OSHA Inspection: LEER EAST

Issued

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

May 1, 1992

Penalty

Initial $400 · Current $275 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The
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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 musculoskeletal injuries from the tasks that they were
performing and administrative or engineering controls were not provided:
a) Fiberglass Building, Push-Pull Department: Two employees routinely
lift truck caps weighing up to 125 pounds each from the mold cars
and carry them over to the ledge fixture. The evaluation of this
manual lifting task indicates that employees were exposed to an
increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries based upon stuidies of
populations exposed to similar lifting conditions. The injury and
illness records for 1988 and 1989 documented a pattern of
musculoskeletal injuries, February 6, 1990.
AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THIS
HAZARD IS TO IMPLEMENT ENGINEERING AND/OR ADMINITRATIVE 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.
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.)
4) Workplace design parameters such as load location, start/end
relationship, floor condition, body posture keeping heavy objects
off the floor, storing 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 redcution of object).
5) Provide mechanical lifting aids such as hoists.
6) Conduct training sessions to familiarize workers with an 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 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 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.
Abatement Schedule
Step 1 -
Effective administrative protection such as employees training, physical
assessment, job rotation, etc., shall be provided as an interim
protective measure until feasible engineering or permanent
administrative controls can be implemented which will reduce employee
exposure to nominal risk.
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 employees 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 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 PARTICULARUSE
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 for injured workers. The program is
expected to include exercise, building stamina, training in safe lifting
techniques, work conditioning and demonstration that the worker is able
to resume work.
Step 4 -
Abatement shall have been completed by the implementaiton 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

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

Apr 14, 1990

Penalty

Initial $480 · Current $355 Reduced

Issued

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

Apr 16, 1990

Penalty

Initial $560 · Current $435 Reduced

Issued

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

Apr 14, 1990

Penalty

Initial $240 · Current $115 Reduced

Issued

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

Apr 16, 1990

Penalty

Initial $240 · Current $120 Reduced

Issued

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

Apr 25, 1990

Issued

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

Apr 14, 1990

Issued

Apr 11, 1990

Abate by

Apr 14, 1990