Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders Recognition and Control

Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal DisordersRecognition and Control

Work Related Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders

Repetitive Motion Disorders (Exposure)

Highest median days away from work (18)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Nature of injury/illness)

Highest median days from work (28)

Tendinitis (Nature of Injury/Illness) Median 11 days from work

Evidence for Causal Relationship Between Physical Work Factors and MSDs

Strong InsufficientBody Part Evidence Evidence Evidence Risk Factor (+++) (++) (+/0)

Neck/Shoulder Repetition X Force X Posture X Vibration X Combination

Evidence for Causal Relationship Between Physical Work Factors and MSDs

Strong InsufficientBody Part Evidence Evidence Evidence Risk Factor (+++) (++) (+/0)

Shoulder Repetition X Force X Posture X Vibration X Combination

Evidence for Causal Relationship Between Physical Work Factors and MSDs

5

Strong InsufficientBody Part Evidence Evidence Evidence Risk Factor (+++) (++) (+/0)

ElbowRepetition XForce XPosture XCombination X

Hand WristTendinitis Repetition X Force X Posture X Combination X

Evidence for Causal Relationship Between Physical Work Factors and MSDs

6

Strong InsufficientBody Part Evidence Evidence Evidence Risk Factor (+++) (++) (+/0)

Hand/Wrist Carpal tunnel syndrome Repetition X Force X Posture X Vibration X Combination X

 Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome Vibration X

Common Risk Factors

Force and Repetition Force Repetition Posture

WRUEMD Risk Factor Examples

Risk Factor Examples

Look for Clues- Checklist

Look for Clues Checklist

Look for Clues-Quick Assessment Tools

Washington State Hazard Zone and Caution Zone Checklist http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/ergo/evaltools/CautionZones2.pdf http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/ergo/evaltools/HazardZoneChecklist.PDF

Computer User Checklist

Construction Ergonomic Checklist http://www.elcosh.org/en/document/4/d000003/construction-ergonomics-checklist.html http://www.elcosh.org/

Risk Factor Examples

Look for Clues Risk Factor Checklist

Look for Clues Risk Factor Checklist

Look for Clues Risk Factor Checklist

Look for Clues Risk Factor Checklist

Prioritize Jobs for Improvement

• The frequency and severity of the risk factors you have identified that may lead to injuries

• The frequency and severity of complaints, symptoms,

and/or injuries

• Technical and financial resources at your disposal

• Ideas of workers for making improvements

• Difficulty in implementing various improvements • Timeframe for making improvements

Questions for selecting improvement options:

o Reduce or eliminate most or all of the identified risk factors?

o Add any new risk factors that have not been previously

identified?

o Be affordable for our organization (e.g., is there a simpler, less

expensive alternative that could be equally effective)?

o Affect productivity, efficiency, or product quality?

o Provide a temporary or permanent “fix”?

o Be accepted by employees…will it affect employee morale?

o Be able to be fully implemented (including training) in a

reasonable amount of time?

Make Improvements

Follow Up

Questions for evaluating improvements:

o Reduced or eliminated fatigue, discomfort, symptoms, and/or

injuries?

o Been accepted by workers?

o Reduced or eliminated most or all of the risk factors?

o Caused any new risk factors, hazards, or other problems?

o Caused a decrease in productivity and efficiency?

o Caused a decrease in product and service quality?

o Been supported with the training needed to make it effective?

CONTROL TECHNOLOGY

Tool redesign Workstation redesign Job methods Job rotation Rest Breaks Machine pacing Medical surveillance

Early detection

Right Tool For The Job

REDUCTION OF REPETITION

Task Enlargement

Mechanization

Automation

REDUCTION OF EXTREME JOINT MOVEMENT (EASIEST)

Altering tool or controls

Workstation Design

Moving the Worker

REDUCTION OF FORCE

Reducing the force

Spreading the force

Better mechanical advantage

REMEMBER WORKSTATION DESIGN GUIDELINES

Design where hands spend most of time

Normal reach envelope

Elbow height

Edge compression

Limit forward reaches to 16!

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Industry and Job Specific Guidelines

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/index.html http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/ http://www.elcosh.org/ http://www.oshainfo.gatech.edu http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/index.html