School of Business

Workplaces and Design Stream:

MSD Prevention thru Safe Design

8 November 2018

11:40am – 12:25pm

Dr Peta Miller

Systematically integrating physical and

psychosocial risk assessments early in

any ‘design process’ to eliminate or

minimise risks throughout the entire life of

the plant or structure being designed.

and

Safe Design for MSDs means

Systematically integrating physical andpsychosocial risk assessment early in the ‘design process’ to eliminate or minimise the risks throughout the life of the plant orstructure being designed.

And

Systematically integrating physical and psychosocial risk assessment into the ‘processes’ for the design of the organisation and the work and systems to eliminate or minimise the risks.

Poor plant and equipment design

Contributes to traumatic deaths and injuries

37% definitely or probably

14% suggestive

of these 90% involve use of machinery and fixed

plant (Driscoll et al, 2008)

Known risk factors for work-related MSDs

Poor design of the structure influences

MSDs risks, culture and behaviour

Example of

access for roof

maintenance

workers before

and after

Images P. Breslin, Multiplex

Images www.pdf-inc.com/controls/hmi/

www.accurateergonomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Tasking-1.jpg

https://www.hazmatstudent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/awkward-postures-worker.jpg

Poor layout design shapes working postures -physically hazardous and stressful

Poor tool design creates known MSDs risks

Image: http://www.danmacleod.com/sample/images/ImgPrinciples/Posture/DriverHigh.jpg

Extreme and or limited ROM

Repetitive or sustained force

High or sudden force

Repetitive movement

Sustained and/or awkward posture

Exposure to vibration

Poor working environments and inherent

and risks impact safety

Extreme hot/cold

ambient

temperatures

known MSD risk

10- 800% greater

risk if working in

heat (Pisaniello et al

2018)

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Image - www.ontask.ca/awkward-posture/

Contribution to frustration, stress,

fatigue and errors commonly

ignored or inadequately

considered in MSDs risk

assessments

Human computer/machine interface designs shape physical, cognitive

and emotional responses

Psychosocial

hazards arising

from design and

management of

work and

organisational

context

Physically, emotionally and cognitively

demanding work

Long working hours/shift work

Time pressure

Poor job control

Responsibly control imbalance

Poor informational, instrumental and

emotional support

Challenging physical working environment

Working alone or isolated work

Workplace conflict

Effort reward imbalance etc

Poor ‘plant and work design’ erodes

coping capacity, safety and performance

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➢ Requires more physical, mental and emotional effort

➢ Increased physical and mental fatigue and stress

➢ body part discomfort and fatigue

➢ reduced cognitive capacity

➢ reduced ‘stress tolerance’

➢ Increased slips, lapses, mistakes, deliberate violations and ‘poor behaviours

Under stress poorer performance is almost inevitable

✓ Designs ‘fit diverse users’ not ask ‘users to fit’ the design

✓ Good designs accommodate operational needs

✓ Understand how people really work and accommodate safe or restrict

unsafe ‘work arounds’

✓ Ensures all ‘hidden designers’ of work understand the implications of

their decisions

✓ WHS risks considered at contemplation, throughout design process

and checked at final review

✓ Uses tools like PErforM

✓ Uses optioneering, protype testing, design review workshops, piloting

of new plant and work systems to verify and validate design solutions

Getting to ‘good’ needs participatory

design approaches

✓ Are architects, builders and interior designers adequately considering

the manual tasks that will or may be performed throughout the whole

lifecycle of the building (construction, use, maintenance and

refurbishment)?

✓ Do you (as the purchaser) know what your workers and other users

(eg patients, visitors) WHS risks might be?

✓ Are you actively communicating these to the designers and builders?

✓ Are you checking these risks have been adequately considered and

controlled in new buildings and fit outs before you accept sign off?

✓ Are you doing a thorough post-occupancy review to identify and then

fix issues?

Buy safe buildings MSD checklist

Buy Safe plant and materials

Design and manufacturing standards vary in

completeness and relevance especially with new

technology

While there are WHS obligations on designers,

manufacturers and suppliers of plant and lifting

equipment these are not always met

Mistakes are costly - buyer beware

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Buy Safe MSD checklist

✓ Are the right people (right qualifications and expertise) authorising your purchases? Do they understand the ‘work as real’?

✓ Have your workers had genuine input?

✓ Has a risk assessment been done before purchase to identify unintended use or misuse risks and are these adequately controlled?

✓ Have you checked is it ‘fit for purpose’, will it do the intended job?

✓ Will it ‘fit right’, is it comfortable and safe to use now and in the future?

✓ Will it represent long term value for money? 15

Buy Safe MSD checklist continued

✓ Will you inspect and pilot test before you place the order?

✓ Is it easy to learn to safely use?

✓ Does it ‘tell’ the user if it is unsafe or there are unsafe operating conditions?

✓ Can it be adequately, easily and affordably maintained?

✓ Can it be safely and quickly transported to where it is needed?

✓ Can it be conveniently and safely stored when not in use?

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Image: www.ggrgroup.com

Buy Safe PPE MSD checklist

Is the PPE at your site a hazard or control? PPE purchased by you or by your workers and others.

✓ Does PPE ‘fit right’ - is it comfortable and safe to use by your staff now and in the future? (anthropometrics – suits the full range of worker body dimensions and strength etc.)?

▪ Uncomfortable PPE wont be used and can create safety risks

✓ Do staff use PPE and if not why not?

▪ Forcing workers to wear PPE when risks are not present can be counterproductive. If they are not using them see if this is justified.

✓ Are back braces being used as a PPE? If they are this should trigger a new risk assessment.

▪ Back braces are of no or limited benefit in reducing pain and increasing RTW (van Duijvenbode et al 2008) except in very limited circumstances

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Use it safe It is not what people say they do most of the time – it is what

they actually do when under time pressure.

Check if and how plant and lifting devices are really used

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Image:www.unison.org.uk

Operating plant safely MSD checklist

✓ Are operating procedures and instructions clear and up

to date?

✓ Is the paperwork a help or a hazard?

✓ Do people know how to safely and efficiency use plant

including manual handling devices?

✓ Does the site design and working conditions allow the

equipment including lifting devices to be used safety?

✓ Do people check if the plant it safe or if operating

conditions have changed? (new risks and controls still appropriate)

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Safe operating conditions checklist

✓ If hazardous manual

handling is still part of

the job, are the best

lifting techniques

known and used?

✓ Is there good

communication and

coordination between

those working and

lifting together?

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Image: https://www.kinnect.com.au/services/manual-handling-programs/

Safe operating conditions checklist

✓ Does your organisational culture actively support safe manual handling practices?

✓ Check again does the work design (especially time pressures) allow plant and lifting devices to be used safely?

✓ Are reasonable adjustments made for workers with special needs?

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http://phoenixsafety.ie/wp/wp-

content/uploads/2015/03/pregnant_employee.jpg

Keep it safe - checklist

✓ Are equipment and materials stored to minimising hazardous manual handling and slips, trips and falls?

✓ Does the culture support good housekeeping?

✓ Are maintenance scheduled followed?

✓ Are faults like excessive vibration promptly addressed?

✓ Are faults and maintenance issues included in your risk register, given appropriate priority rating and addressed?

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Image: http://safetytopics.com/surviving-hazards/

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QDW4DEvHPQo/UzAjc9jEClI/AAAAAAAAANk/w1xUXJNsHNQ/s1600/foto

Does your risk management processes include

safe design, buy safe, use safe and keep it safe

approaches?

✓ Does your organisational change management policies

specify checking and controlling for new WHS risks?

✓ Are the key MSD risks including the biomechanical,

psychosocial and environment hazards/risks included in

your risk register?

✓ Are these adequately controlled?

✓ Are the residual risks known? Are they adequately

controlled?

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Do you double check your MDS risk controls

adequate?

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Key Messages - MSD prevention

Design in safety – ensure those who design the work and working environments design out MSD and psychosocial risks

Buy safe – ensure your plant and equipment procurement are appropriate and don’t introduce risks

Use it safely - ensure your work design and system supports safe use of plant and equipment

Keep it safe - monitor buildings, plant and workspaces –ensure your housekeeping and maintenance is appropriate

Keep learning from what is going right as well as what when wrong

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For further information

peta.miller@adfa.edu.au

Telephone: 02 626 88836

Mobile: 0421585128