OSHA Inspection: FIBER MATERIALS, INC.

Issued

Apr 4, 1989

Abate by

May 17, 1990

Penalty

Initial $540 · Current $270 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
ergonomic hazards, including chronic repetitive motion and static and
constrained postures, that resulted in repetitive motion cumulative
trauma disorders and acute traumatic injuries:
SSNT Weaving Area - Employees (weave) engaged in weaving on three-
dimensional looms, sewing, and needlemaking experienced ergonomic
stresses to the shoulders, back, neck, arms, and wrists from:
a) Repetitie hand, arm, and shoulder movements.
b) Arms elevated and improper work heights of hands and arms.
c) Leaning forward excessively and improper chair heights.
The following were some of the conditions that contributed to the
existence of these hazards:
1) Excessive size of the 3-dimensional weave table.
2) Inadequate height adjustment of teh weave table (and the work height
of the hands).
3) Difficulty of the compression operation, including improper hammer
design.
4) Lack of height and position adjustment of the preform jig on the
sewing table.
Abatement note:  Some feasible and accepted abatement methods include
engineering, administrative and work practice controls.  These include,
but are not limited to, work station redesign, use of ergonomic tools,
and reduction in frequency of repetitive motions, etc.
Implementaion of the following recommendations may or may not be
adequate to reduce the incidence of repetitive motion disorders.  These
and other control measures and recommendations should be evaluated by
the employer.
1) Redesign the preform frame and the weavers' table and workstation to:
a) provide leg clearance; b) allow the weaver to get closer to the
work; c) reduce the working height of the hands; and, d) improve
access for compressions.
2) Reconsider a design that would rotate the preform from vertical to
horizontal to provide a)-d) above.
3) Reduce weave table dimensions and provide conveniently located parts
and supplies tables within acceptable reach.  Cushion table edges.
4) Provide mechanical height adjustment of the preform and weave table
and increase the range of adjustment for both standing and sitting
work.
5) Automate weave compressions;  develop and use a pneumatic hammering
device;  develop a preform that can rotate for compressions; provide
and ergonomically designed hammer for manual compressions.
6) Redesign the sewing table and workstation so the preform jig may be
tilted toward the operator and the height of the preform may be
adjusted so the operator can lower the working height of the hands
and arms.
7) Expand the employee awareness/training program to include training
from a physical therapist or other experienced health professional
who would discuss body mechanics, work positions of least stress, and
benefits of stretching, changing work positions, and rest breaks.
7) Expand the employee awareness/training program to include training
from a physical therapist or other experienced health professional
who would discuss body mechanics, work positions of least stress, and
benefits of stretching, changing work positions, and rest breaks.
8) In the process of job evaluatin and workstation redesign, include the
participation of employees who perform the work, experienced
ergonomic consultants, physical therapists, medical personnel
providing treatment.  Have management and design personnel perform
the work to experience the stress points, make use of video taping.
The guiding principle of workstation design should be to make the
workstation fit the normal, comfortable, least stress body positions
of the employees.
9) Provide chairs with more easily adjustable chair seats, back rest
with up and down and in and out adjustment.  Provide foot rests of
variable height.
10) Provide arm rests, for 3-dimensional weaving and sewing operations,
if feasible.
11) Continue to provide floor mats, foot rests, and training to needle-
makers to roll needles with the hand open and wrist in the neutral
position, and torque wrenches for tightening nuts on the preform
frame.
Abatement shall be in two steps:  STEP 1 is the planning period and
STEP 2 is the date by which abatement is to be completed.
STEP 1 -
Submit to the Area Director a written detailed plan of abatement
outlining a schedule for the implementation of engineering and/or
administrative measure to control employee exposure to repetitive
motion as referenced in this citation. This plan shall include, at a
minimum, target dates for the following actions which should be
consistent with the dates required by this citation:
1) Evaluation of engineering/administrative control options;
2) Selection of optimum control methods and completion of design;
3) Procurement, installation and operation of selected control
measures;
4) Testing and acceptance or modification/redesign of controls.
All proposed control measures shall be evaluated for each particular
use by a technically qualified person.  Sixty (60) day progress reports
are required during the abatement period.
STEP 2 -
Abatement shall be completed by the implementation of feasible
engineering and/or administrative controls and their effectiveness at
achieving compliance verified.

Issued

Apr 4, 1989

Abate by

Mar 20, 1990

Hazardous substances 8111

Issued

Apr 4, 1989

Abate by

Apr 7, 1989

Issued

Apr 4, 1989

Abate by

Apr 7, 1989