OSHA Inspection: CARRIAGE HILL FOODS

Issued

Jun 7, 1990

Abate by

Aug 9, 1993

Penalty

Initial $800 · Current $560 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:
a) The employees in the Bacon dept., were exposed to undue repetitive
motion trauma. This trauma was due to repeated hand, wrist, arm,
and/or upper body exertions causing, aggravation, or precipitating
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendinitis, tenosynovits, bursitis,
epicondylitis, strains, sprains and other repetitive trauma induced
injuries and/or illnesses.
Feasible and useful remedies include, but are not limited to the
following:
1) Design and provision of work stations that can accomodate the height
and reach limitations of various sized workers.
2) Work platforms that move up and down for operations such as loaders.
3) Skids properly located to reduce the need to twist and/or turn while
stacking boxes.
4) Provision of mechanical lifting devices ans/or powered palletizing
devices to reduce the need for employees to bend over excessively
and/or lift overhead during stacking operations and other operations
involving lifting, such as the movement of loaded boxes onto line
conveyors.
5) The use of diverging conveyors off the line to allow certain
activities to be performed at slower rates.
6) Provision and utilization of automated devices and/or appropriately
designed cutting tools for operations such as the trimming of bellies
prior to loading.
7) Provide a machine assist that will push the bacon into the cardboard
sleeves or position the worker so that putting the bacon into the
sleeve can be done with a straight push motion.
8) Increasing the number of workers performing tasks such as the pushing
or pulling of bacon carts.
9) Routine inspection of material handling equipment such as carts,
combos, and conveyors and expeditious handling of any equipment found
to be in need of repair to reduce strain on employees.
10) Provision of adequate work space for each employee to perform their
assigned duties.
11) Utilization and expansion of methods of employee rotation to allow
sufficient rest pauses between similar repetitive type motions.
12) Consider reducing the number of continuous days worked along with
reduction of the number of hours worked per day to reduce fatigue and
allow adequate rest intervals.
13) Consider modifying (reduce and/or stabilize) line speeds.
14) Comprehensive employee training in the importance of proper lifting
and material handling techniques.
15) Education of employees as to what ergonomic injuries/illnesses are
and how to reduce their effects prior to initial assignment to a job
and at least annually thereafter.
16) Establishment and strict supervisory adherence to a regimented
training program for new, returning, and/or relocated employees that
allows for gradual strengthening and conditionig over a minimum 4 to
6 week period prior to full-time assignment to a particular job.
17) Improve medical services: pre-employment examinations pertinent to
medical nerve distribution and muscular aberrations, wrist flex test,
electromyelogram (conduction time of nerve) and periodic examinations
during employment.
18) Training for supervisors, in addition to that given to other
employees, that will enable them to recgonize hazardous work practice
and to reinforce the employer's ergonomic program, especially the
ergonomic training of employees as may be needed.

Issued

Jun 7, 1990

Abate by

Aug 9, 1993

Penalty

Initial $800 · Current $560 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:
a) Employees in the Ham Boning dept. were exposed to undue repetitive
motion trauma. This trauma was due to repeated hand, wrist, arm,
and/or upper body exertions causing, aggravating, or precipitating
the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendinitis, tenosynovits, bursitis,
epicondylitis, strains, sprains and other repetitive trauma induced
injuries and/or illnesses.
Feasible ad useful remedies include but are not limited to the
following:
1) Use of boning knives other than the straight blade, straight handle
design e.g., curved handle, curved blade, pistol grip handle.
2) Periodic re-training of employees in the importance of and proper
techniques of sharpening and steeling boning and ring knives.
3) Design and provision of work stations that can accommodate the height
and reach limitations of various sized workers.
4) Provision of mechanical lifting devices to lift tubs of skins and/or
re-design of the process by which belly skins are collected on the
belly Trim Line to reduce or eliminate the need for employees tolift
the tubs of skins from below the existing conveyor.
5) The use of diverging conveyors off the main Boning line to allow
certain activities to be performed at slower rates.
6) Consider increasing the number of workers performing tasks such as
boning and trimming.
7) Routine inspection of equipment and tools such as ring knives and
expeditious handling of any such equipment found to be in need of
repair or replacement.
8) Provision of adequate work space for each employee to perform their
assigned duties on the boning and trim lines.
9) Utilization and expansion of methods of employee rotation to allow
sufficient rest pauses between similar repetitive type motions.
10) Consideration reduction of the number of continuous days worked
along with reduction of the number of hours worked per day to reduce
fatigue and allow rest intervals.
11) Consider modifying (reduce and/or stabilize) line speeds.
12) Comprehensive employee training in the importance of proper lifting
techniques.
13) The use of delivery bins that more effectively deliver hams and
bellies to line pullers, feeders, or skinners to reduce the amount
of pulling and lifting associated with these jobs.
14) Product chutes and bins properly located so that workers do not have
to toss products and by-products.
15) Use of automated or mechanical devices to aid in removing bones and
in separating meat from bones.
16) Ensuring that the meat to be processed is completely thawed.
17) Provisions of adequate quanities of sharpened knives to complete the
work shift or provision of adequate time periods during the work
shift for sharpening of knives.
18) Repositioning and/or redesign of ring knife cables to reduce strain
on employee's arms and shoulders.
19) Education of employees as to what ergonomic injuries/illnesses are
and how to reduce their effects prior to initial assignment to a job
and at least annually thereafter.
20) Establishment and strick supervisory adherence to a regimented
training program for new, returning, and/or relocated employees that
allows for gradual strengthening and conditioning over a minimum 4
to 6 week period to full-time assignment to a particular job.
21) Improve medical services: pre-employment examinations pertinent to
medical nerve distribution and muscular aberratins, wrist flextest,
electromyelogram (conduction time of nerve), and periodic
examinations during employment.
22) Training for supervisors, in addition to that given to other
employees, that will enable them to recognize hazardous work
practices and to reinforce the employer's ergonomic program,
especially the ergonomic training of employees as may be needed.

Issued

Jun 7, 1990

Abate by

Aug 9, 1993

Penalty

Initial $800 · Current $560 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 in the Curing dept., were exposed to undue repetitive motion
trauma. This trauma was due to repeated hand, wrist, arm, and/or upper
body exertions causing, aggravating, or precipitating the Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome, Tendinitis, Tenosynovitis, Bursitis, Epicondylitis,
strains, sprains, and other repetitive trauma induced injuries and/or
illnesses.
Feasible and useful remedies include but are not limited to the
following:
1) Design and provision of work stations that can accommodate the
heights and reach limitations of various sized workers.
2) Work platforms that move up and down for operations such as belly
or ham hanging.
3) Redesign of the lines or tree system to reduce or eliminate the
need for repetitive bending and overhead lifting by employees while
hanging products.
4) Redesign of the system by which hams are bagged to eliminate the
need for an employee holding the bags on the stuffing horns.
5) Provision of product bags that are of sufficient size to allow
workers to grasp them easily while performing stuffing operations.
6) Redesign of the supply bin-dumper system to effectively reduce
the amount of pulling of bellies required of employees feeding the
Belly Pump line.
7) Routine inspections, at least daily, of material handling equipment
such as hanging trees, cages and the overhead rail conveyor system
to detect damaged components or otherwise potentially hazardous
conditions and expeditious handling of necessary repair activities.

Issued

Jun 7, 1990

Abate by

Aug 9, 1993

Penalty

Initial $800 · Current $560 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:
The employees in the Packaging dept., were exposed to undue repetitive
motion trauma. This trauma was due to repeated hand, wrist, arm, and/or
upper body exertions causing, aggravating, or precipitating the Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome, Tendinitis, Tenosynovitis, Bursitis, Epicondylitis,
strains, sprains, and other repetitive trauma induced injuries and/or
illnesses.
Feasible and useful remedies include but are not limited to the
following:
1) Design and provision of work stations that can accomodate the heights
and reach limitations of various sized workers.
2) Work platforms that move up and down for operations such as loaders.
3) Skids properly located to reduce the need to twist and/or turn while
stacking boxes.
4) Provision of mechanical lifting devices and/or powered palletizing
devices to reduce the need for employees to bend over excessively
and/or overhead during stacking operations and ther operations
involving lifting, such products weighing.
5) Consider increasing the number of workers performing tasks such as
the palletizing of boxes.
6) Routine inspection, at least daily, or material handling equipment
such as carts, rails and conveyors and expeditious handling of any
equipment found to be in need or repair to reduce strain or
employees.
7) Utilization and expansion of methods of employee rotation to allow
sufficient rest pauses between similar repetitive type motions.
8) Consider reduction of the number of continuous days worked along with
reduction of the number of hours worked per day to reduce fatigue and
allow rest intervals.
9) Consider modifying (reduce and/or stabilize) line speeds.
10) Comprehensive employee training in the importance of proper lifting
and material handling techiques in conformance with the NIOSH "Work
Practices Guide for Manual Lifing".
11) Education of employees as to what ergonomic injuries/illness are and
how to reduce their effects prior to initial assignment to a job and
at least annually thereafter.
12) Training for supervisors, in addition to that given to other
employees, that will enable them to recognize hazardous work practice
and to reinforce the employer's ergonomic program, especially the
ergonomic training of employees as may be needed.
13) Establishment and strict supervisory adherence to a regimented
training program for new, returning, and/or relocated employees that
allows for gradual strengthening and conditioning over a minumum 4
to 6 week period prior to full-time assignment to a particular job.
14) Improve medical services: pre-employment examinations pertinent to
medical nerve distribution and muscular aberrations, wrist flextest,
electromyelogram (conduction time of nerve), and periodic
examinations during employment.

Issued

Jun 7, 1990

Abate by

Nov 9, 1991

Issued

Jun 7, 1990

Abate by

Nov 9, 1991

Issued

Jun 7, 1990

Abate by

Nov 9, 1991