OSHA Inspection: CEVA LOGISTICS PUERTO RICO INC

Issued

Sep 28, 2007

Abate by

Oct 31, 2007

Penalty

Initial $1,100

General-duty citation text

Section 6(a) of the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Act:  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 physical harm to employees in
that employees were
exposed to:
Seccion 6(a) de la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo de Puerto Rico:
El patrono no
proveyo empleo y un sitio de empleo libre de riesgos reconocidos que esten
causando o que
puedan causar muerte o dano fisico a los empleados, por cuanto empleados
estaban expuestos
a:
a)At the Incoming Inspection area, the CEVA Logistics Puerto Rico, Inc. -
Employees were programming electronic cards, the following ergonomics
hazards
were founded:
1.The depth of the seat pan was 18 inches.  Due to the increased depth of
the seat pan, the back side of the employees knees experienced mechanical
compression as the result of their direct contact with the front edge of
the
chair pan.
2.The employee bended the neck/head forward when repeatedly attaching
the labels of the electronic cards, awkward posture was adopted.
3.The employee used a computer monitor, which one appears that the top
of the monitor was above the eye level of the operator with the viewing
distance exceeding recomended limits.  At the programming workstation
the monitor positioned at the left of the operator.
4.The employee were not trained on ergonomics hazard recognition, proper
methods and practices, recognition of early sings and symptoms of the
MSDs and importance of their early reporting.  Developing a mechanism
for early reporting the sings and symptoms of MSDs. Encouraging the
employees to regulary stretch and perform exercises during the rest breaks
or pauses.
Hazard:  MSDs of neck/head, swelling, discomfort, fatigue and pain of
lower extremities among others.
Among others methods of correction, various factible and acceptable
methods
for
corrected this hazards area the following:
1.Provide a lumbar support to improve sitting posture of the employee, this
strategy may help to address direct pressure experienced by the back side
of the employee's knees due to increased depth of the seat pan.
2.Proper placing of the computer monitor. The monitor should be positioned
directly in front of the operator, at about arm length from the user
withthe top of the screen or slightly below the eye level.  The backward
tilt
of the monitor should not exceed 10-12 grades.
3.Adjust the height of the desk at about waist height of the employee, that
help to improve posture of the head/neck and distal upper extremities of
the employee.
4.Provide ergonomic training to the employees focused on teaching basic
ergonomics principles, ergonomics hazard recognition, proper work
methods and practices, recognition of early signs and symptoms of MSDs
and importance of their early reporting.  Developing a mechanism for
early reporting the signs and symptoms of MSDs and make the employees
aware about it. Also, encouraging the employees to regularly strech and
perform exercises during the rest breaks or pauses.
a)En el area de "Incoming Inspection" - Mientras los empleados de CEVA
Logistics
Puerto Rico, Inc. programaban las tarjetas electronicas los siguientes
riesgos
ergonomicos fueron encontrados:
1.La profundidad de la sentadera de la silla era de 18".  Debido al aumento
en la profundidad de la sentadera de la silla, la parte posterior de la
rodilla del empleado experimentaba compresion mecanica como resultado
del contacto directo del borde del frente de la sentadera.
2.El empleado doblaba su cuello y cabeza hacia adelante cuando
repetitivamente colocaba las etiquetas de la tarjetas, adoptando una
postura
extrema del cuello y la cabeza.
3.El empleado utilizaba un monitor de computadora, el cual estaba por
debajo del nivel del ojo del operador y a una distancia excesiva de los
limites recomendados.  En el proceso de Programacion el monitor quedaba
a la izquierda del empleado.
4.Los empleados no fueron adiestrados sobre el reconocimiento de riesgos
ergonomicos, procesos y metodos de trabajo apropiados, reconocimiento
temprano de signos y sintomas de desordenes musculo-esqueletales y la
importancia de reportar estos signos y sintomas temprano.
Riesgo:  lesiones musculo-esqueletales del cuello/cabeza; hinchazon;
incomodidad; fatiga y dolor de las extremidades inferiores, entre otros.
Entre otros metodos de correccion varios metodos factibles y aceptable son
los
siguientes:
1.Proveer un soporte lumbar para que la sentadera, para asi ayudar a la
postura sentada del empleado y de esta manera corregir la presion directa
experimentada por la parte posterior de la rodilla del empleado.
2.Colocar en posicion adecuada el monitor de la computadora, frente al
operador, utilizando el brazo del operador como la distancia a la que el
tope de la pantalla debe estar.  La parte posterior de la pantalla no debe
exceder de 10-12 grados.
3.Ajustar la altura del escritorio a nivel de la altura de la cintura del
empleado para ayudar la postura del cuello, cabeza y extremidades
superiores.
4.Adiestrar a los empleados sobre los principios basicos de ergonomia,
reconocimiento de riesgos ergonomicos, procesos y metodos de trabajo
adecuados, reconocimiento temprano de signos y sintomas de los
desordenes musculos-esqueletales y su importancia.  Desarrollar un
mecanismo para reportar signos y sintomas y orientar a los empleados
sobre esto.  Ademas de orientar a los empleados para que se estiren
regularmente durante descansos y pausas de trabajo."