OSHA Inspection: MUELLER WATER PRODUCTS, INC.

Issued

Oct 3, 1990

Abate by

May 2, 1991

Penalty

Initial $480 · Current $480

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: Th
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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
serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to:
a) Employees were subject to a variety of lifting, pushing, and pulling
hazards that resulted in an extensive history of entries in the OSHA
200 Logs for, 1988,1989,and 1990 in Departments 80A and 80B.
b) In Department 80A, at the northwest corner of the conveyor system,
the ground key identifier worker was exposed to lifting hazards
likely to result in serious lifting injury when he lifted containers
of casting weighting up to 90 lbs. from carts and pallets onto a two
level conveyor system 3 feet and 4 feet, 3 inches from the floor and
with body reach distances of approximately 18 inches.
The workplace lifting hazards that have resulted in numerous worker
injuries can be significantly reduced by a program including, but not
limited to, the following:
1) Identification of all current employees who experience symptoms
generally assocated with back and body muscle strain injuries.
identification of the jobs performed by those workers.
2) Perform an ergonomic assessment of each operation to identify
lifting, pushing, and pulling stressors which may be produced by
the environment, material and object moved and lifted, or by work
methods.
3) Implementation of control measures to increase adjustability of
position into the job and reduce awkward postures. (Example; adjust
the hotizontal and vertical load distances from the body to allow
workers to handle all heavy loads in an erect posture and close to
the body).
4) Workplace design parameters (such as load location, start/end
relationship, floor condition, scheduled maintenance program of the
tank wheels, body posture, keeping heavy objects off the floor,
storing heavy object at mid height, minimize the distance from the
body, use a two-person lift for heavy objects, use of lighter weight
objects (total weight reduction of the object).
5) For high lifting hazard workstations, provide mechanical lifting
aids which may include automatic leveling devices, scissor lifts
and lift tables, or articulated lifting arm manipulators.
6) Provide training for new employees and conduct annual training
sessions to familiarize workers with an appreciation of the types
of movements and postures which precipitate back injuries.
7) Implement an ongoing workplace education and awareness program
aimes at the maintenace of musculoskeletal health and prevention
of injuries. Specific efforts should include identifying high hazard
tasks and the ongoing effort to reduce their number and the severity
of the stressors that they contain.
8) Determine which jobs are low stress and could be used for light duty
and restricted work. Assign injured workers, workers returning from
extended leave, and new workers to those jobs for periods of two to
four weeks to allow their muscles to become work hardened. Monitor
the performance of the workers to determine their readiness to return
to regular work status.
Reinforce minimum stresslifting, pushing, pulling, and work
practices taught in Item 6 above. Consider the use of a trained
physical therapist in the monitoring of work progress toward
unrestricted work status.
ABATEMENT SCHEDULE
STEP 1
Effective administrative protection, such as employee training,
physical assessment, job rotation, etc., shall be provided as an
interim protective measure until feasible engineering or permanent
administrative controls can be implemented, which will reduce employee
exposure to nominal risk.
STEP 2
Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of abatement
outlining management's committment and responsibilities, as well as
a schedule for the implementation of engineering or administrative
measures to control employee injury due to manual lifting tasks.
Engineering controls to reduce musculoskeletal stresses include, but
are not limited to job redesign, reduction of the horizontal and
vertical load distance from the body, reduction of the lifting
frequency, or weight, and use of mechanical lifting aids. This plan
shall include (at a minimum) target dates for the following actions,
which must be consistent with the dates required by this citation.
1) Evaluation of the conditions, locations, and manual lifting
activities that the employees are performing at the onset of
musculoskeletal injuries.
2) Evaluation of applicable control measure(s).
3) Procurement, installation, and operation of selected control
measures.
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.
STEP 3
Abatement shall be completed within 30 days by implementation of
feasible engineering or administration controls and by verificiation
of their effectiveness in reducing the occurance of musculoskeletal
injuries.

Issued

Sep 12, 1990

Abate by

Sep 17, 1990

Issued

Sep 12, 1990

Abate by

Sep 17, 1990

Issued

Sep 12, 1990

Abate by

Sep 15, 1990

Issued

Sep 12, 1990

Abate by

Sep 15, 1990

Issued

Jul 12, 1990

Abate by

Jul 15, 1990