# Presentation: 323108

## OSHA Ergonomics

**OSHA Ergonomics**
**Alliances and Enforcement**

**Occupational Safety and Health Administration**
**US Department of Labor**
**Pamela Baptiste**
**Denver Regional Office**
**303-844-1600**

## Addressing Ergonomic Injuries

**Addressing Ergonomic Injuries**

**Musculoskeletal injuries represent 1/3 of all injuries in the workplace**
**OSHA Goals:**
**Prevent injuries before ****they occur**
**Reduce injuries as quickly ****as possible**

## Four-Pronged Approach to Ergonomics

**Four-Pronged Approach to Ergonomics**

**Guidelines  **
**Enforcement**
**Research**
**Outreach & Assistance**

## Ergonomic Guidelines

**Ergonomic Guidelines**
**A Protocol**

**Sets up a fair, transparent process for developing guidelines **
**Uses stakeholder information and best practices**
**Not new rules or regulations**
**Do NOT create**
**new duties for **
**employer**

## Ergonomic Guidelines 

**Ergonomic Guidelines **
**Guideline Status**

**Nursing Home – March 13, 2003**
**Groceries – Released May 28, 2004 **
**Poultry processing – Sept 2, 2004**
**Shipbuilding – in progress**

## Ergonomic Guidelines 

**Ergonomic Guidelines **
**Retail Grocery Store Guidelines**

**Recommendations to reduce the number and severity of injuries**
**Problems/Solutions **
**Storewide**
**Front end**
**Stocking**
**Meat/deli department**
**Produce department**

## Enforcement 

**Enforcement **
**Reducing Hazards**

**  ****Reducing ergonomic****hazards and providing ****a safe workplace ****is not voluntary**

## Enforcement

**Enforcement**

**Targeted enforcement efforts designed to identify ergonomic hazards**
**Developed an enforcement plan designed to target prosecutable ergonomic violations**
**Established Ergonomic Response Team to successfully bring 5(a)(1) prosecutions**
**Building Ergonomics Program to support Field efforts **

## Enforcement

**Enforcement**
**	****Directed Enforcement Efforts**

**National Emphasis Program (NEP) for Nursing and Personal Care **
**Local Emphasis Programs**
- Warehousing, Hospitals, Meat Packing & Automotive parts mfg.
**Site Specific Targeting – SST**
**DART rate **_**>**_** 15.0**
**2002 injury and illness data**

## Enforcement 

**Enforcement **
**Inspection Anatomy**

**Review last 3 years of OSHA 300 logs to calculate DART and Severity rates**
**Walk through facility**
**Interview employees**
**Adoption of effective process?**
**Outcome:  Citation or Letter**

## Enforcement 

**Enforcement **
**Calculations**

- Hours worked by all covered employees

- Base for 100 equivalent full-time workers working 40 hours per week 50 weeks per year

- Number of incidents/days away or restricted

**Enforcement **
**Results of Efforts**

**	****	**

- Current Efforts
- (Jan 2002-Aug 2004)
- 1895 Inspections
- 1026 Nursing Homes
- 869 Non- Nursing Homes

- Previous Efforts
- (FY1997-FY2001)
- 1341 Inspections
- 25 Citations

## Ergonomic Guidelines 

**Ergonomic Guidelines **
**Results of Efforts**

**340 Hazard Alert Letters **
**Hazards Defined/Recommendations for abatement**
**Employer put on notice that OSHA may follow-up**
**80 Acknowledgement Letters**
**Acknowledging employer’s efforts to reduce ergonomic**** ****related injuries**

## Enforcement 

**Enforcement **
**Results of Efforts**

**Telecommunications Industry**
**SIC 4813 – 122 inspections**
**3 ergonomic citations**
**SIC 1623 – 2327 inspections**
**0 ergonomic citations**
**SIC 1731 – 2932 inspections**
**1 ergonomic citation**

## National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics (NACE)

**National Advisory Committee ****on Ergonomics (NACE)**

**Finding Practical Applications**
**Provide information on ergonomics  guidelines**
**Identify gaps in existing research ****on ergonomics in the workplace**
**Suggest strategies for outreach ****and assistance **
**Recommend ways to increase communication among stakeholders**

## Edward J. Bernacki, MD, MPH
Lisa M. Brooks, CIE
Paul A. Fontana
Willis J. Goldsmith, Esq.
Carter J. Kerk, PhD
James L. Koskan, MS, CSP
Morton L Kasdan, MD, FACS
George P. LaPorte

**National Advisory Committee ****on Ergonomics (NACE)**

**15 Members from Varied Backgrounds**

**Edward J. Bernacki, MD, MPH**
**Lisa M. Brooks, CIE**
**Paul A. Fontana**
**Willis J. Goldsmith, Esq.**
**Carter J. Kerk, PhD**
**James L. Koskan, MS, CSP**
**Morton L Kasdan, MD, FACS**
**George P. LaPorte**

**Barbara McCabe**
**J. Dan McCausland**
**Audrey Nelson, PhD, RN**
**Lida Orta-Anes, PhD**
**Roxanne Rivera**
**W. Corey Thompson**
**Richard Wyatt, PhD**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Increasing Resources**

**Providing general and guideline-specific outreach, assistance and support**
**Featured resources and programs:**
**Website**
**Cooperative Programs **
**Training and Education**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Website**

** ****Launched in Dec. 2002**
** ****Designed to help ****   businesses proactively ****   address ergonomics issues**
** ****Provides information on OSHA’s ****   four-pronged approach**
** ****Contains information on conditions****   that contribute to MSDs, possible ****   solutions and tips**
** ****www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics**

## Outreach and Assistance 

**Outreach and Assistance **
**Expanding Assistance**

**More than 70 compliance ****assistance specialists**
**New Office of Small Business**
**Ergonomics coordinators ****in each of OSHA’s ****10 regions **

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Alliances**

**Broadly written agreements established at the national, regional and area offices**
**Goals focus on training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting the national dialogue**
**Implementation teams****meet quarterly **

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Benefits of Alliances**

**Build a cooperative and trusting relationship with OSHA **
**Network with other organizations committed to workplace safety and health**
**Leverage resources to maximize worker protection**
**Gain recognition as proactive leaders in safety and health**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Alliances**

_**Training and education**_** – examples of activities and products include developing and delivering training, education programs and curricula.**
_**Outreach and communication**_** – examples of activities and products include speaking and exhibiting at conferences, and disseminating information and guidance in Spanish and other languages.**
_**Promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health**_** – examples of activities and products include convening or participating in forums and roundtable discussions, and developing case studies for safety and health.**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Impact on Workplace Safety and Health**

***The Alliance Program has potentially reached over four million workers, employees and/or association members, and has the potential to reach millions more in the future.*****  **

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Alliances**

**Goals of National Telecommunications Safety Program Alliance**
_**Training and Education:**_
**Develop training on ergonomics in the **
**telecommunications industry to be jointly delivered, **
**by NTSP and OSHA, at the annual International **
**Telecommunications Safety Conference**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Alliances**

**Goals of National Telecommunications Safety Program Alliance (cont.)**
_**Outreach and Communication:**_** **
**Cross-train OSHA personnel and industry safety and **
**health professionals in NTSP ergonomic best practices **
**and/or effective approaches, as jointly determined by **
**OSHA and NTSP**
**Share information on ergonomic best practices, **
**as jointly determined by OSHA and the **
**NTSP, with others in the industry through **
**outreach by NTSP.  Work with other **
**Alliance participants who are addressing **
**ergonomics, especially in the tele-**
**communications industry**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Alliances**

**Goals of National Telecommunications Safety Program Alliance (cont.)**
_**Promoting the National Dialogue on**_
_**Workplace Health and Safety:**_** **
**Share information on ergonomic case**
**studies performed within the**
**telecommunications industry **
**and publicize the results**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**24 Ergonomics Alliances**

**For example, **
**Airlines Industry/NSC**
**American Meat Institute**
**Independent Electrical Contractors**
**Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.**
**American Industrial Hygiene Association**
**Poultry Alliance**
**3 medical associations**
**Graphic Arts Coalition**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
- Results of the Alliance Program* *

**Creation of new electronic assistance tools (eg., eTools)**
-  **New and updated training resources for OSHA staff**
** ****Outreach to employers and employees through speeches, presentations and exhibits**
*** *****Positive media coverage of the Alliance Program**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Expanding Impact*** *

_**Global Influence on Workplace Safety and Health**_
- October 2003: European Union Forum
- September 2005:  World Congress on Safety and Health at Work
*	*
- March 2004:  Visit to OSHA from Ireland Delegation
-   _EU Aviation Industry -_ Information sharing with UK and EU Aviation industry

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Strategic Partnerships**

**Call for industry partners to:**
**Identify most common workplace hazards and risks through worksite analysis**
**Prevent and control the hazards**
**Conduct training**
**Measure results**
**Publicize best practices**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Voluntary Protection Programs**

**Many VPP sites have effective ergonomic programs that can serve as models**
**VPP sites can serve as mentors**
**VPP sites will be recognized for ergonomic initiatives**
**VPPPA can share best practices**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Consultation**

**Primarily for small businesses with 250 or fewer employees**
**Helps employer identify and correct hazards**
**Identifies sources for further assistance**
**Assists in developing an effective safety and health program**
**Offers training**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Training and Education**

**OSHA has developed training programs ****to address ergonomic hazards:**
** ****Course 2250 – Principles of Ergonomics ****   Applied to Work-Related ****   Musculoskeletal and Nervous ****   Disorders**
** ****20 education centers ****   at 35 locations**
** ****Training is key to safety ****   and health **

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Success Story**

_**Hensel-Phelps-**_** **nonresidential construction
- Hired consultant to implement a pilot injury prevention @ a construction site
- Interviewed employees, on-site analysis of work, created customized injury prevention program and assisted with strengthening & stretching program
_**Result: **_** Logged over 104,000 labor hours without any reported MSDs.**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Success Story**

_**Springs Window Fashions**_** – **mfg of blinds/shades
- Man-handling boxes weighing 75 – 150 pounds causing approx. 25 compensable neck, back, arm and shoulder injuries per year
- Developed bulk storage rack system with rollers
_**Result: **_**No compensable injuries from performing this task in a year**

## Outreach and Assistance

**Outreach and Assistance**
**Success Story**

_**Dow Chemical**_ – mfg plastic and agricultural products
- In 2001, 53% of ergonomic injuries resulted  in lost time or advanced medical treatment
- Used Six-Sigma problem solving methodology to reduce MSDs throughout company
_**Result: **_** **
- In 2003, 30% of ergonomic injuries resulted in lost time and 70% of injuries required first aid or precautionary measures.

## Ergonomics  

**Ergonomics****  **
**Resources**

**Washington State **http://www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/ergo/Default.htm
**University of Michigan**
- http://www.engin.umich.edu/dept/ioe/C4E/index.html
**NIOSH**
- http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/