIFTING HAZARDS MANUAL


MAXIMUM WEIGHT-LIFTING VALUES SHOULD BE
CALCULATED

VIDEOTAPE METHOD
USE OF VIDEOTAPE, WHERE POSSIBLE, IS SUGGESTED

PERIODIC ERGONOMIC SURVEYS

TO IDENTIFY PREVIOUSLY UNNOTICED RISK FACTORS OR FAILURES OR


DEFICIENCIES IN WORK

SHOULD INCLUDE:
FEEDBACK AND FOLLOW-UP
EMPLOYEE FEEDBACKS
ERGONIMIC QUESTIONNAIRE
MAINTAINED THROUGH :
ACTIVE SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE
EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION WITH ERGONOMIC TEAM

TREND ANALYSIS
TRENDS OF INJURIES AND ILLNESSES RELATED TO
ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL CTDs FOR SEVERAL
DEPARTMENTS, PROCESS UNITS OR WORKSTATIONS

HAZARD PREVENTION AND


CONTROL
ERGONOMICS PROGRAM IS TO MAKE THE JOB
FIT THE PERSON, NOT TO MAKE THE PERSON FIT
THE JOB
ACCOMPLISHED BY REDESIGNING THE
WORKSTATION, WORK METHODS, OR TOOL TO
REDUCE DEMANDS OF THE JOB

WORKSTATION DESIGN
ACCOMMODATE THE PERSONS WHO
ACTUALLY USE THEM
SHOULD BE EASYILY ADJUSTABLE
DESIGNED OR SELECTED TO FIT A SPECIFIC
TASK
SO THAT THEY ARE COMFORTABLE FOR THE
WORKERS WHO USE THEM

DESIGN OF WORK METHODS

CONSIDER STATIC POSTURE AND REPETITION


RATES
WORKERS SHOULD ADRESS THE FORCE LEVELS
AND THE HAND AND ARM POSTURES INVOLVED

SHOULD REDUCE THE SAID AND OTHER


STRESSES ASSOCIATED
THE ANALYSES SHOULD BE SHARED WITH
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

TOOL DESIGN AND HANDLES


DESIGNING TOOLS TO BE USED BY EITHER HAND OR
PROVIDING TOOLS FOR BOTH LEFT-HANDED AND
RIGHT-HANDED WORKERS
USING TOOLS WITH TRIGGERS THAT DEPRESS EASILY
AND ARE ACTIVATED BY TWO OR MORE FINGERS
USING TOOLS THAT DISTRIBUTE PRESSURE OVER THE
PALM
DESIGNING TOOLS FOR MINIMUM WEIGHT
SELECTING PNEUMATIC AND POWER TOOLS THAT
EXHIBIT MINIMAL VIBRATION AND MAINTAINING THEM
IN ACCORDANCE WITH MANUFACTURERS

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMS
Del Mundo, Jan Lauren

MEDICAL MANAGE PROGRAMS


An effective medical program for cumulative
trauma disorders (CTDs)
Essential to the success of an employers
ergonomic program in industries with high
incidence of CTDs
A physician or occupational health nurse
(OHN) with training in the prevention and
CTDs

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM


Trained and Available Health Care Providers
Periodic Workplace Walk-Through
Symptoms Survey
Institute a Survey
Conduct the Survey Annually
List of Light Duty Jobs

Trained and Available Health Care Providers

In an effective medical management program, first-level health care providers should


be knowledgeable in:

Prevention,
Early recognition
Evaluation
Treatment
Rehabilitation of CTDs
Periodic Workplace Walk-Through

Health care providers conduct periodic and systematic workplace walk-throughs

Identify light duty jobs and to maintain close contact with employees

Symptoms Survey

Standardized measure to determine which jobs are exhibiting problems

To measure progress of the ergonomic program

Institute a Survey
Measure employee awareness of work-related disorders and to
report the location, frequency, and duration of discomfort
Body diagrams is used to facilitate gathering this information
Conduct the Survey Annually
Survey helps to detect any major change in the prevalence,
incidence, and/or location of reported symptoms
List of Light Duty Jobs
A list of jobs wherein the ergonomic risk is described

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Health Surveillance
- Baseline
- Conditioning Period Follow-Up
- Periodic Health Surveillance
- Employee Training and Education
- Encourage Early Report of Symptoms
- Protocols for Health Care Providers
- Evaluation, Treatment, and Follow-Up of CTDs
- OSHA Record Keeping Forms (ISO 26800:2011 )
- Monitor Trends

Health Surveillance
Baseline

To establish a base against which changes in health care status can be evaluated, not
to prevent people from performing work

Conditioning Period Follow-Up

New and transferred employees are given the opportunity during a four to six week
break-in period to condition their muscle-tendon groups prior to work at full capacity

Periodic Health Surveillance

Similar to baseline and the workers medical and occupational history should be
updated

Employee Training and Education

Means of prevention, causes, early symptoms, and treatment of CTDs

Encourage Early Report of Symptoms

To report early signs and symptoms of CTDs to the in-plant facility

Protocols for Health Care Providers

Health care providers should use written protocols for health surveillance

Should be reviewed and updated annually

Evaluation, Treatment, and Follow-Up of CTDs

If CTDs are recognized and treated appropriately early in their development, a more
serious condition can likely be prevented

ISO 26800:2011 (OSHA)


Ergonomics -- General approach, principles and concepts
ISO 26800:2011 presents the general ergonomics approach and
specifies basic ergonomics principles and concepts. These are
applicable to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products,
tools, equipment, systems, organizations, services, facilities and
environments, in order to make them compatible with the
characteristics, the needs and values, and the abilities and
limitations of people.
Monitor Trends

Periodically review health care facility sign-in logs, OSHA-200


forms, and individual employee medical records to monitor
trends for CTDs in the plant

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Fourth major program element for


an effective ergonomics program

TRAINING AND EDUCATION


To ensure that the employees are sufficiently informed
about the ergonomic hazards and thus able to
participate actively in their own protection
Allow managers, supervisors, and employees to
understand the hazards, prevention and control, and
their medical consequences
It should provide an overview of the potential risk of
illnesses and injuries, their causes and symptoms, the
means of prevention and treatment
The program should also include a means for
adequately evaluating its effectiveness

COMMON INDICATORS OF
PROBLEMS
Questions that modern health and safety
professionals should ask themselves:
Does my company have ergonomic
problems?
Are injuries/illnesses occurring because
of too little attention to ergonomic
factors?

COMMON INDICATORS OF PROBLEMS


Factors according to National Safety Council to
determine if ergonomic problems exist:
Apparent Trends in Accidents and Injuries
Incidence of Cumulative Trauma Disorders
Absenteeism and High Turnover Rates
Employee Complaints
Employee-Generated Changes
Poor Quality
Manual Material Handling

Apparent Trends in Accidents and Injuries


- Examining accident reports and record-keeping documents
Incidence of Cumulative Trauma Disorders
- By observing the workplace and people at work
Absenteeism and High Turnover Rates
- Uncomfortable on the job to the point of physical stress
Employee Complaints
- Physical stress or poor workplace design
Employee-Generated Changes
- Tend to adapt the workplace to their needs
Poor Quality
-

Indicator of a need for closer inspection

Manual Material Handling


- Injuries are typically higher in situations that involve a lot of manual material handling

You might also like