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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Welcome to Basic

Ergonomics

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Objectives

• Increase awareness of basic ergonomics concepts and principles

• Identify occupational risk factors for strains, sprains, and cumulative trauma

• Learn to use various tools for identifying ergonomic concerns and analyzing jobs

• Understand basic control measures for improving ergonomic job design

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Ergonomics - What is it?

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Ergonomics - What is it?

Design ErrorMost people look like this...

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Ergonomics

Design ErrorMost people look like this...

Some designers think that people look like this...

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

DefinitionsFitting the task to the person rather than forcing him/her to adapt to his working environment.

Designing the workplace to prevent occupational injury and illness.

Discovering the capabilities and limitations of the human body.

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Working Definition

A Balance for Optimization

JobDemands

WorkerCapabilities

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Supporting Sciences

ERGONOMICS

PhysicalSciences

Biomechanics

WorkPhysiology

EngineeringPsychology

Anthropometry

EngineeringSciences

BehavioralSciences

BiologicalSciences

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Acute Vs. Cumulative Disorders

• Acute:– Result from a one time event

• Cumulative:– Result from repeated wear and tear; however, a

specific event may have been “the last straw” upon a previously weakened system and thus given the appearance that the problem is acute rather than chronic. {Stephen Konz. “Work Design; Industrial Ergonomics”, Third edition. 1990}

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

CTDs

Term assigned to identify a group of injuries that classically result from

long-term and repeated “wear and tear” on the musculoskeletal system.

• CUMULATIVE indicates injuries that develop gradually over time, and result from many repeated stresses on a particular body part.

• TRAUMA signifies bodily insult or injury from mechanical stresses.

• DISORDERS describes the adverse health effects that arise from chronic exposure to repeated trauma.

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

CTD Trauma Bucket Balanced

Your Job

Your Body

Trauma

Healing Valve

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Your Job

Your Body

Trauma

Healing Valve

CTD

CTD

CTD Trauma Bucket Unbalanced

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Material Handling Operations

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

VDT / Computer Operators

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Control / Display Design

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Workplace / Workstation Layout

D

E

CB

A

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Assembly / RepetitiveHand Intensive Tasks

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

All Other Work/Play/Life

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Why Ergonomics

?

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Win/Win

Higher Production

Higher Quality

Compliance

Lower Compensation Costs

Careers/Employment Longevity

Safe Working Conditions

Quality of life

Morale

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Employee Benefits

• Quality of Life

• Fewer Aches, Pains, & Injuries

• Career / Employment Protection & Longevity

• Jobs More Intuitive

• Less Fatigue

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Production Benefits

• Less Fatigue• Eliminates Unnecessary Handling• Reduces Bottlenecks• Increases Throughput• Optimization Cycle Time• Helps In Meeting Deadlines• Well Designed Jobs• Increase Profitability & Competitiveness

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Quality Benefits

• Less Scrap & Re-Work

• Increased efficiency

• Reduction of rushing and shortcuts

• Less Fatigue

• Improves Customer Satisfaction

• Better accuracy

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Compliance

• General Duty Clause

• Guidelines– NIOSH Elements of Ergonomics Process,1997– OSHA Meatpacking Guidelines, 1990– BSR/HFES-100/2002: VDT’s– Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) and

Workplace Factors – 1997– OSHA.GOV Ergonomics e-tools

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

“General Duty Clause” OSHA Act 1970Section 5.(a)

(1) Each Employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employee.

Compliance

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Workers’ Compensation / Loss Prevention

• Prevent Injuries/Illnesses from Occurring in the first place

• Reduction of the frequency of claims

• Reduction of Worker’s Compensation Costs

• Reduction absenteeism

• Reduced turnover

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Lost Time Injuries By Type of Cause

Transportation4%

Overexertion28%

Fall, Lower Level6%

Contact with object26%

Assault2%

Fall, Same Level12%

Repetitive Motion

4%

Slips, Trips3%

Other11%

Exposure to harmful

substance4%

NSC Injury Facts 2004

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

U.S. Injury and Illness Trends

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

'92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Total Recorded Injuries &Illnesses

% of Recorded Injuries ThatInvolve Back Injuries

Num

bers

of

inju

ries

Percentage of R

ecorded injuries that involve B

acks

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

U.S. Repeated Trauma Cases

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

'90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Claim Cost By POB

$10,358$16,564

$11,759$10,547

$9,588$10,243

$40,392$16,279$16,996$17,034$17,738

$23,903$11,005

$23,862$11,533

$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000

Ankle

Arm/Shoulder

Chest/Internal Organs

Face

Foot/Toe

Hand/Finger/Wrist

Head/CNS

Hip/Thigh/Pelvis

Knee

Leg

Lower Back

Multiple Body Parts

Multiple Trunk

Neck

Upper Back

NSC Accident Facts 042001 and 2002 Costs

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

High-Risk Jobs CTD 2000-2001 Incident Rates

Meat packingMotor vehicles & car bodiesMale trouser & slacksMotorcycles, bicycles, & partsPoultry processingEngine electric equipmentMen’s footwear, except athleticMotor vehicle partsSilverware & plated wareOphthalmic goodsHousehold appliances, n.e.c.

812.0726.9224.8123.8374.0258.2256.7221.1144.3132.5170.8

711.0 691.9448.4389.0320.2312.6250.5218.9214.6205.4201.1

2000 2001

Incidence rates = No. of illnesses per 10,000 workersU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

CTD Costs

NSC Injury Facts 2004

The average cost for Cumulative Trauma related Workers Compensation Claims filed in 2001 and 2002 equals $15,865

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

Iceberg AnalogyAccident Cost

•Medical Payments•Compensation

Supervisor time to investigate

Breaking in substitute

Efficiency due to break-up of crew

Damaged tools/equipment

Down-timeOverhead $ while work disrupted

Failure to meet deadline/fill orders

Loss of production

Loss of good willOvertime to make up production

Hiring costs

Lost time by fellow workers

Direct Costs

Indirect or HiddenCosts

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene

How much business does ABC Company need to generateto recover this Loss?

What amount of business volume do you need to offset the costs ofthe next accident in your organization?

C = Direct Injury Cost = $ 10,000M = Profit Margin = 3 %V = Business Volume required to break even from Injury (C) = (C) / (M / 100) = = ( 10,000) / (_3_ / 100) = $ 333,333.33

Or, including estimated indirect costs: 4X

total costs =$ 40,000Business volume needed= $ 1,333,333

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Ergonomics

INTRODUCTION

BWC Div. Of

Safety & Hygiene