Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-2012-0121-3225, September 2014. Evaluation of Ergonomic Hazards at a Label Manufacturing Facility.

摘要

The Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from managers at a label manufacturing facility. The employer was concerned about the potential for musculoskeletal disorders among employees working in the film and paper finishing departments. These employees received large film and adhesive rolls, which they joined through a fully automated system, and then cut the resulting product to size as specified by the purchaser. Finished rolls were transferred from a horizontal conveyor onto a wooden pallet for shipping. In May 2012, we looked at job tasks to find risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and spoke with a sample of employees about work, medical history, health symptoms, and health and safety concerns. Our observations indicate that workstations at this facility were not designed so that most people could safely perform job tasks. Employees were working in awkward postures that put them at risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Specifically, hand working heights were too low or too high, reach distances were too long, and employees had to continually bend at the waist. Employee reports of back pain were consistent with the ergonomic findings. Lack of a formal training program on job tasks resulted in a workforce that had inconsistent knowledge of how to do its job safely. Some employees were required to work long hours, which put them at an increased risk of injury because of lack of adequate recovery time.