Summary report: Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks ... · Summary report: Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM) Program within the Manufacturing Industry . 6

Summary report: Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM) Program within the Manufacturing Industry

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Department of Justice and Attorney-General

Summary report: Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM) Program within the Manufacturing Industry PN10990 Version 1. Last updated April 2011.

Acknowledgments The project discussed in this report was implemented on behalf of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) by Tracy Consulting Services Pty Ltd, a Brisbane-based ergonomics consulting firm. WHSQ would like to thank Tracy Consulting as well as the organisations that participated in the project, specifically:

One Steel Australian Tubemills

Neumann Steel

Everhard Industries

Monadelphous Engineering

Moffat

Bradken

Hastings Deering

TJM Products

Russell Minerals

Century Yuasa Batteries.

© The State of Queensland (Department of Justice and Attorney-General) 2011

Copyright protects this document. The State of Queensland has no objection to this material being reproduced, but asserts its right to be recognised as author of the original material and the right to have the material unaltered.

The material presented in this publication is distributed by the Queensland Government as an information source only. The State of Queensland makes no statements, representations, or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and the reader should not rely on it. The Queensland Government disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including, without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you might incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way, and for any reason.


Table of contents

Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................2 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................4 Introduction..........................................................................................................................................6 Manufacturing sector workers compensation data ..............................................................................6 PErforM program.................................................................................................................................6 Participative ergonomics......................................................................................................................7 Project participants...............................................................................................................................7 Outcomes .............................................................................................................................................8 Future action ........................................................................................................................................9 Appendix 1: Risk assessments and controls ......................................................................................10

Monadelphous................................................................................................................................10 Everhard Industries ........................................................................................................................11 Bradken ..........................................................................................................................................14 Russell Mineral Equipment............................................................................................................15 Century Yuasa Batteries.................................................................................................................16 Hastings Deering............................................................................................................................17 Moffat.............................................................................................................................................18 Neumann Steel ...............................................................................................................................19 One Steel ........................................................................................................................................19

Appendix 2: Examples of controls implemented...............................................................................20

Monadelphous................................................................................................................................20 Everhard .........................................................................................................................................22 TJM Products .................................................................................................................................23 Bradken ..........................................................................................................................................24 Russell Mineral Equipment............................................................................................................25

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Executive Summary This report provides a summary of a pilot project conducted over 12 months in 2010 by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) in the manufacturing industry. The project involved assisting a sample of manufacturing organisations to implement the Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM) program for manual tasks risk management. The PErforM program is a simplified manual task risk management program that involves facilitating workplace-based teams to devise manual tasks solutions for high risk manual tasks.

The project was funded by a grant from the WHSQ Small Business program and led and implemented on behalf of WHSQ by Tracy Consulting Services Pty Ltd, a Brisbane based ergonomics consulting firm.

Tracy Consulting Services assisted 10 manufacturing organisations (five metals manufacturing and five machinery manufacturing organisations) to implement the PErforM program. The participating organisations ranged from medium to large in size and were located in both urban and regional areas.

The objective of this project was to build capacity within the manufacturing industry to manage manual tasks risks. Specifically, this project aimed to:

pilot and evaluate the implementation of the PErforM program

identify barriers and enablers in this industry sector

develop case studies to share with industry.

The metal and machinery manufacturing sub sectors were selected for the project due to their high number of workers compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders. The manufacturing industry had not been exposed to the PErforM program prior to this project.

The PErforM project was successfully implemented in the manufacturing sector. This project was a substantial undertaking that resulted in significant manual task risk reduction measures being implemented in nine out of the ten participating organisations. All organisations intend to integrate the PErforM program into their system for manual task risk management.

The project also resulted in an enhancement to the PErforM training materials. The evaluation stage provided key learnings for the WHSQ implementation of the PErforM program.

The project demonstrated that the PErforM risk assessment tool can be applied across a wide range of manual tasks within the metal and machinery manufacturing sub-sectors. There was no significant variation with respect to the size of the manufacturing organisations, the location of the organisation, or the particular sub-sector. The critical enablers for the successful implementation of the PErforM program were identified as:

selecting and mentoring a committed site champion

management commitment and support for the program including the implementation of controls

actively engaging the workforce in the process


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embedding the PErforM program within existing health and safety systems.

WHSQ plans to undertake the following activities that will build on the learnings from the project:

Investigate methods for providing ongoing support and coaching assistance to organisations implementing the PErforM program, eg use of external consultants, electronic media (webinars/pod casts/video conferencing/email updates), forums and networks.

Publish and promote the case studies.

Develop additional resources to support the implementation of the program in a variety of industries, including developing cost-benefit material that can be included in training.

Publish the PErforM resource package on the WHSQ web site.

Provide PErforM ‘train the trainer’ training to industry as well as OHS/ergonomics professionals, industry associations and unions.

Evaluate the sustainability of the PErforM program in the participating organisations at six and twelve months post project completion.

Promote and support the implementation of the PErforM program in other industries.


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Introduction This report provides a summary of a pilot project conducted over 12 months in 2010 by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) in the manufacturing industry. The project involved assisting a sample of manufacturing organisations to implement the Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM) program for manual tasks risk management. The PErforM program is a simplified manual task risk management program that involves facilitating workplace-based teams to devise manual task solutions for high risk manual tasks. The metal and machinery manufacturing sub-sectors were selected for the project due to their high number of workers’ compensation claims for musculoskeletal disorders. The manufacturing industry had not been exposed to the PErforM program prior to the commencement of the project.

The intent of this project was to explore the use of a participative approach to manual task risk management within the manufacturing industry. This was facilitated by coaching and mentoring provided by ergonomics consultants. The objective was to build capacity within the manufacturing industry to manage manual tasks risks. Specifically, this project aimed to:

pilot and evaluate the implementation of the PErforM program

identify barriers and enablers in this industry sector, and

develop case studies to share with industry.

The project was implemented on behalf of WHSQ by Tracy Consulting Services Pty Ltd, a Brisbane based ergonomics consulting firm. It was conducted over 12 months during 2010.

Manufacturing sector workers compensation data The manufacturing industry has the highest non-fatal claims rate of all industries, with 55% of these claims being for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).1 In 2006-07, the sheet metal product manufacturing and machinery equipment sub-sectors were identified as having one of the highest MSD claims experience within the manufacturing industry.

PErforM program The PErforM program is a simplified manual task risk management program based on the premise of the worker being the expert. It involves training workers to identify and assess manual task risks in their work tasks as well as generate control ideas to reduce the risks.

The PErforM program was developed by WHSQ in conjunction with the University of Queensland and Curtin University of Technology. The program is based on participative ergonomics, an internationally recognised approach for managing manual task risks.

Scientific research has demonstrated that PErforM has a positive effect on decreasing manual tasks risks. A significant reduction in manual task injury risks, as assessed by WHSQ Inspectors, was

1 Based on claims that last more than seven days (Queensland Employee Injury Database, Office of Economic and Statistical Research).


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reported for workplaces receiving the PErforM intervention.2 PErforM has been used in industries including mining, civil construction, aged care, food processing and timber.

Participative ergonomics The participative approach to manual tasks risk management relies on maximising the involvement of workers as task experts. Workers are taught how to identify and assess high risk manual tasks and develop appropriate control measures.

Participative ergonomics uses the expertise of:

workers – who bring their knowledge of the job or task

management – who provide support for the process and the implementation of controls

facilitators/‘champions’ – who support and drive the process within the organisation.

The advantages of using a participative approach include:

development of effective controls that target the key risk factors associated with manual tasks, and are designed for the work requirements and the workers

workers have a greater sense of ownership, a say in their workplace, and a commitment to use the controls once they are implemented.

Project participants The 10 selected metal and machinery manufacturing organisations were:

Metal manufacturing sector:

One Steel Australian Tubemills

Neumann Steel

Everhard Industries

Monadelphous Engineering

Moffat.

Machinery manufacturing sector:

Bradken

Hastings Deering

2 Straker, L., Burgess-Limerick, R., Pollock, C, Egeskov, R., (2004), “A randomized and controlled trial of a participative ergonomics intervention to reduce injuries associated with manual tasks: physical risk and legislative compliance”, Ergonomics, Vol 47, No. 2, pgs 166-188.


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TJM Products

Russell Minerals

Century Yuasa Batteries.

Outcomes The project demonstrated that the PErforM program could be implemented in the manufacturing industry as nine out of the ten participating organisations successfully implemented the program. All organisations reported that they planned to continue using the program.

The organisations reported that prior to participating in the pilot program they did not systematically assess their manual tasks risks. They said the PErforM program has given them a framework for managing these risks. Several case studies will be published as a result of the project, highlighting how the organisations controlled their manual tasks risks as well as made productivity gains. A summary of the tasks assessed during the project are provided in Appendix 1 and examples of controls implemented are provided in Appendix 2.

The project identified a number of barriers and enablers that impacted on the organisation’s ability to implement the PErforM program. These were as follows:

Key enablers:

Management commitment: Management support for the program was critical.

Identifying a suitable site champion: Having a suitable site champion in place was critical to the success of the program.

Coaching from the ergonomics consultant: All organisations reported that coaching from the ergonomics consultant was invaluable and most said it was unlikely they would have experienced the success they did without the coaching support.

Risk assessment tool: Organisations said the risk assessment tool was simple, portable and easy for all members of the workforce to use. The program found that workers could be trained to use the PErforM tool regardless of position, background, education, ethnicity or language barriers. Most workers felt that the tool’s ‘bodymap’ personalised the process.

Broad workforce engagement: Workforce engagement promoted communication between workers and management.

Ease of integration into health and safety systems: PErforM was easily integrated into an organisation’s existing health and safety systems. All organisations intend to expand the program across their business beyond the life of the project.

Key barriers:

Lack of management commitment: Management support for implementing the PErforM program and its processes was generally easy to obtain. However, some organisations would have benefited from greater management support and ‘presence’ throughout the entire process.


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Lack of succession planning for site champions: Turnover of site champions impacted on the program.

Limited skills and knowledge: Prior to commencing the project, some organisations had limited knowledge and lacked a systematic approach for manual tasks risk management. Some organisations required assistance with action planning and developing business cases in order to obtain management approval for controls.

Worker perceptions: Some workers needed to be encouraged to participate as the program involved a different approach than they were used to.

Manufacturing pressures: The realities of the manufacturing environment, such as tight timeframes, low profit margins and a focus on productivity, impacted on the time and resources allocated to the PErforM program.

Future action WHSQ plans to undertake the following activities that will build on the learnings from the project:

Investigate methods for providing ongoing support and coaching assistance to organisations implementing the PErforM program, eg use of external consultants, electronic media (webinars/pod casts/video conferencing/email updates), forums and networks.

Publish and promote the case studies.

Develop additional resources to support the implementation of the program in a variety of industries, including developing cost-benefit material that can be included in training.

Publish the PErforM resource package on the WHSQ web site.

Provide PErforM ‘train the trainer’ training to industry as well as OHS/ergonomics professionals, industry associations and unions.

Evaluate the sustainability of the PErforM program in the participating organisations at six and twelve months post project completion.

Promote and support the implementation of the PErforM program in other industries.


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Appendix 1: Risk assessments and controls Outlined below is a summary of the tasks, controls and status of the completed risk assessments for each of the participating sites, as at December 2010. Organisations varied in their ability to complete the proposed six risk assessments.

Monadelphous Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Handling gas and oxy bottles

Training and assessment completed

Controls developed and implemented

Completion of reticulated gas supply to workshop

Modified two-wheel hand trolley to move bottles

Training

Gas supply automated – has reduced manual handling of gas and oxy bottles in the workshop by 85%

Two-wheel hand trolley built and implemented to handle all other bottles

Using oxy cutting torch when working on rotators



Design and fabricate a holder for the welding gun or welding torch

Training

Adjustable stand built and implemented to hold oxy cutting torch

Storage and handling of coiled wire boxes



Design and fabricate a stand or table to store the coiled wire boxes on to eliminate bending and awkward postures

Training

Storage table built and implemented within tool store

Storage and handling of tools and equipment from the tool store



Reorganise store to include racking and shelving

Store items at appropriate heights to eliminate bending and awkward postures

Store reorganised including appropriate racking and design to minimise manual handling

Handling plate steel on the horizontal profile cutter



Purchase a profile cutter

Consider smaller plate steel and better access around cutting platform

Outsource

Cost-benefit analysis undertaken on profile cutter – unable to be purchased at this time

Smaller plate steel being used


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Handling plate steel through guillotine

Task that had previously been risk assessed was revisited using PErforM tool

Flat bed feeder table has been fitted with multi-directional roller ball bearings facilitating movement of plate steel

Magnetic handle grips used to move steel through guillotine

Significant manual handling risk reduction confirmed using these modifications and controls

Everhard Industries Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Using the hydrabend press



Cabinet panels to be imported in a ready to assemble state, which will eliminate the need to press any flat steel into shape

Cabinet panels are now imported ready to assemble; use of the hydrabend press has been eliminated

Spot welding cabinets



Cabinet panels to be pop riveted together rather than spot welded

A new jig with more manoeuvrability to be provided to hold the panels in place whilst being riveted together; the jig position will not be limited by the position of the spot welding machine so awkward postures will be eliminated

Cabinet panels are now pop riveted together

New jig to hold panels has been implemented

Powdercoating steel cabinets



No manual task risks identified using the PErforM tool

Task has been eliminated due to importation of ready-to-assemble powder coated panels

Packing laundry tubs



Install an adjustable height packing bench on this line

Increase rotation between tasks in this area

Improve work process flow by positioning plastic bags and empty cartons in a more accessible location

Regular maintenance of counter balance and swing arm to which the staple gun is attached

Packing table implementation pending

Increased staff rotation implemented

Work process flow improved by reorganising storage of cardboard and plastic

Improved maintenance of counter balance swing arm for staple gun


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Loading trucks Training and assessment completed


Limited manual task risks identified using the PErforM tool

No elimination or design controls identified – aim is to palletise the cartons and then forklift them onto the trucks.

Administrative controls – continuing education and manual task risk awareness training.

Unloading shipping containers

Task that had previously been risk assessed was revisited using PErforM tool

Design a purpose-built platform to raise the level of the worker to facilitate unloading higher cartons

Stack pallets to a height to facilitate appropriate handling techniques from purpose built platform

Investigate a mobile conveyor to transport cartons from shipping container to outside, then stack on a pallet for mechanical removal

Increase staff rotation

Implementation pending


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TJM Products

Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Unloading containers



Palletise fit kits

Palletise bull bars

Fit kits have been palletised

Bull bars to be palletised in future

Loading and unloading bars from etch line

Training and assessment Completed


Build 250mm high ramp to elevate workers to etch line and eliminate above-shoulder reach

Prototype ramp trialled successfully

New ramp is being built in-house and will be installed

Loading up fit kit table from mount bin


Controls developed; yet to be implemented

Build half cage frame to sit mount bin at correct height not at floor level

Controls yet to be implemented

Assembling plastics to sports bars


Controls developed; yet to be implemented

Lower assembly table legs by 200mm

Buy retractable pulleys to hold air drills

Controls yet to be implemented.

Shrink-wrapping Training and assessment completed

Controls developed; awaiting approval from management before implementing

Purchase a shrink wrap tunnel

Quote obtained for purchase of shrink wrap tunnel – management decision pending

Lifting bars onto pallets


Controls developed; awaiting approval from management before implementing

Purchase an automated conveyor ramp in conjunction with shrink wrapper

Quote obtained for purchase of automated conveyor ramp – management decision pending


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Bradken Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Oxy cutting of scrap


Controls developed and partially implemented

Automation

Move alloy bins

Hose support

Redesign work area

Redesign lance holder

Alloy bins have been moved, hose support implemented and lance holder redesigned. All working well

Plumbing for gas being re-routed to complete controls

Pouring of molten metal



Change to bottom pour ladles

Install a permanent air/electrical driven motor

Remote operation of air/electrical driven motor

Supply retractable hose

Provide air driven motors at all stations

Training

Retractable hoses and air driven motors have been implemented and trialled at one station, with good results

Quotes to be obtained for purchase of all motors

Training has been completed with new work method statement

Fettling furnaces Training and assessment completed


Purchase a mini Brokk excavator

Supply retractable air hose

Investigate a cargo style net to collect bricks/slag and remove this with overhead crane

Investigate different styles of chisels

Investigate different styles of jackhammers

Training, investigate air-fed helmets and anti-vibration gloves

Retractable air hoses have been implemented

Mini Brokk has been trialled and funding applied for

Specific training completed

Bagging of alloys and throwing into furnace



Alloys to be pre-packaged by supplier in 10kg bags

Build a frame to hold bag whilst filling with alloys

Design drawn up

Rebuilding of electrodes

Assessment pending

Assessment pending Assessment pending


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Russell Mineral Equipment Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Removing scrap steel from profile cutter and placing in recycle bin



Design and fabricate a new forklift assisted tipping bin

New tipping bin fabricated and implemented – has significantly reducted manual handling requirements and risks

Stacking mig wire rolls



Reduce roll size

Design and fabricate mig welding wire storage racks

Roll size reduced

Mig welding wire racks fabricated and installed – all lifting and stacking is now performed at waist height and with smaller loads and forces

Shovelling slag from under profile bed into waste bin



Install a more portable profile bed (lifted by overhead crane) to ensure easy access when cleaning up metal slag

More portable profile bed installed that is lifted out of the way using the overhead crane, facilitating easy cleaning of slag and the elimination of awkward postures

Sliding the plan scanning board on profiler



Source lighter and stronger material for plan scanning board and use rollers to reduce friction and slide into position

Lighter and stronger material is now use for plan scanning board and rollers are used to facilitate the sliding of the board into position, allowing for easy setup of plans prior to commencing profile cutting

Removing tape from painted components/parts sitting on pallets on the ground



Fabricate tables to suitable heights to perform task

Provide seating

Tables fabricated and installed

Seating provided

Has resulted in significant improvements to working posture


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Moving LPG bottles



Purchase new gas trolleys

Training of safe handling of gases

New adjustable gas trolleys have been purchased and workforce trained - has significantly reduced load handling as a result of using mechanical aids

Century Yuasa Batteries Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Labelling wet Batteries



Controls not yet reassessed

Automated lifting equipment, adjustable pallet stand

Bridging conveyor, overhead height controller

Access to both sides of the pallet

Training

Job rotation

Automated

Capping batteries


Better (thicker) fatigue matting

Improved footwear

Trial a step

Investigate design of vent plugs

Mechanise process

Vacuum system for loading vent plugs

Training

Optional job rotation

Controls identified have not progressed to completion

Loading battery filler

Training completed

Assessment underway

Four operators involved in the process of loading the batteries onto the acid filler conveyor – reviewed showed that all four operators complete the task differently

Further review will be undertaken for the operators to develop a standard practice in conjunction with the development of other controls to assist with the completion of the task

Pending


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End of line plate take-off

Training and assessment to be completed

To be completed To be completed

Tekmax loading Training and assessment to be completed


Cast on Training and assessment to be completed


Hastings Deering Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Hitch/lynch pin modification to lathe


Controls developed; implementation pending

Hitch/lynch pin modification designed and manufactured

Hitch/lynch pin manufactured and installed with good effect

Tightening a lathe chuck



Fit soft jaws to manual lathes

Develop a stand work procedure for tightening a lathe chuck

Controls successfully implemented

Moving cylinder trolley around the workshop and wash bay


Controls developed; awaiting implementation

Purchase a motorised tug to move cylinder trolley around the workshop to reduce the risk of injury to staff postures

Awaiting costing and implementation

Risk assessment of honer used on internal diameter of cylinder



Purchase and install an inertia reel that will attach to the grinder to reduce force on upper body

Purchase an adjustable bench for use when angle grinding internal surface of cylinder

Purchase anti-vibration gloves when operating the grinder on the cylinders

Anti-vibration gloves purchased and implemented. Awaiting costing and approval for other controls


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Moving a 208lt drum from the compound



Manufacture and install a rail at back of the oil compound

Rail has been manufactured and installed with good effect

Welding head onto cylinder



Manufacture a motorized system to be attached to the hydraulic bay welding stand

Manufacture an adjustable system for the roller work bench

Purchase anti-vibration gloves for use when operating needle gun

Anti vibration gloves have been purchased

Other controls are being costed prior to implementation

Moffat Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Handling prover frames



Purchase overhead cranes

Use magnets to attach prover frames to the overhead crane

Proposal has been put to management regarding the purchase of two new overhead cranes and lifting magnets

Capital expenditure to be raised in January 2011

Lifting large moulder cassettes out of jigs




Use magnets to attach moulder cassettes to the overhead crane



Lifting small moulder cassettes out of jigs




Use magnets to attach moulder cassettes to the overhead crane




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Neumann Steel Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

Raising coiled wire into position for guillotine


Controls developed; being costed for implementation

Pneumatic hoist to raise wire coils into position

Pneumatic mechanical solution being costed for implementation

64 manual tasks have been assessed using the PErforM tool across all sections of the plant

Training and assessment completed Controls developed and implemented for 28 of the tasks

Focus has been on design and engineering controls for 28 of the 64 tasks assessed

Further controls on remaining tasks to be systematically explored and implemented over time

Specific details not available at time of report

One Steel Task Status Risk controls identified Implementation

No tasks assessed using the PErforM tool due to withdrawal from the project

OneSteel will continue to use the PErforM tool internally outside the scope of the project

Training of site champion completed

Training of workgroup completed

No risk assessments completed

Tasks to be assessed by One Steel independently of project program

N/A


Appendix 2: Examples of controls implemented

Monadelphous Monadelphous achieved great success with the PErforM project and has been selected as one of the case studies. Monadelphous both undertook new risk assessments and completed other manual handling projects they already had in process.

Tasks selected included handling oxy bottles; using the oxy cutting tool when working on rotators; handling plate steel in the guillotine and horizontal profile cutter; and the storing and handling coiled wire and tools.

When handling gas and oxy bottles, the particular hazards identified using the PErforM tool were:

daily handling of oxy bottles by every boilermaker/welder

manual handling risks of high forces, poor coupling and awkward postures due to pallet height created risks of dropping bottles and possible crush injuries.

2 3 1 4 5

Figures 1-5: Figures 1 and 2 depict the new trolley designed to fit to the height of the pallet. Figures 3-5 show the reticulated gas system.

Controls identified by the workgroup were eliminating the handling of the bottles by reticulating the gas/oxy supply to the workshop; and implementing design changes to the existing two-wheel trolley.

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These controls were supported by management and implemented at a cost of approximately $80 000 for the reticulation system and $100 for the modification of the two-wheel trolley. The outcome is that 75% of all the oxy/gas used on-site is now delivered in bulk and reticulated throughout the workshop. The remaining 25% of bottles are handled by the redesigned trolley. These controls have removed all of the hazardous manual handling components associated with performing this task. As well as improving safety, the site reported substantial productivity gains as there has been less downtime due to changing bottles.

Other controls implemented focused on the handling of plate steel for the guillotine. Fabricating and implementing a stand with multiple ball bearings allowed simple movement of the steel plate across its surface using magnetic hand grips.

6 7 8

Figures 6-8: Figure 6 shows the steel plate stand with multiple ball bearings allowing simple movement of plate steel. Figure 7 is a single ball bearing on the stand. Figure 8 is the magnetic hand grip used to move the plate steel across the stand

Monadelphous also fabricated a mig welder stand that is fully adjustable vertically and horizontally. It is used when welding on the rotators to clamp and hold the welder in position. This has eliminated much of the static working postures, forceful gripping and awkward postures associated with this task.

9 10 11 Figures 9-11: Mig welder stand

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Figure 12: Reorganised tool store

Reorganising the tool store at the Monadelphous’s Gladstone workshop and installing a storage table for coiled wire boxes removed the awkward postures that occurred when manually handling these items.

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Everhard Everhard selected the following manual tasks to be assessed as part of the PErforM project: using the Hydrabend press spot welding cabinets powder coating steel cabinets packing laundry tubs, loading trucks unloading shipping containers.

Figure 13: The Hydrabend press

The Hydrabend press is used to bend plate steel in order to form panels for laundry tub assembly. This task, along with the need to later powdercoat the panels, has been eliminated by directly importing ready-made powder coated panels for assembly. 13

Figure 14: Assembling laundry tub panels

The assembly of laundry tub panels (previously performed by welding at floor level) has been replaced with pop rivets. The panels are now assembled on raised stands using supported spring-loaded pop rivet guns.

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Everhard are strong supporters of PErforM and have commenced rolling the tool out into the concrete moulding area of their business.

TJM Products TJM Products undertook six quality risk assessments with a motivated team of employees. The tasks selected included: unloading shipping containers loading and unloading bull bars from the etch line loading up fit kit table from the mount bin assembling plastics to sports bars shrink wrapping objects lifting bars onto pallets. Often TJM’s raw components arrive in tightly packed shipping containers from China. Unpacking the shipping containers involves manually intensive work with significant forces and awkward postures. To solve this problem, employees produced a mock-up palletised solution that can be moved in and out of the shipping containers by forklift, particularly when stacking bullbars. Management then travelled to China and successfully influenced the supply chain when packing the fit kits. The issue regarding the bull bars has not yet been resolved. Before

15 16 After

Figures 15 to 18: TJM Products’ process for unloading shipping containers before and after implementing PErforM.

17 18

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Another task assessed was the shrink wrapping of all objects produced at TJM. This task is manually intensive and involves awkward postures and forceful gripping actions to control the heat gun; and has the additional safety risks of molten plastic burns and fire. After using the PErforM risk assessment tool, a business case has been made to management for purchasing a shrink wrap tunnel capable of handling all objects with mechanical loading and unloading.

19 20

Figures 19 and 20: Manual shrink wrapping

Employees were also involved in manually lifting 45 kg bullbars onto hooks on the etch line, prior to spraying and coating. A number of solutions were considered (many were cost prohibitive) so employees decided to trial a raised platform to improve working postures and forces as an interim measure. A raised ramp and platform is now being built and installed by TJM. 21 22 Figures 21 and 22: Lifting bullbars onto the etch line

Bradken Bradken assessed four of the six identified manual tasks during the project, including oxy cutting scrap steel; pouring of molten metal; cleaning of the fettling furnaces; and bagging of alloys and throwing into the furnace. The controls implemented included: retractable hose and lance supports re-plumbing gas supplies trials of retractable and air driven motors when pouring molten metals the trial of a mini excavator for the cleaning of the fettling furnaces.

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The last task was selected as one of the case studies for further distribution across the manufacturing sector as an outcome of the project.

Before

23 After

24 25 Figures 23-25: Figure 23 shows typical work associated with clearing the fettling furnace. Figures 24 and 25 show the control using the remote controlled excavator.

Russell Mineral Equipment Russell Mineral Equipment (RME) completed six manual task risk assessments including removing scrap steel from profile cutters; stacking mig wire rolls; sliding the plan scanning board on the profiler; removing tape from painted components; and moving LPG bottles. A range of controls were implemented including: influencing suppliers to reduce wire roll sizes installing a modified profile cutting bed that can be lifted by overhead crane to facilitate

cleaning underneath using a lighter weight material and rollers to facilitate the movement of the scanning board on

the profile cutter installing adjustable work tables and seating for the operators when removing the painting tape purchasing gas adjustable trolleys for moving oxy bottles. Most notably, RME designed and fabricated a scrap steel removal system that was installed on each of their profile cutters. Located adjacent to the profile cutting bed, the scrap steel falls into the new skips, which are picked up by forklift, taken to the industrial waste bin and through a hinged tipping mechanism and slid into the scrap steel into the bin. Implementing these scrap steel skips has eliminated all manual handling from this task.

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Before

26 27

After

28

Figures 26-28: Figure 26 shows work on the profile cutter; figure 27 shows a worker shovelling profile pieces into the scrap bin; figure 28 shows the new scrap steel bin.

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Summary report: Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks ... · Summary report: Participative Ergonomics for Manual Tasks (PErforM) Program within the Manufacturing Industry . 6