OSHA Inspection: ORE-IDA FOODS - CELESTIAL FACTORY

Issued

Jan 30, 1992

Abate by

Oct 1, 1993

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,500 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
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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 sorters and
drillers in the production department were required, as part of their
jobs, to perform repetitive motions in postures that resulted in
finger, hand, wrist and arm stressors that caused numerous incidents
of cumulative trauma disorder to the musculoskeletal system:
(a) Sorter - sorting room, repetitively using fingers, hands and
arms to grasp, lift and position whole potatoes onto a conveyor
line, and to place whole potatoes onto a tray and to lift, carry
and place tray into a rack.
(b) Driller - production room, lines A & B, repetitively using
fingers, hands and arms to grasp, lift and direct half potatoes
into a drilling (meat removing) machine.
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 repeti-
tive motion hazards in the workplace.  This analysis should
include development and use of an ergonomic checklist and
employee questionnaire.  Periodic surveys of the workplace
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
cumulative trauma disorder (CTP) injuries.  The program should
address early recognition, evaluation, and referral of CTD
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 the driller and sorter operations, and how to prevent
CTDs.  A supervisors' training program should also be
implemented to allow recognition of repetitive motion hazards
and to reinforce the employer's ergonomics program.
(4) Hazard prevention and control which includes engineering, work
practice, and administrative controls.
(a) Administrative controls are implemented which reduce the
duration, frequency, and severity of exposure to repeti-
tive motion hazards.  These controls may include job
rotation and reduction of repetitions.
(b) Work practice controls are implemented which include
proper work techniques and new employee conditioning.
Examples of work practice controls applicable in this
workplace include:
(i)  Maintain a reasonable work pace, and
(ii) Rotate employees to jobs with less stressors.
(c) Engineering controls are designed by a qualified ergonom-
ist and may include workstation redesign.  The goal of
this program should be to make the job fit the person and
to reduce the frequency of repetitive movements.
Examples of engineering controls applicable to this
workplace include:
(i)   Sorter
Lower the sizers so placement of the potato against
the sizing gauge does not cause unnecessary wrist
bending.
(ii)  Sorter
Eliminate the racks by designing a potato conveying
system that would take the product from the sorting
line into and through the baking ovens.
(iii) Driller
Install a helicoid-shaped baffle at the end of the
slicer to position the half-potatoes onto the
drilling line in a sliced-surface-down position.
(iv)  Driller
Install a vibrator, either mechanical or electrical,
in key positions on the conveyor for more efficient
movement of the potatoes.
(NOTE: To minimize abuse of such placement procedures it
is necessary to identify the right-risk jobs and quantify
the required job-demands. Workers should be matched to jobs
as a function of the specific job demands and worker
capacities.)
Medical examinations and counseling of employees as soon
as symptoms generally associated with repetitive trauma
disorders are reported. Detailed examinations of each
employee's specific work history should be performed, and
medical treatment, including ice therapy, anti-inflammatory
medications and exercise therapy, should be considered
where appropriate. Employees should be alerted to the
minimal effectiveness of surgical interventions, especially
when returning to a job with high risk factors.
Employees should be prohibited to return to their former
jobs following surgery until the work environment has been
modified to the extent that the risk of recurrent injury
has been minimized.
Follow-up of mild cases of impairment to ensure that
medical treatment and job changes have been effective.