OSHA Inspection: UNITED STATIONERS SUPPLY CO.

Issued

Mar 15, 1989

Abate by

Mar 15, 1990

Penalty

Initial $420 · Current $420

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 or 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
serious back injuries and musculoskeletal disorders from manual material
handling and lifting tasks without adequate administrative and
engineering controls:
a) Warehouse, Bulk Dept., Zone 61 - Office Furniture. Order picking and
stacking of office furniture such as, desks, chairs, filing and
storage cabinets. The weights of these items vary from 60 to 350 lbs.
On 1/5/89, an employee was observed performing manual material
handling (order picking) or these goods having an average object
weight of 62.3 lbs. The evaluation of this task, using a
biomechanical model, indicated that this employee was exposed to a
significant hazard of back injury and musculoskeletal disorders in
that the back compressive forces experienced (1378 lbs.) sometimes
approached the NIOSH upper limit of 1430 lbs. This was based on a
lift of a heavier load, approximated by the lift one end of a 48
inch, 180 lbs. box.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
limits for back compressive forces are 770 lbs. for the lower limit
(action limit) of which some people will be at risk and 1430 lbs. for
the upper limit (maximum permissible limit) at which most people will
be at risk. Additional factors which may increase the hazard are:
1- Twisting during lift.
2- Bulky loads.
3- Poor contact between hands and loads.
4- Walking and other exertions during shift.
5- Necessity to pull and "walk" the box.
In addition, analysis using the NIOSH Work Practices Guide indicate
general agreement to findings obtained in the biomechanical model
analysis.
b) Warehouse, Bulk Dept., Zone 30 - Random Bulk. Order picking and
stacking of office machines, supplies and accessories such as,
paper pads and notes, business and bookkeeping forms, boards,
charts and directories, data processing supplies, etc. The weights
of these items vary approximately from 2 to 88 lbs. On 1/5/89, an
employee was observed performing manual material handling (order
picking) of these goods having an average object weight of 19.6
lbs. The evaluation of this task, using a biomechanical model,
indicated that this employee was exposed to a hazard of back injury
and musculoskeletal disorders in that the back compressive forces
experienced (698 to 945 lbs.) are approximately at, and sometimes
exceed, the NIOSH lower limit of 770 lbs. The analysis was based
on the lifts of an average object at 19 lbs. and one of the heavier
loads, approximated by 40 lbs.
Additional factors which may increase the hazard are:
1-Constrained postures during lift.
2-Twisting during lift.
3-Bulky loads.
4-Poor contact between hands and loads.
5-Walking and other exertions during shift.
In addition, analysis using the NIOSH Work Practices Guide indicate
general agreement to findings obtained in the biomechanical model
analysis. There is also an indicated risk of musculoskeletal injury
to the shoulder. A review of the Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
Log (OSHA 200 for 1988 showed a high incidence (15.5%) of back injuries
and lifting strains in the Bulk Department.
ABATEMENT NOTE: AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD
TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS TO IMPLEMENT ENGINEERING AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE
CONTROLS WHICH INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
1) Identification of all current employees who experience symptoms
generally associated with back injuries and musculoskeletal
disorders.
2) Perform an ergonomic assessment of each operation to identify
mechanical stressors which may be produced by the environment,
tools or work methods.
3) Implementation of control measures to increase adjustability of
position into the job and reduce awkward postures. (Example: adjust
the horizontal and vertical load distances from the body and
decrease total travel distance.)
4) Workplace design parameters such as load location, start/end
relationship, floor condition, body posture, keeping heavy objects
off the floor, storing heavy objects which must be lifted at waist
height, minimizing the horizontal distance from teh body, use of 2
persons for lifting or handling heavy and bulky objects and lifting
from the front and not on the side. This may require some schedule
changes.
5) Provide mechanical lifting and handling aids which may include
automatic leveling devices, scissor lifts and lift tables,
manipulators, pullers, graspers and hoists. This will minimize
lifting and allow sliding of boxes and containers in many cases.
6) Conduct training sessions to familiarize workers with an
appreciation of the types of movements and postures which
precipitate back injuries and musculoskeletal disorders and also
on good lifting strategies to minimize these hazards.
7) Implementation of a workplace education and awareness program aimed
at the maintenance of musculoskeletal health and prevention of
injuries. Specific efforts should be expended in identifying and
reducing obstacles that prevent or deter a worker with symptoms
from reporting them.
8) Implementation of a medical surveillance and treatment program for
employees exposed to lifting hazards. This program should contain
the following elements and be readily accessible to all employees
working at high risk jobs.
a) Pre-employment examinations with special attention to strength and
aerobic capacity. (Note: To minimize abuse of such placement
procedures it is necessary to identify the high risk and quantify
the required job-demands. Workers should be matched to jobs as a
function of the specific job demands and worker capacities.)
b) Provide medical examinations and counseling of employees as soon as
symptoms generally associated with back injuries are reported.
c) Employees should be prohibited from returning to their former jobs
following back injury until the work environment has been modified
to the extent that the risk of recurrent injury has been minimized.
d) Follow-up of cases should be made to ensure that medical treatment
and/or job changes have been effective.
Abatement Schedule
Step 1-Effective administrative protection, such as employee training,
and physical assessment shall be continued as an interim protective
measure until feasible engineering or permanent administrative controls
can be implemented which will reduce employee exposure to nominal risk.
The possibility of job rotation should be considered.
Step 2 - Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of
abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering or
or administrative measures to control employee injury due to manual
material handling and 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
and use of mechanical lifting and handling aids. This plan shall include
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 of manual material handling
and 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. NINETY (90) DAY PROGRESS REPORTS
ARE REQUIRED DURING THE ABATEMENT PERIOD. THE 90-DAY REQUIREMENT FOR
THE SUBMISSION OF PROGRESS REPORTS MAYBE SHORTENED OR LENGTHENED BY THE
AREA DIRECTOR DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES.
Step 3 - Abatement shall be completed by March 15, 1990, by
implementation of feasible engineering or administrative controls and
by verification of their effectiveness in reducing the occurrence of
musculoskeletal injuries.

Issued

Dec 14, 1988

Abate by

Dec 17, 1988

Issued

Dec 14, 1988

Abate by

Dec 17, 1988

Issued

Dec 14, 1988

Abate by

Apr 3, 1989