1. ERGONOMICS Desinging the relationship between the job and the employee
FMJ Fitting the man (person) to the job
FJM Fitting the job to the man (person)
Getting the relationship between the worker and the job to have optimum fit will have many benifits

2. Benefits of Ergonomics
Decreased injury risk
Increased productivity
Decreased mistakes/rework
Increased efficiency
Decreased lost work days
Decreased turnover of staff
Less cost or replacement and training
Improved morale

3. ERGONOMICS
The word Ergonomics comes from the Greek words “Ergos”--(work) and “Namos”-- (natural law).

4. ERGONOMICS Desinging the relationship between the job and the employee
FMJ Fitting the man (person) to the job
FJM Fitting the job to the man (person)
Getting the relationship between the worker and the job to have optimum fit will have many benifits

5. Benefits of Ergonomics
Decreased injury risk
Increased productivity
Decreased mistakes/rework
Increased efficiency
Decreased lost work days
Decreased turnover of staff
Less cost or replacement and training
Improved morale

6. ERGONOMICS Definition:
Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between the employee and the work place. It is a developing body of knowledge whose goal is to provide and maintain a healthy “user friendly” environment. Properly applied, ergonomic principles support each person's desire to find a zone of individual comfort.
FMJ will achieve the same results as FJM and is just as important in OHS

7. ERGONOMICS Definition:
Ergonomics (FJM) is the study of how human beings relate to their work environment. The result of ergonomics is the adaptation of the workstation design and work tools to suit the individual performing a particular job function.
The application of ergonomic principles to workstation design can result in increased effectiveness, work quality, health and safety, and job satisfaction.

8. ERGONOMICS (FMJ) Definition:
(FMJ) is the study of how human beings relate to their work environment. The result of FMJ is the selection and training of workers to suit the a particular job function.
The application of FMJ principles to worker selection and training can result in increased effectiveness, work quality, health and safety, and job satisfaction.

9. ERGONOMICS Why should we be interested? The Worker (%)
Men
Women
Under 25 years
25 to 54 years
55 years and over
Under 1 year of service...18
1 to 5 years
5 years or more
Not reported

10. ERGONOMICS (Repetitive Stress Injuries)

11. ERGONOMICS

12. MANUAL HANDLING
91% of the total cost of Nelco Product’s WC claims for 4/93 through 4/94
Only 42 % of the frequency
This means when MH losses occur, they are usually very severe and costly

13. OCCUPATIONAL BIOMECHANICS
Definition:
Biomechanics uses laws of physics and engineering concepts to describe motion undergone by the various body segments and the forces acting on these body parts during normal daily activities.

14. CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDERS (CTD’s)
Definition: Disorders that are caused or aggravated by repeated exertions or movements of the body.

15. ERGONOMICS-RELATED INJURIES
Epicondylitis
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
DeQuervain’s Syndrome
Ganglionic Cysts
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
Eye Fatigue
Strains/Sprains (difference?)
Low Back Pain (LBP)
Herniated Disc
Tendinitis
Tenosynovitis

16. CAUSES OF ERGONOMIC- RELATED INJURIES
Posture
Force
Repetition
Low temperature
Contact points
Vibration

17. CUMULATIVE TRAUMA
Most back injuries are the result of everyday wear and tear rather than a single traumatic event. The cause is generally not a single lift but damage done over time.
Causes:
Repeated twisting
Awkward postures
Heavy lifting
Prolonged vibration

18. ERGONOMICS-RELATED INJURIES
Epicondylitis
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
DeQuervain’s Syndrome
Ganglionic Cysts
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
Eye Fatigue
Strains/Sprains (difference?)
Low Back Pain (LBP)
Herniated Disc
Tendinitis
Tenosynovitis

19. CAUSES OF ERGONOMIC- RELATED INJURIES
Posture
Force
Repetition
Low temperature
Contact points
Vibration

20. CUMULATIVE TRAUMA
Most back injuries are the result of everyday wear and tear rather than a single traumatic event. The cause is generally not a single lift but damage done over time.
Causes:
Repeated twisting
Awkward postures
Heavy lifting
Prolonged vibration

21. CUMULATIVE TRAUMA
Once back pain is experienced, the chances of it recurring increase greatly.
Back injuries from slips, trips, and falls can sometimes be prevented by good housekeeping. Proper storage of material and regular cleanup of debris can improve access not only for workers, but for materials handing equipment.

22. To reduce back injuries on the job, a preventive program is necessary
To reduce back injuries on the job, a preventive program is necessary. An effective program should cover factors such as anatomy, work place posture, lifting techniques, ergonomics, and exercises.

23. Ramazzini in 1700’s wrote:
Manifold is the harvest of diseases reaped by craftsman... As the...cause I assign certain violent and irregular motions and unnatural postures... by which... the natural structure of the living machine is so impaired that serious diseases gradually develop. (Tichauer, 1978)

24. ANATOMY

25. SPINAL COLUMN AND MUSCLES
Made up of bones called vertebrae
Divided into five areas:
Cervical (neck)
Thoracic (upper back)
Lumbar (lower back)
Sacrum
Coccyx
The spine provides protection to the spinal cord
The spinal cord has nerves that branch off and send messages to various parts of the body as well as bring back information on conditions throughout the body

26. VERTEBRAE AND DISCS Vertebrae are the bones that make up the spine.
Provide support
Offer protection
Intervertebral Discs are made up of two parts.
Outer part (fibrous ring)
Inner part (soft, gel-like center)
The discs are firmly attached to vertebrae, so cannot “slip.”
If outer fibrous ring gets damaged, part of the gel part can start protruding out, called a disc protrusion or herniation.

27. VERTEBRAE AND DISCS
80-85% of people over 30 have protruded or herniated discs. However, the majority do not have pain. Why?
Many theories exist, but the most widely accepted is that pain is felt when a protrusion or herniation occurs at the point where the nerve exits the spinal column.
Age has an effect.
Degenerative disc disease
May cause flattening and hardening of discs and wears on the facet joints

28. SPINAL DISCS UNDER LOADS
Discs are continually being compressed by the effects of gravity.
our upper body
loads we might be carrying
Discs may become damaged when:
carrying uneven loads (compression) or
twisting combined with carrying (torsion)

29. SPINAL MUSCLES
Movement controlled by muscles contracting and relaxing.
Rope-like ligaments join bone ends to support and strengthen joints and prevent abnormal movements
Interwoven sheath of muscle and ligaments across abdomen and lower back provide support. For this reason, it is important to keep them in good condition.

30. WORKPLACE POSTURE Dynamic vs. static Back muscles vs. stomach muscles
back--short, small very strong
stomach--large, broad
when imbalance occurs, back muscles can become overloaded.
thus, important to maintain health and good posture by using stomach muscles.
Unbalanced pelvis
stomach protruded
pelvis tilted down
back curve increases
stresses lower back
makes back vulnerable to injury
tightening stomach muscles will straighten pelvis, lowing spine

31. CORRECT POSTURE Natural alignment, follows natural curves.
Lordosis (sway back)
inward curve
neck
low back
outward curve (kyphosis) in upper back
jams vertebrae together
causes lower back muscles and ligaments to tighten and leads to low back pain
Kyphosis (flat back)
puts extra pressure on front of discs
may contribute to low back pain
Keeping spine aligned reduces everyday stresses on the back and minimizes the effects of the normal aging process on the spine.

32. LIFTING H = The horizontal distance
When H is increased, the crane’s capacity to lift the load is decreased.
This is true with our bodies as well
It is critical to lift and carry the load as close as possible H H

33. PROPER LIFTING Plan your move
Size up the load and make sure your path is clear.
Get help as needed.
Use a dolly or other materials handling equipment if possible.
Use a wide, balanced stance with one foot slightly ahead of the other.
Get as close to the load as possible.
Tighten your stomach muscles as the lift begins.
When lifting, keep your lower back in its normal arched position
Pick up your feet and pivot to turn. Don’t twist your back.
Lower the load slowly, maintaining the curve in your lower back.

34. LIFTING GRIP
Use entire palm, not just the fingertips.

35. LIFTING DO’S AND DON’TS
Push rather than pull.
Keep a good grip.
Maintain clear vision between the object and your destination.
When lowering an object, try and keep the natural curve of your back.
Place the load on the edge (tailgate) and push it back.
DON’T:
Lift above shoulder height.
Catch falling objects.

36. TWISTING
Repeated twisting of the lower back during lifting (or shoveling) is a common mistake. It can contribute to lower back pain and disability. Instead, lift your feet and turn you whole body.
Lifting and placing palletized/stacked materials
lift object with feet and body in same direction
pick up feet and turn with feet and body together
don’t twist

37. MORE LIFTING TIPS Transferring weight Lifting heavy bags
pull object towards you while transferring your weight to the lift side
lift only to the level required
shift your weight to the other leg while pushing the object into position.
do not twist
Lifting heavy bags
put one knee down against bag
pull bag up leg
rest bag on edge of knee
stand upright
pull bag to waist height

38. LIFTING OVER BARRIERS
Many back injuries result from repeated use of poor lifting techniques. Often a simple change in how we use our body to perform routine tasks can prevent back injuries and make work easier at the same time.
One-handed lifts
Lifting with the back rounded and knees straight places great stress on the spine, making the lower back more susceptible to injuries
Two-handed lifts
Again, avoid rounding the back
Move the object as close to the body as possible
Bend at the hips, while keeping the back in the normal arched position

39. MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
Different types of equipment have been designed and manufactured to lift and move loads of various shapes, sizes, and weights. This equipment can not only save time and labor---it can save your back!
Rollers, wheelbarrows, carts, dollies, and rolling tables and scaffolds can be used to handle material efficiently and reduce the risk of back injury.

40. WORK TECHNIQUES Benches Tools
For bench work the right height is vital to reduce the risk of back injury or pain. Ideally the bench (work surface) should keep the work between waist and shoulder height.
Tools
Choose the proper tools for the job and repair or discard badly worn or damaged tools.
Never use cheater bars for extra leverage on a wrench. Use the right length of wrench.

41. Engineering Controls Workstation Design Equipment Controls
Design of Work Methods
Tool and Handle Design

42. Controls should be
Controls should be designed to work the way you would expect them to work
Different expectation in different cultures (cuntries)
Controls should have feedback sensations
Controls should relate to direction of display movement
Display should suit work environment
Sound of display suit ambient noise
Light to suit ambient light
Displays should be as simple as possible

43. Displays should be as simple as possible but not confusing
mistaking the tachometer for the speedometer. is the problem that in some cars, the speedometer was on the right (above) and on the other car, it was on the left (below).
the speedometer and tachometer on the car below have the same numeric scale.
So if a gauge shows 30, does it indicate 30 miles per hour, or 3000 revolutions per minute?
The gauge above doesn't have that problem.

44. Controls should be designed to work the way you would expect them to work
Stove top controls
The problem is that it is difficult to tell which control goes with which burner.
The solution is to arrange the controls in the same configuration as the burners.

45. Water taps
OFF position.
On position.
Often used position.

46. Water taps
The main problem is that the cold water handle opens clockwise, whereas the hot water handle opens counter-clockwise.
Traditionally, taps with these cross-shaped handles, both hot and cold, always open counter-clockwise
Other controls turn clockwise for on

47. Electrical switches
Australia OFF
USA Off

48. Controls should be designed to work the way you would expect them to work
I tried to insert it into the bill reader (See white arrow). It would not go into the bill reader!
you had to first push a button (any button) on the parking permit machine. This activates the bill reader.
Should parking permit machine should be designed to accept bills prior to making a ticket selection.

49. Opening the file drawer
As shown in the photo on the left, the handle on the top doesn't open the top file drawer. Instead, it pulls the whole file cabinet out from under the table,
Design Suggestion

50. Hey, which side do you use for cutting?
This is a nice attractive knife. Just one problem.
Which side do you use for cutting?
Although you can tell which end is the handle and which end is the blade, it isn't clear which side of the blade cuts.
Design suggestion
The shape of an object should reveal how it is to be used.

51. Mechanical Lifts
This is a small tote dumper that is used for in-process totes. This allows the worker to place the tote at a comfortable height and then dump it onto the processing line using the mechanism. The dumping activity can often be a problem because the employee has a heavy tote full of chicken parts and has to dump them with exaggerated postures.

52. Powered Cutters
Some cuts are difficult even if the tools are sharp. It may be that people have small hand spans (can’t hold large tools) and can’t apply enough force to complete the cut. It could be that certain parts you are trying to cut are just physically tough to cut with conventional knives or scissors. In these cases, you may want to consider devices like pneumatic powered cutters. There are several out there and you will have to determine if they are appropriate for this industry. Some of these are being used by the turkey people at this time.

53. Automated Cut Up

54. Scissor Lifts
Although not typically used in the poultry industry, lift tables could be a good idea help to reduce forces. There are also some palletizing equipment that may be able to automatically palletize boxes for companies.

55. Roller Conveyors

56. Diverters
This conveyor has diverters in place that push the products closer to the workers. This reduces reaches for the employees. The work station above also has some cut outs that scrap or final products can be placed in. Some facilities use chutes in conjunction with these cut outs. This modification can reduce reaches or elevated arms. Some will use multiple conveyors at these operations with the cutouts or chutes going to different conveyors.

57. Adjustable Platforms
Most facilities have platforms like these pictured above. Unfortunately, most employees don’t use them properly. We often see these adjusted at the same height even when the workers are of varied heights. Poorly adjusted platforms can be responsible for hand/wrists deviations, elevated upper arms, etc.

58. Roller Conveyors

59. Diverters
This conveyor has diverters in place that push the products closer to the workers. This reduces reaches for the employees. The work station above also has some cut outs that scrap or final products can be placed in. Some facilities use chutes in conjunction with these cut outs. This modification can reduce reaches or elevated arms. Some will use multiple conveyors at these operations with the cutouts or chutes going to different conveyors.

60. Adjustable Platforms
Most facilities have platforms like these pictured above. Unfortunately, most employees don’t use them properly. We often see these adjusted at the same height even when the workers are of varied heights. Poorly adjusted platforms can be responsible for hand/wrists deviations, elevated upper arms, etc.

61. Administrative Controls
Job Enlargement
Job Rotation
Rest Pauses
Preventive Maintenance
Housekeeping

62. Work Practice Controls
Proper Work Techniques
New Employee Conditioning Period
Monitoring

63. Enforce Proper Practices

64. Enforce Use of Equipment
Teach employees to use the tools that they are given like these powered pallet jacks. Often we see employees carrying in-process totes or just sliding a stack of full totes into position.

65. Knife Sharpening Program
Use good on-line knife sharpeners
Install these sharpeners correctly
Properly maintain the honing and/or hollow grinding machine
Have knife sharpeners learn and use proper sharpening techniques
Maintain consistent blade shapes
Inform sharpener of cutting jobs where people are having MSDs

66. Knife Handles
Knife handles come in a variety of ergonomic designs, including soft grip, non-slip, and angled blades.

67. Job Rotation Benefits Reduced boredom Reduced work stress Reduced MSDs
Reduced turnover
Reduced absenteeism

68. Job Rotation Implementation Problems
Workers did not want to change
Machine operators didn’t want to “lend” to others
Education and training for new jobs
Finding appropriate jobs to rotate to
Used inappropriately by management

69. Job Rotation Goals Reduce number of MSDs
Reduce rotations that increase stress
Reduce absenteeism and turnover
Involve and further educate employees