OSHA Inspection: EATON ELECTRICAL INC.

Issued

Aug 25, 1992

Abate by

Jul 1, 1993

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,900 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  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
exposed to:
Employees working in Department 1800 were exposed to excessive
ergonomic stress caused by repetitive motions associated with the
manufacture of pullout cases and circuit breakers.  The repetitive
motion, wrist flexion, associated screwdriver torque, and hand,
arm and leg exertions caused, aggravated, or precipitated carpal
tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, ganglion cysts, strains and numbness
of the hands, wrists, shoulders, legs, back, and neck and other
musculoskeletal effects.
Workers can be protected from the workplace ergonomic stressors
by a program including but not limited to the following:
Recognition:
1.   Use the assistance of an expert by education, training and
experience in the field of ergonomics to conduct a com-
prehensive study of the workplace aimed at a more extensive
exposition of the workplace ergonomic hazards that affect
workers and that can result in static posture and repetitive
motion related disease.
2.   Use a combination of worker questionnaires, as appropriate,
and medical examinations to identify and establish a baseline
of workers who have symptoms associated with work related
muscle strain and/or cumulative trauma disorders (CTD).
3.   Redesign the work stations to achieve minimum ergonomic
stress to the workers.  After 60 days, use worker question-
naires to establish whether further improvements are needed
in engineering and administrative controls.  Make further
adjustments in work station and task design.  After another
60 days re-evaluate the revisions.
Engineering Modifications/Controls
Investigate a series of work station and work process changes that
include:
1.   Redesign the work stations to assure employee body positions
are maintained in a manner that limits stressful forces for
an assigned job.  Install seated work stations which can
reduce body stress and evaluate their use.  Ergonomically-
designed work stations include adjustable chairs equipped
with back, seat and foot supports to provide proper postural
support to the back, legs and shoulders.  Footrests should
have wide foot rest surfaces for the workers' feet, which are
inclined at an angle of 25 degrees from the horizontal.
2.   Establish a tool selection and maintenance program that
considers the following:
a.   Use ergonomically-designed tools with handles and tool
angles that maintain the wrist in a neutral position.
b.   The handle length of tools should be at least 4 inches
long to allow the worker some freedom of hand placement
on the handle.  Avoid fluted or ridged handles which
only fit a certain percentage of workers' hands com-
fortably.
c.   Ensure that ergonomic tools are used as intended.
Pistol handled power drivers should be used on vertical
surfaces.  Inline handled power drivers should be used
on horizontal surfaces.
d.   For trigger activated tools, use trigger strips that
can be operated by 2 or 3 fingers, instead of trigger
buttons.
e.   Ensure that the weight of the tools is kept low.  Tools
heavier  than  1-2  pounds   should  be  supported  by a
counter-balance.   Evaluate the  present counter-balance
systems to ensure  that the tool's center of gravity is
aligned with the center of the grasping hand.
f.   Establish a regular inspection schedule for power tools
to ensure that they are operated at the optimum per-
formance, for instance, check the counter-balance
systems.  Ensure that employees have the ability to
maintain their own tools, for instance, lubrication of
power tools.
g.  Use jigs or guides to hold parts being worked on, for
instance, use a guide that allows the circuit breaker
to slide or fit into the riveting position and elim-
inates the need for the employee to hold the circuit
breaker.
Medical Management
Establish a series of programs aimed at securing medical identification
and treatment of workers' ergonomic injuries and illness that include
but are not limited to the following:
1.   Monitor new and CTD damaged workers.  Determine whether they
are performing tasks using the company prescribed methods,
practices and workplace configurations.  Periodically review
the performance with the worker, supervisor, safety and
health director and the medical department manager.
2.   Encourage workers to advise company management as to repeti-
tive motion disorder symptoms they experience, as soon as
possible, so medical intervention can take place.
3.   In coordination with the injured worker's doctor, after a CTD
illness, provide work that is consistent with the worker's
capabilities.
Worker Ergonomic Hazard Awareness
1.   Develop a training program that instructs workers in the
recognition of neutral postures for the body, arm, and hand
to avoid repetitive motion or cumulative trauma disorders.
Train workers to use minimum stress methods for task per-
formance and enforce its use.
2.   Train workers in the proper adjustment of ergonomic chairs
and arrangement of work stations.  Train workers in the
proper use of tools.
Ergonomic Incident Reporting
1.   Establish improvements in workplace injury and illness
recordkeeping  to improve the ability to perform trend
analysis.
2.   Ensure that an effective procedure exists that collects more
meaningful information on OSHA-101 (or equivalent) accident
report forms.
Administrative Controls
Implement a program of employee rotation or rest periods to reduce
overstressing susceptible body areas.
Disclaimers
1.   The  employer  is  not  limited  to the abatement  methods
suggested by OSHA.
2.   The methods explained are general and may not be effective
in all cases.
3.   The employer is responsible for selecting and carrying out
an appropriate abatement methods that the employees are
performing.
Submit to Area Director in writing a detailed plan of abatement within
30 days, establishing a schedule for the implementation of engineering
or administrative measures to control employee exposure to undue
ergonomic stressors.  This plan shall include, at a minimum, dates for
the following actions which must be consistent with dates required by
this citation.
1.   Evaluation of the conditions, locations, and activities that
the employees are performing.
2.   Evaluation of applicable control measure(s).
3.   Procurement, installation, and operation of selected control
measures.
4.   Assure effective utilization of the control measure(s).
Abatement shall have been completed by implementation of feasible
engineering or administrative controls.

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Jul 29, 1992

Penalty

Initial $2,500 · Current $2,500

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Aug 17, 1992

Penalty

Initial $2,500 · Current $1,000 Reduced

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Jul 4, 1992

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Jul 29, 1992

Penalty

Initial $2,500 · Current $2,500

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Jul 29, 1992

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Jul 29, 1992

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Jul 29, 1992

Issued

Jun 26, 1992

Abate by

Aug 17, 1992

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $1,000 Reduced