OSHA Inspection: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE, WILLOW GROVE HUB

Issued

Sep 22, 1993

Abate by

Jun 22, 1994

Penalty

Initial $2,975 · Current $2,975

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act: The employer
did not furnish
employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized
hazards that were
causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in
that employees were
required to perform lifting tasks resulting in stresses that had caused
were causing, or were
likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries:
a)  Employees working as drivers and loaders/unloaders of small
delivery trucks lift
boxes weighing up to 70 lbs. from the floor of the delivery truck.
The evaluation of this
manual lifting task indicates that employees are exposed to a
hazard which is causing or
likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries.  The employer did not
implement an effective
control strategy to reduce or eliminate such injuries.  The injury
and illness records for
1992, 1993, documented a pattern of musculoskeletal injuries, on
or about July 28,
1993.
b)  Employees working as sorters pick off transfer crates and dump
the contents.  The
evaluation of this manual lifting task indicates that employees
are exposed to a hazard
which is causing or likely to cause an effective control strategy
to reduce or eliminate
such injuries.  The injury and illness records for 1992, 1993,
documented a patter of
musculoskeletal injuries, on or about July 28, 1993.
c)  Employees working in the sort isle lift boxes weighing up to
70 lbs. to a conveyor
directly up and toward incoming packages.  The evaluation of this
manual lifting task
indicates that employees are exposed to a hazard which is causing
or likely to cause
musculoskeletal injuries.  The employer did not implement an
effective control strategy
to reduce or eliminate such injuries.  The injury and illness
records for 1992, 1993,
documented a patter of musculoskeletal injuries, on or about July
28, 1993.
d)  Employees working as sorters of high volume directs lift
packages weighing up to
70 lbs.  The evaluation of this manual lifting task indicates that
employees are
musculoskeletal injuries.  The employer did not implement an
effective control strategy
to reduce or eliminate such injuries.  The injury and illness
records for 1992, 1993,
documented a pattern of musculoskeletal injuries.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is
the implementation of an ergonomics management program consisting of the
following four
elements:
(1)     Worksite analysis to recognize and identify existing
manual lifting hazards
in the workplace.  This analysis should include
development and use of
an ergonomic checklist and employee questionnaire.
Periodic surveys of
the worksite shall be conducted at least annually to
evaluate work
practices and engineering controls.  Employee
participation in the
ergonomic program should be encouraged through a mechanism
such as
a safety committee.
(2)     Medical management which includes accurate recordkeeping
of manual
lifting injuries.  The program should address recognition,
evaluation,
treatment, and referral of lifting cases.  systematic
worksite review by the
medical team should also be included in the program.
(3)     Training and education for exposed employees, including
methods to
evaluate the effectiveness of the training.  Re-training
should be done
annually or as operations change.  Training should address
hazards
associated with the job, the risks of manual material
handling,
and how
to prevent lifting injuries.  a supervisors' training
program should also be
implemented to allow recognition of manual lifting
hazards, and to
reinforce the employer's ergonomic program.
(4)     Hazard prevention and control which includes engineering,
work practices
and administrative controls.
(a)    Administrative controls are implemented which
reduce the
duration, frequency, and severity of exposure to
manual lifting
hazards.  These controls may include job rotation,
reduction of
repetitions, multiple person lifts, and
preventative maintenance of
related equipment.
(b)    Work practice controls are implemented which
include proper
work techniques, new employee conditioning, proper
placement of
loads, and reduction of weight lifted.
Examples of work practice controls applicable to
this workplace
include:
i)  Train employees on proper lifting techniques.
ii)  Institute work hardening program for newly
hired employees.
iii)     Rotate employees during their workshift to
less strenuous
locations  such as working in a truck with
lighter objects vs. a
truck with  heavy objects.
(c)    Engineering controls are designed by a qualified
ergonomist and
may include work station redesign, tool and handle
redesign, and
use of mechanical lifting aids.  The goal of this
program should
be to make the job fit the person.
Examples of engineering controls applicable to this
workplace
include:
i)     Install on delivery truck heavy duty
shelves at 30 inches from
truck floor.  This would be where most
heavy packages would be
loaded.
ii)     Install detachable or stationary slide to
aide in the transfer
of crates at the small sort pick off area.
iii)     Install a toe rest in the sort isle to
allow employees to get
closer to the upper horizontal belt or
shorten the width of
the floor conveyor to allow the feet more
foot
room.
v)     Install an edge to the high volume direct
pick off table
which allows the employee to get as close
to the package
as possible before lifting.
Step 1 - Implementation of an ergonomics program for worksite analysis,
medical management,
and training and education as detailed in items 1-3, above.
Step 2 - Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of
abatement outlining a schedule
for the implementation of the administrative, work practice and
engineering controls
as detailed in items 4(a) - 4(c).
All proposed control measures shall be approved for each
particular use by a person
trained in the evaluation of workplace conditions which cause
musculoskeletal
disorders.  Sixty (6) day progress reports are required during
the abatement period.
Step 3 - Implementation of administrative, work practice and engineering
controls as described
in items 4(a) - 4(c), above.