"This document was published prior to the publication of OSHA's final rule
on Ergonomics Program (29 CFR 1910.900, November 14, 2000), and therefore
does not necessarily address or reflect the provisions set forth in the
final standard."
Aspects of this strategy include education of compliance
officers, workers, management, engineers and medical support
personnel in identifying sources of biomechanical stress and
associated musculoskeletal disorders at the workplace.
2. Intervention Strategy. Concurrent with an awareness strategy is
the need to promote specific control actions. The following three-tiered
intervention strategy is proposed for the prevention of musculoskeletal
disorders:
a. Selection and Placement of Workers in Jobs. Worker selection
and placement is a process by which a workforce is selected and maintained by
application of medical criteria, and/or performance criteria.
(1) The criteria are used to identify individuals with health
conditions or work capacities, such as reduced strength that would increase
their risk of personal injury if assigned to a job.
(2) To prevent abuse of such placement procedures, it is
necessary to identify the high-risk jobs and quantify the required
job-demands. Workers are matched to jobs as a function of the specific job
demands and worker capacities.
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(3) This effort draws on the skills of an ergonomist for
evaluating job demands. In addition, clinical experience in human physiology
and performance assessment is needed for evaluating worker
capacities.
b. Training of Workers to Use Safe Work Practices. Training may
also be used as an intervention technique for controlling workplace injuries
and illnesses.
(1) Training programs range from fundamental instruction on the
proper use of tools and materials, to instructions on emergency procedures,
and use of protective devices.
(2) More comprehensive training programs are being developed to
prepare the worker to participate in a broader range of worksite safety and
health activities.
(3) Programs designed to broaden the worker's involvement
include training in hazard identification, including observing and reporting
hazards, and participation in plant-wide control programs.
c. Ergonomic Redesign of Tools, Task and Work Station. The
third intervention strategy uses principles of ergonomics to control
workplace hazards through the redesign of work methods and
tools.
(1) Ergonomics is a discipline which recognizes the
physiological, anatomical, and psychological capabilities and limitations of
people with respect to their work tasks, equipment used, and the job
environment.
(2) The goal of ergonomics is to establish a best fit between
the human and imposed job conditions to ensure and enhance worker health,
safety, and comfort as well as productivity.
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(3) Moreover, the "best fit" can be achieved by focusing on job
and tool redesign, rather than worker training or selection.
(4) Hence, prevention is achieved with the ergonomic approach
as a natural result of the worker experiencing improved work postures,
reduced forces and fewer repetitions as a function of job
redesign.
3. Ergonomic Approach Is Most Effective. The ergonomic approach to
work place design must be recognized as the most effective and is the first
choice for controlling sources of workplace stress. Administrative controls,
such as employee selection and training should not be viewed as primary
methods of control. There are a number of reasons for this
priority.
a. First, unlike employee selection and training,which require
that each new employee be evaluated and instructed and thereafter monitored
to determine changes in capacity and compliance with the training procedures,
jobs and tools that are ergonomically" redesigned are relatively permanent
and, once implemented, do not normally require modification for each new
employee.
b. Secondly, employee screening and selection techniques by
nature distinguishes between those who are considered fit for the job and
those who are not. Fitness for a job must be based on actual job demands
which are often difficult to assess. Caution must be exercised that selection
procedures are specific to the job and avoid the general criteria of
selecting only the strongest or youngest workers.
c. Third, although training programs are a necessary and
significant part of the intervention strategy, they require each new employee
be instructed and thereafter monitored to determine compliance with training
instructions. This can be more costly and less positive than engineering
controls if used as the primary means of intervention.
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