Health Hazard Evaluation Report, HETA-2007-0170-3070, United States Postal Service, Processing and Distribution Center, Seattle, Washington, September 2008. Ergonomic Evaluation of Loaders and Hashers at a Postal Processing and Distribution Center

摘要

On March 16, 2007, NIOSH received an HHE request from the management at the USPS Seattle P&DC to evaluate potential ergonomic hazards among workers at the Seattle, Washington P&DC. The redesign of the East Dock Hash Delivery Conveyor System area and a previous HHE request by employees prompted the request. During November 27-28, 2007, NIOSH investigators held an opening conference with representatives from USPS management and the National Postal Mail Handlers Local 316. NIOSH ergonomic specialists toured the hash delivery conveyor system (HDCS) area to observe loading and hashing (sorting) tasks specified in the request. The ergonomics evaluation indicated that workers are exposed to risk factors for developing musculoskeletal disorders due to heavy lifts and awkward postures. The employees were at elevated risk of injury while performing loading tasks, as measured by the revised NIOSH lifting equation (RNLE) and the University of Michigans 3-dimensional static strength prediction program (3DSSPP). Recommendations for reducing the risk of injury include improving the heights and horizontal reach distances of the lifts during loading and reorganization of the hashing stations.