OSHA Inspection: O.K. FOODS, INC.

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

May 30, 1993

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $2,700 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:
Operations in the processing facility in the evisceration,
deboning, patty sorting, tender sorting and wing disjointing
departments where employees performed job tasks such as scissor
cutting, knife cutting, hand evisceration, gut pulling, skin
pulling, deboning, trimming, and other processing, produced
biomechanical stress to the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders.
This biomechanical stress resulted in musculoskeletal disorders,
which included, but were not limited to carpal tunnel syndrome
(CTS), tendinitis, muscular sprains and ganglion cysts.  Among
other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to
correct the hazards(s) include the following:
(a) Implementation of a comprehensive ergonomics program
including the formation of an ergonomic committee.  The
committee should include production employees serving on
a regular or rotational basis as committee members.  The
committee could devise a comprehensive strategy to address
the ergonomic problems, institute changes, and track those
changes to verify success.  The committee should meet on
a regular, (such as monthly), basis to develop ideas and
strategies addressing ergonomic issues.  Select members of
the committee should conduct regular walk-around inspections
focusing on work place design, workpractices, etc.  The
ergonomic program should be written and should state specific
goals as developed by the committee.
Employees should be provided an easy way of providing input
into ergonomic issues, and should be encouraged to provide
ideas on hazard abatement, workstation design, etc.
(b) Do additional job and stress factor analysis to isolate and
quantify the types and numbers of repetitive trauma
disorders, and the root causes of these disorders.  Periodic
video taping of jobs may be useful.  Develop standardized
forms for evaluation of the job task, work station design,
work practices.  Surveys completed by the employees would
provide useful information.
(c) Provide continuing education for all affected employees in
regard to cumulative stress disorders, and ensure employees
are following workpractice guidelines.  Training should
include signs and symptoms of repetitive trauma disorders,
and should include a basic discussion of anatomy, causation,
and prevention.  Topics such as correct hand/wrist position
should be discussed.  Basic definitions of carpal tunnel
syndrome, tendinitis, and other common CTD's should be
provided.
Anatomical models of the wrist may be useful in
describing the above items.  Prevention, diagnosis, and the
full range of available medical treatments shoud be discussed.
Monitoring of the employees shoud be done to assure that
appropriate work practices are being utilized.
Comprehensive ergonomic training should also be provided
for first line supervisors and the on-site medical staff.
(d) Test the use of ergonomically designed scissors or knives
in evisceration, the cone line, and portion control.
(e) Provide a program of continued on the job exercises at
several times throughout the workshift.  Instruct employees
on appropriate exercises, and encourage employees to perform
these exercises at home.
(f) Provide stools or rest for employees who stand throughout
their shift, such as portion control and some cone debone
operations.
(g) Develop a training line for new employees.  Consider the
use of an employer/employee pairs who are specifically
trained to recognize ergonomic stress factors.  These pairs
could routinely walk the production lines and identify
employees using poor work techniques, improperly designed
work-stations, and other stressors.
(h) Provide retractable tool supports for pneumatic scissors,
(used in the manual process/salvage area).  Consider expanded
use of pneumatic scissors along the eviseration line.
(i) Provide a logical and systematic system for job rotation,
(for job operations where rotation would reduce exposure).
Supervisors  should not have discretion over rotational
schemes unless a systematic and proven rotational plan has
been tried and proven effective.
(j) Develop a more comprehensive data base for tracking
ergonomic disorders.  The data base should be sufficient
to track the number, type and statistical distribution of
repetitive trauma disorders.  Reports could be generated
on a regular, (e.g. monthly basis), and could be reviewed
by the ergonomic committee.  Problem area could be
re-evaluated, caustive factors isolated, and changes
implemented and tracked.
(k) Hire a full time ergonomic trainer with experience in the
field of ergomomics, or provide extensive training to a
current staff member.  The person  currently in charge of
training may not be sufficiently knowledgeable in on
ergonomics as a discipline.
(l) Take measures to reduce cold stress along the long CO2
tunnel.  Consider the use of a heated bath in which the
employees could periodically soak their hands/wrist.
(m) Re-evaluate the tender strip and patty lines, with emphasis
on changes in the sorting process.  Repetitive flipping of
the product appears to be causing injuries.  Consider the
use of a shaker table or grooved conveyor apparatus in place
of the current tender conveyor.  Consider alternatives to
flipping the tenders as a means of alignment.

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Apr 30, 1993

Penalty

Initial $2,625 · Current $1,575 Reduced

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 31, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,875 · Current $1,125 Reduced

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 24, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,500 · Current $900 Reduced

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 3, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,125 · Current $675 Reduced

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 24, 1993

Penalty

Initial $1,125 · Current $675 Reduced

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 24, 1993

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $450 Reduced

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 24, 1993

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 24, 1993

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 3, 1993

Issued

Feb 26, 1993

Abate by

Mar 24, 1993