OSHA Inspection: METALKRAFT INDUSTRIES INC

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1991-01-06 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $360.00 · Current $200.00 Reduced

Hazardous substances 8301

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
increased risk of cumulative trauma disorder(s) from the tasks that they
were performing and administrative or engineering controls were not
provided:
a) Employees (press operators and die setters) lifting 50 to 57 lb.
boxes of metal parts were exposed above the active level of 45 lbs.
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 injury and illness records for 1989
documented a pattern of musculoskeletal injuries in that
approximately 20% of the exposed workforce had been injured.
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) Workplace design parameters such as load location, start/end
relationship, floor condition, body posture, keeping heavy objects
at waist height, minimize the distance from the body, use a 2 person
lift for heavy objects, use of lighter weight objects (total weight
reduction of the object).
2) Provide mechanical lifting aids which may include scissor lifts, lift
tables and manipulators.
3) Identification of all current employees who experience symptoms
generally associated with back injuries.
4) Perform an ergonomic assessment of each operation to identify
mechanical stressors which may be produced by the environment, tools,
or work methods.
5) 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.
6) Conduct training sessions to familiarize workers with an appreciation
of the types of movements and appreciation of the types of movements
and postures which precipitate back injuries.
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 indentifying 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 riskk 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 jobs 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 surgery until the work environment has been modified
to the extent that the risk of recurrent injury has been minimized.
d) Follow-up of cases to ensure that medical treatment and/or job
changes have been effective.
Step 1 - Effective administrative protective such as employee training,
physical assessment, job rotation, etc. shall be provided as an
interim protective administrative controls can be implemented
which will reduce employee exposure to norminal risks.
Step 2 - Submit to the Area Director a written, detailed plan of
abatement outlining a schedule for the implementation of
engineering or administrative measures to control employee
injury due to manual 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, reduction
of the lifting frequency, or weight, and use of mechanical
lifting aids. This plan shall include at 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 and manual 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.
THIRTY (30) DAY PROGRESS REPORTS ARE REQUIRED DURING THE
ABATEMENT PERIOD.
Step 3 - Develop a rehabilitation program fro injured workers. The
program is expected to include exercise, building stamina,
training in safe lifting techniques, work conditioningand
demonstration that the worker is able to resume work.
Step 4 - Abatment shall have been completed by the implementation of
feasible engineering and/or administrative controls.  Where the
lifting task analyses in NIOSH's Work Practices Guide for
Manual Lifting has been utilized, compliance will be achieved
when the calculated action level is met.

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $180.00 · Current $100.00 Reduced

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-11-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $180.00 · Current $100.00 Reduced

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $180.00 · Current $100.00 Reduced

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-10 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $240.00 · Current $140.00 Reduced

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-22 00:00:00

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-07 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $60.00

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-11-07 00:00:00

Hazardous substances 8111

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-09-26 00:00:00

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-15 00:00:00

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-21 00:00:00

Issued

1990-09-07 00:00:00

Abate by

1990-10-07 00:00:00