OSHA Inspection: TRIANGLE PWC, INC.

Issued

Dec 20, 1991

Abate by

Mar 15, 1992

Penalty

Initial $1,100 · Current $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
required to perform lifting tasks resulting in stressors that had
caused, were causing, or were likely to cause musculoskeletal injuries:
(a)  In the Respool Department, employees were required to stack
reels on pallets above the maximum permissible weights
allowed by the NIOSH Lifting Guide.
The evaluation of this manual lifting task indicates that
employees are exposed to a hazard which is causing or likely
to cause musculoskeletal injuries.  The employer did not
implement an effective control strategy to reduce or elimin-
ate such injuries.  The injury and illness records for 1989,
1990 and 1991 documented a pattern of musculoskeletal in-
juries.
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
manual lifting 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 manual lifting injuries.  The program should address
early recognition, evaluation, and referral of lifting
injury 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 manual material handling, and how
to prevent the lifting injuries.  A supervisors' train-
ing program should also be implemented to allow recogni-
tion of manual lifting 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 manual lifting hazards.  These controls
may include job rotation, reduction of repetitions,
multiple person lifts, and preventive maintenance
of related equipment.
(b)  Work practice controls are implemented which
include proper work techniques, new employee
conditioning, proper placement of loads, and
reduction of weight lifted.
Examples of work practice controls applicable to
this workplace include:
(i)  Limit stacking to "one high" on pallets with
reel weights above 106 pounds.
(c)  Engineering controls are designed by a qualified
ergonomist and may include workstation redesign,
tool and handle redesign, and use of mechanical
lifting aids.  The goal of this program should be
to make the job fit the person.
Examples of engineering controls applicable to this
workplace include:
(i)  Use an inclined powered conveyor to raise
reels to second level height.