SIMPLE

S O LUTIONS:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Photo Copyright ©2000 David Bacon

ERGONOMICS FOR FARM WORKERS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

1Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies

2Division of Applied Research and Technology

February 2001

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS:

ERGONOMICS FOR FARM WORKERS

Edited By:

Sherry Baron1

Cheryl F. Estill2

Andrea Steege1

Nina Lalich1
Ordering Information

To receive documents or other information about occupational safety and health,

contact the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at

NIOSH Publications Dissemination

4676 Columbia Parkway

Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998

Fax: 513-533-8573

Telephone: 1-800-35-NIOSH

(1-800-356-4674)

E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov

or visit the NIOSH web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-111

Disclaimer: Mention of any company or product does not constitute

endorsement by NIOSH.

Cover photo printed with permission. Private citizens and companies

must obtain permission to reproduce this photo.

Excluding the cover photo, all other information in this booklet is in the

public domain and may be freely copied or reprinted. 

ii
Simple Solutions:

Ergonomics for Farm Workers

Summary

• Backaches and pain in the shoulders, arms, and hands are the most common symptoms that farm workers report. 

• These injuries can be disabling, which can affect the worker’s earnings and the

grower’s profits. 

• There are cost-effective ways to prevent or reduce these symptoms. 

• The “tip sheets”

in this booklet

show how to

make or order

inexpensive new

tools or to modify

existing ones to

reduce the risk of

pain. 

• Solutions discovered for one

type of crop can

be modified for

use with other

kinds of crops.

• Worker-management ergonomics

teams can be

formed to discover your own simple solutions.

Newly designed stands for potting plants. The stands hold the plant bins at an angle. The

slope lets gravity move the plants to the front of the bin so that the plants are always close to

the worker and reaching is minimized.

iii
Acknowledgments

We wish to thank those who helped with the production of this booklet:

Writer-Editor: Jane Slaughter

Graphic design and production: Jim West

Cover photo: David Bacon

Illustrations: Mike Konopacki (Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons, Madison, Wisconsin); Dan

Watkins, Don Murdock, Richard Carlson (NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio).

Focus group participants in San Luis Obispo, California, and for organizational help James

Meyers, Kimberly Naffziger, and Richard Caveletto.

Focus group participants in Sparta, Michigan, and for organizational help Manny Gonzalez and

Jan Tijerina.

iv
Simple Solutions:

Ergonomics for Farm Workers

Oh, My Aching Back! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

What is Ergonomics? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Ergonomic Rules of Thumb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Cheryl F. Estill

Tip Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Lifting Tool for Carrying Plant Containers . . . . . . . . .9

James Meyers, John Miles, Victor Duraj, Julia Faucett,

Ira Janowitz, Diana Tejeda, Araceli Suriano, Lynn Bloomberg

Weeding Stand for Plant Nurseries . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

James Meyers, John Miles, Victor Duraj, Diana Tejeda,

Julia Faucett, Ira Janowitz, Araceli Suriano

Smaller Picking Tub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

James Meyers, John Miles, Victor Duraj, Diana Tejeda,

Julia Faucett, Ira Janowitz, Araceli Suriano

A Specialized Harvest Cart for Greens . . . . . . . . . .15

Bob Meyer, Astrid Newenhouse, Marcia Miquelon,

Larry Chapman

Participatory Ergonomics Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Ninica L. Howard

New Rakes for Harvesting Berries . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Cheryl F. Estill, Shiro Tanaka, Deanna K. Wild

Power Cutter for Woody Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

James Meyers, John Miles, Sayedahmad Shafii, Victor Duraj,

Diana Tejeda, Julia Faucett, Ira Janowitz, Araceli Suriano

Metered Liquid Applicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

James Meyers, Victor Duraj, John Miles, Diana Tejeda,

Julia Faucett, Ira Janowitz, Araceli Suriano

A Rolling Dibble Marker

for Easy Transplant Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Bob Meyer, Astrid Newenhouse, Marcia Miquelon,

Larry Chapman

v
Scraper Handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Ninica L. Howard

Simple Solutions Are Cost-Effective . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Mesh Bags: Easy Batch Processing . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Bob Meyer, Astrid Newenhouse, Larry Chapman

Standard Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Astrid Newenhouse, Bob Meyer, Larry Chapman

Narrow Pallet System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Bob Meyer, Astrid Newenhouse, Larry Chapman

Packing Shed Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Astrid Newenhouse, Bob Meyer, Larry Chapman

Written Materials for Farm Workers . . . . . . . . .37

Tips for a Healthy Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Michael E. Samuels, Eben Howard, E. Roberta Ryder,

Joni Berardino, Madge Vásquez, Larisa Ludeke, Linda Lopez

Company Safety Director Testifies:

‘Ergonomics Works!’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Alethea Leandro

Resources: Videos, Pamphlets, Consultation Services . . . .42

vi
Oh, My Aching Back!

Farm work is hard work, and farm workers feel the results. Farm workers get

backaches and pains in the shoulders, arms, and hands more than any other health

problem. A third of the injuries that cause them to miss work are sprains and

strains, and a quarter are back injuries. These are also the most common causes of

disability.

The technical term for these sprains and strains is “work-related musculoskeletal disorders” (WMSDs). WMSDs hurt! They hurt:

• workers’ bodies

• workers’ earnings 

• growers’ profits.

In California agriculture alone, the annual workers’ compensation costs for

the more than 3,000 back injuries that happen each year may be over $22 million.

This pamphlet is about early intervention to prevent such injuries. It is directed toward growers, safety specialists, human resources managers—anyone with

an interest in having safe farms.

Over the years, many kinds of farm work have not changed much at all. Field

work is still done in a stooped position. Workers carry heavy weights in awkward

positions, kneel often, work with their arms above shoulder level, or move their

hands and wrists repetitively. Sometimes the whole body is subject to vibration

from farm equipment. When workers are paid on piece rate, they have a reason to

keep up a rapid, sustained pace. Overexertion intensifies all the other risk factors.

Many people in the farm industry may believe that these kinds of tasks—and

the resulting sprains and strains—are just an unavoidable part of farm work. But

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) asked university

researchers, specialists in the science of ergonomics, to look into how farm work

could be made safer. They worked with growers and employees on different types

of farms to come up with some simple, practical, inexpensive solutions. This

pamphlet is a result of that hands-on cooperation.

1

NIOSH

believes

that better

work practices and

tools will

reduce the

sprains and

strains

of farm

work.
As you read this pamphlet, the specific solutions may or may not apply to

your particular operation. But we think you’ll learn three things from it anyway:

• what sorts of work are most likely to cause injuries

• basic ergonomic rules of thumb for working more safely

• inspiration to sit down with employees and come up with some simple

solutions of your own

The ideas in this pamphlet can be adapted for many types of crops and for

different sizes of farm operation. 

Don’t get discouraged if some solutions seem out of reach. A small tool

change or adjustment in the work layout can make a big difference in preventing

injuries. Good luck!

2

These

suggestions

can be

adapted

for your

own

farm.
What Is Ergonomics?

The goal of the science of ergonomics is to find a best fit between worker and job

conditions. Ergonomics looks at:

3

Ergonomics

finds the

best fit

between

worker and

job.

• the physical capabilities

of the human body

• the limitations of the

human body 

• a person’s work tasks 

• tools used

• the job environment

The goal is to make sure workers are uninjured, safe, and comfortable, as well as

productive.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are:

• the leading cause of disability for people in their working years

• caused by chronic exposure to these physical stresses

- forceful gripping - kneeling

- lifting - squatting

- bending - vibrating equipment

- twisting

in relation to
The best way to reduce WMSDs is:

• redesign the tools

• redesign how the using the principles of ergonomics

work process is done

Relatively simple changes can make a big difference. When jobs and tools are

ergonomically redesigned, you don’t have to rely on a carrot or a stick to get people to

work safely. Injuries are prevented as a natural result of improved work posture, reduced

force, or less repetition. Ergonomic changes should be put into operation along with

worker training on how to work safely.

}

4

How Do I Know if I Need an Ergonomics Program?

• Do some jobs cause strain, localized fatigue, discomfort, or pain that does not go away

after an overnight rest?

• Do injury records or workers’ compensation claims show hand, arm, or shoulder pain,

low back pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome?

• Do workers visiting the clinic make frequent references to physical aches and pains

related to certain types of work assignments?

• Do jobs involve repetitive and forceful exertions, frequent heavy or overhead lifts, awkward work positions, or use of vibrating equipment?

• Are cases of WMSDs found among competitors or in similar businesses?

• Do trade publications or employers’ insurance information indicate risk of WMSDs?
Ergonomic Rules of Thumb

Strains and sprains are caused by excessive reaching, bending, lifting, gripping,

squatting, or twisting of hands, shoulders, or body. In general, any work performed with

high force, with many repetitions, or in a position that feels awkward is risky. Even a

motion that is harmless in and of itself, like stretching out the arm to grasp an object, or

squeezing a tool, may put the worker at risk of injury if it is repeated over and over.

Following these guidelines will reduce the chance of sprains and strains. You may

need to reposition the work, or redesign the way the job is done, or use a different tool.

_ Remember: You may not be able to implement all the changes recommended here. But even partial changes or small changes can reduce injuries.

Guidelines for Hand Work

• Avoid placing needed tools or other items above shoulder height.

• Position items that are used

often within 17 inches of the

worker.

• When movements are repeated over and over, as in picking or weeding, allow enough

time in between for adequate

recovery, by having the worker alternate with a low-repetition task. For example, a

worker who performs a highrepetition weeding task should

be given other tasks that don’t

require repetitive hand motions, like carrying the finished boxes to the loading area.

• Provide seated jobs. Sitting down while working reduces the strain on the lower back

and legs. Standing causes legs to swell (more than walking does). The best jobs are

ones that allow workers to do different types of work, changing from sitting to standing to walking and back again.

• Allow foot and knee clearances for both standing and sitting workers, so they can get

close to the work.

5

Position items that are used often close to the worker.

Primary and secondary areas for table top work.
6

• Provide floor mats for

standing work stations,

to reduce fatigue.

• For standing work, use

the proper work station

height.

Guidelines for

Hand Tools

• When tools require

force, handle size

should allow the worker

to grip all the way

around the handle so

that the forefinger and

thumb overlap by 3/8”.

Handle diameter should range

from 1-3/8” for small hands to

2-1/8” for large hands, with an

average of 1-3/4”.

• Handles should be covered with

smooth, slip-resistant material

(plastic or rubber). Dual-handled

tools (like shears or pliers) should

have a handle length of at least 4”

and preferably 5”. They should

have a spring return to maintain

an open position, and handles that

are almost straight without finger

grooves.

Handle diameter is large enough for small overlap of

thumb and fingers.

Poorly-designed tool: Handle presses into base of palm

and requires user to open after each cut (no spring).

Well-designed tool: Handles are long. Spring return keeps

tool open. Handles are covered with rubber or plastic

grip.

Light work Heavy work

Proper work

station height

for light and

heavy work.

Men 40”-43” 36”-39”

Women 37”-39” 33”-35”
Guidelines for Lifting

• Keep lifts between hand level

and shoulder level. Avoid lifts

from the floor or over shoulder

level. 

• Provide handles on containers. 

• Redesign loads so they can be

lifted close to the body. 

• Provide dollies, pallet trucks, or

utility carts for objects that have

to be carried more than a few

feet. Provide roller conveyors for

bags or boxes of vegetables or

chemicals that are handled often. This will reduce the amount of lifting.

• Keep bag or box weight below 50 lbs. Or use the NIOSH Lifting Equation to determine an acceptable weight. See the Resources section for information on the Lifting

Equation.

Guidelines for Stooped Work

• Redesign the job to avoid stooped work: 

Attach long handles to tools. (For an example, see pages 9-10.) 

Provide stools. (For an example, see pages 15-16.) 

• If stooped work is required, provide employees with other short tasks that require

walking or sitting.

7

Lifting from a good height, between waist and shoulder

level.

Poorly-designed load: No handles, and load must be carried too far from the body.Better-designed load: Handles are provided and the load

is closer to the body.
Tip Sheets

The following 28 pages show some simple ergonomic solutions that farms have

tried out. Some show new or adapted tools that were invented to make work safer or easier. Others show more efficient ways to do the work. Sometimes the solutions reduce the

time needed to perform an operation. The basic rule is that the solutions (a) should not

cost much in relation to the benefit achieved, and, if possible, should result in quick savings, and (b) should reduce injuries.

As you look through these tip sheets, try not to concentrate on whether they refer

directly to your type of crop. Most of the ideas are adaptable for use on many different

types of farms. They’re also meant to stimulate your creativity to think up your own

simple solutions. Or, as described on pages 17-18, you can get your employees brainstorming about ideas that will work in your operation.

8
Problem:

Lifting and carrying plant containers by hand

can cause injuries.

• Worker must stoop, grip, and lift repeatedly.

• Forward stooping can contribute to lowerback injury.

• Finger-pinch gripping can lead to tendinitis

in hands.

One Solution:

Use specially designed handles to pick up

and carry containers.

• Tool handle allows a full-hand “power grip”

rather than a pinch grip.

• Decreases forward bending angle and

amount of time spent in stooped posture.

• Reduces lifting strain.

• Can improve worker productivity.

Tip Sheet

Lifting Tool for Carrying Plant Containers

9

Tips for Use of Tool:

The tool is designed to allow the container to swing back and hang at a comfortable angle. Do not apply

excessive wrist torque when setting container down onto a surface. Instead, allow space for a gentle forward

swing that is timed with placement of the container on the surface. The back-grip design keeps hands clear

of thorns on certain types of plants and allows for a straight wrist position while carrying a container. It is

advisable to use two tools and carry two plants, to balance the load on the body. Avoid carrying containers

heavier than about 22 pounds in each hand; this would exceed guidelines for safe lifting.
How Does the Lifting Tool Work?

The tool has three parts: a) the hand-grip, b) the container coupling, and c) the 16-inch extension. It is

made of aluminum and steel and has proven to work

best with 5-gallon containers that have an external

lip. From a standing position the worker slides the

coupling point under the

container’s lip and lifts.

How Much Difference Does

the Lifting Tool Make?

The tool shown here was designed for use in outdoor

nurseries specializing in ornamental and bedding

plants. At nurseries in California where it was tested, it

reduced workers’ forward bending angle by as much

as 47%. The time spent working at a forward-bent

angle of more than 20 degrees was reduced by nearly

half. Hand gripping effort was reduced by more than

half. Lifting strain was reduced by 40%. Workers

reported less work-related pain when using the handles, and those who had the most severe symptoms at

the start reported the most improvement.

How Much Will It Cost?

Materials should cost about $15 each plus the cost of

fabrication, whether done in-house or jobbed out.

How Does Tool Use Affect

Productivity?

Use of the handle resulted in the same or slightly

improved productivity for ground-to-ground container

spacing, its recommended use.

How to Make a Lifting Tool

Materials List & Construction Information:

1. Rubber grip; tapered from about 1-3/16” to 1-7/16” OD; to fit

1” OD tube; typically available in industrial supply catalogs.

2. 1” OD x 0.065” wall aluminum tube; cut at 21o; 4-3/4” on long

side; welded at 69o angle to Part 3.

3. 1” x 1” x 1/8” x 16”-long aluminum angle; holes drilled on 1”

centers and 0.5” from edge measured on 1”-wide side.

4. 1.5” x 1.5” x 0.094” x 3/8”-long steel sq. tube; welded along

top joint.

5. 1” x 1” x 0.065” x 5”-long steel sq. tube; 1/4” hole drilled 2-

1/2” from end and 3/8” from edge; welded to Part 9 with 2”

overlap.

6. 1.5” x 1.5” x 0.094” x

3/8”-long steel sq. tube;

remains loose on tube.

7. 1/4” D x 1”-long steel

round; inserted into Part

5 and welded flush on

the non-visible side in

drawing above.

8. 1-1/2” x 1/8” steel flat bar cut

at about 45o with approximate top and bottom lengths

of 1” and 2-1/2”, respectively;

notched generally as shown

in drawing above (notches

are for container lips that

have reinforcement ribs that

may interfere with the coupling of the “point” and the

container); ends bent slightly forward after welding; welded

to Part 9 with 1/2” overlap.

9. 1” x 1” x 0.065” steel sq. tube; cut at 45; 4-1/2” on long side.

10. 1” x 1/8” x 9-1/2” long steel flat bar; 1/2” end-bends pointing

forward; approx. 7-1/4” overall width after rolling; welded at

bottom of Part 9.

Note: Steel may be substituted for aluminum for cost or fabrication reasons, but steel will increase the tool’s weight from

its current 1-3/4 pounds.

Contact Information:

This Tip Sheet was produced by the University of

California Agricultural Ergonomics Research Center

under a grant from the National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health.

UC Ag Ergonomics Research Center, Bio & Ag

Engineering, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis,

CA 95616-5294. Or visit http://ag-ergo.ucdavis.edu.

Lifting Tool

10
Problem:

When plants are kept on the ground, workers

must bend completely forward to weed

them, risking low-back problems.

• Newly propagated plants are often kept in

plastic flats on the ground for initial growth

before “potting.”

• Worker must stoop and stay in bent position to weed trays on ground.

• Worker fatigue and pain can lead to lower

work quality.

One Solution:

Use a movable table to elevate trays while

weeding.

• Worker can stand while weeding, relieving

prolonged stress on back.

• Worker must still stoop to pick up and

replace trays, but change of position is better than prolonged position.

• Tray is closer to worker, reducing strain

from reaching.

• Strain reduction will improve worker performance.

Tip Sheet

Weeding Stand for Plant Nurseries

11
Why Bother With a Table?

You can help prevent chronic back injuries among

weeders and should see improved work quality.

Won’t Moving the Table Slow the

Worker Down?

Probably not, if you calculate productivity over the

work shift. Use of the table may result in slightly

slower progress while workers are fresh. By midday, however, when back fatigue is setting in,

workers using the table will be less tired and likely to move faster.

Should I Make or Buy a Table?

Either approach is fine provided that the table is

the right size to fit the workers. As pictured, the

ideal table will give workers a platform for the

trays at just above their waist height. It should be

light enough to move easily, but sturdy enough to

be stable in use.

What If Weeding Flats Is Only

a Part-Time Job in My Nursery?

The weeding table is still a good investment. Lots

of nursery tasks other than weeding involve

stooped posture. Relief, even in a part-time job,

will help prevent long-term injury and will improve

worker performance.

How Can I Make a Weeding Table?

With simple materials from your facility’s shop or

a home improvement store. The recommended

material is light-duty steel, which will hold up

under wet conditions, will not be too heavy to

move around, and can be welded with typical

shop equipment.

The drawing on this page shows 3/4”x 3/4” x 1/8”

angle iron used for the table’s legs, bottom bracing, and top bracing. The tabletop could be a

piece of metal grating welded to the frame in a

number of spots or a metal plate welded or bolted

to the top. Cost for materials

would be about $25.

Another possibility

would be to make the

table of aluminum,

which is lighter in

weight, and bolt the

parts together rather

than welding them. This

would require a hacksaw, drill motor, wrenches, and some additional

diagonal bracing. In any

case, the key elements

of the stand are height

and portability.

An existing table

could be retrofitted, if

you have access to a shop

and a welder. Two of the legs could be shortened

and fitted with a steel rod, two lawnmower wheels

(about $7.50 each), and push-on retaining caps,

all of which are available at hardware stores.

A collapsible four-wheeled table is available

ready-made for $227.99. This table has a push

handle and is 24” long x 19-3/4” wide x 30” high.

Contact, for example, Materials Handling

Equipment, 7433 US 30 East, Fort Wayne, IN

46803. 219-749-0475. http://63.87.5.30/

mhec/catalog.shtml

Contact Information:

This Tip Sheet was produced by the University of

California Agricultural Ergonomics Research

Center under a grant from the National Institute

for Occupational Safety and Health.

UC Ag Ergonomics Research Center, Bio & Ag

Engineering, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue,

Davis, CA 95616-5294. 

Or visit http://ag-ergo.ucdavis.edu.

Weeding Stand

12
Problem:

In hand harvest of wine grapes, the tubs

used are heavy when full and, thus, can

contribute to back and knee injuries.

• Workers cut grapes directly into plastic tubs

and then carry the tubs to trailer-mounted

gondolas. When full, the tubs weigh an

average of 57 pounds.

• Worker must stoop, grip, lift, carry, and

dump up to 20 times per hour, not including

the stooping, gripping, and relocating of the

tub as the worker moves down the row of

vines.

• A side-sweeping motion of the leg is often

used to move the tub along the vine until it

is about half full, at which point the tub is

lifted.

• For dumping into the gondola, the full tub is

often lifted above the head.

One Solution:

Use a smaller, lighter tub (on the right) that

has add-on grips and weighs an average

46 pounds when full.

• The lower weight is easier on the back,

knees, and arms. The narrower width positions the tub’s center of gravity closer to the

worker, which reduces stress on the back.

• Lighter weight and smoother bottom surface reduce the sideways forces on the

knees when pushing the tub down the row.

• Better handles reduce pressure points on

the fingers.

• Can have minor negative impact on production, but has gained approval of piecerate workers.

Tip Sheet

Smaller Picking Tub

13
How Much Difference Does the

Smaller Tub Make?

The smaller tub was tested at several vineyards

in a NIOSH-funded ergonomics study in

California’s Napa and Sonoma counties.

After the harvest season, workers reported pain

and symptoms of injury that were only one-fifth of

what they were with the large tub. Reduction of

pain symptoms indicates a lower risk for future

chronic injury or cumulative trauma disorder such

as nagging back or joint pain.

How Does the Smaller Tub Affect

Productivity?

Only negligibly. In a three-year field trial, the

smaller tub resulted in a 2% reduction in pounds

of grapes delivered to the gondola per day.

Neither managers nor workers perceived the

reduction in the field.

The reduction in productivity was not as much as

might be expected, given that the two tubs are

significantly different in size. This was apparently

because workers using the small tub were less

tired throughout the day and made 20 more carries per shift.

Despite making more carries, workers using the

small tubs used less energy and had lower heart

rates. They liked the smaller tubs better, reporting

that they were less tired at day’s end.

Here is the best “proof” that the smaller tub is

better for workers: Workers on piece rate, who

usually are eager for maximum productivity, preferred the smaller tub.

Where Can I Get a Smaller Tub?

The tub used in the study was a LEWISystems

SN2414-8 stack/nest tub by Menasha

Corporation of Watertown, Wisconsin, 800-558-

9563. Cost is about $13 each.

The SN2414-8 is two inches narrower and over

two pounds lighter than the old tub. Ask your

existing supplier for a smaller tub that is similar to

the one used in the study; you may find good

alternatives.

How Do I Make the Add-On Grips?

The add-on grips are simple to make using 1/2”

PVC pipe (Schedule 40), a saw (preferably a

band saw), and a jig such as suggested in the

diagram below. The jig will cost about $75 to

have made.

Cut the PVC pipe to 5” lengths and cut an

approximately 1/32”-wide slit lengthwise in the

PVC using the jig. Use a slotted screwdriver to

help slide the PVC over the edge of the tub’s

existing grip.

Contact Information:

This Tip Sheet was produced by the University of

California Agricultural Ergonomics Research

Center under a grant from the National Institute

for Occupational Safety and Health.

UC Ag Ergonomics Research Center, Bio & Ag

Engineering, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue,

Davis, CA 95616-5294. 

Or visit http://ag-ergo.ucdavis.edu.

Picking Tub

14

Handle to hold jig

PVC pipe goes inside

To band saw blade
S

tooping or kneeling and crawling

to harvest salad greens requires a

lot of time and energy. Lifting and

moving your harvest container many

times as you fill it adds to the work load.

An alternative is to build a simple cart,

which allows you to sit and roll while you

harvest. This is less tiring for the knees,

back, hamstrings, and torso. The cart

also holds your harvest container, so it

rolls along with you.

How Does It Work?

The cart straddles the crop bed or rows,

so that the wheels are on the paths

between the beds. A seat is mounted low to the

ground, between the rear wheels, allowing you to

work directly over the bed without stooping. The

seat swivels so you can harvest all parts of the

bed without twisting your body. A sternum pad

supports your torso so you can lean forward and

ease strain on your lower back. Move the cart forward by pushing the rear wheels with your hands,

wheelchair fashion, or scoot along with your feet

on the ground. Prop your harvest container on

the front corner of the cart frame, within easy

reach. The front wheel swivels for easy steering.

Benefits of Using a Harvest Cart

Less fatigue and discomfort. Prolonged kneeling to harvest, transplant, or weed puts smallscale growers in one of the highest risk groups

for occupational injuries. Harvesting from a seated position eliminates knee strain and is less tiring for the back, hamstrings, and torso. Kneeling

requires at least 25% more energy and stooping

requires at least 45% more energy than sitting

does.

Harvest Speed and Without With

Posture Analysis Cart Cart

Avg. harvest speed

(mins/3lb crate) 7.8 4.6

% time spent in

unacceptable postures 46 0

% time spent in

marginal postures 48 93

% time spent in

acceptable postures 6 7

This data is based on a case study with the same

worker performing the same task. Postural analysis

was compiled using the Ovaco Work Analysis System.

Faster. Using the cart lets you harvest the same

amount of greens 40% more quickly. Faster harTip Sheet

A Specialized Harvest Cart for Greens

15
vesting and quicker time to the cooler maintains

high crop quality.

Less soil compaction. Instead of kneeling or

walking in the crop row or bed, the cart supports

your weight. Your weight, plus the weight of the

cart, is transferred through the wheels to the

paths between the crops.

Improves profits. Cutting harvest time can save

labor costs. A typical scenario might be that your

labor costs are $7.00 per hour, and you harvest

four days a week. If you save 30 minutes per harvest day by using the cart, in 11-18 weeks the

cart will have paid for itself. If the harvest cart

prevents back or knee pain, you might also save

money on medical bills.

Where Can I Get a Specialized

Harvest Cart?

These carts, designed by Bob Meyer and Hal

Bohne of the University of Wisconsin Agricultural

Engineering Lab, are not available in stores or

catalogs. We can provide plans for you to make

your own cart from readily available materials.

Some welding is required,

which can easily be done

by your local welder.

Locate a welding shop in

the phone book under

welding-custom fabrication. Buy the

parts at

a hardware store or from a tool and equipment

catalog such as: Northern Hydraulic, P.O. Box

1499, Burnsville, MN 55337. 800-533-5545. (This

reference is provided as a convenience for our

readers. It is not an endorsement by the

University of Wisconsin.)

How Much Will it Cost?

The parts for this cart cost about $150. Labor

costs, custom welding, or welding shop rental

times will vary.

Steel: (1 1/4” square tubing, 1/8” wall

thickness. 3/32” flat stock for gussets

and supports) $ 15

Seat: (small tractor replacement) $ 28

Rear Wheels: (26” pneumatic) $ 28/ea.

Front Wheel: (10” swivel caster) $ 36

Swivel: (boat seat) $ 15

Total $150

Cart width should be 6”-12” wider than beds so

that wheels will roll in the paths. Overall cart

length is 42 1/2”.

Contact Information

This material was developed by the Healthy

Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, whose goal is to

find and share work efficiency tips that maintain

farmers’ health and safety and also increase profits. For more information, visit our web site at

http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/ or call 608-265-9451.

Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project,

Department of Biological Systems Engineering,

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences,

University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry Hall,

Madison, WI 53706.

Feel free to reproduce; please

mention source.

Harvest Cart

16
Problem: 

Management and workers want to decrease

injuries, but lack knowledge of ergonomics.

Instructions on safe practices from outside

experts in ergonomics or from management

may fall on deaf ears.

• Management may be unaware of the

severity and costs of ergonomic hazards.

• Changes made without worker input may

be resisted. Old habits die hard.

• Ergonomics consultants can address immediate problems, but not ongoing education

and follow-through.

One Solution:

Set up a joint ergonomics team of workers

and managers.

• Knowledge of ergonomic principles leads to

better solutions.

• Workers’ job insight ensures the most

important problems will be addressed.

• Workers’ day-to-day knowledge provides a

reality check on suggestions.

• Ergonomic concerns filter down from management team members to other levels of

management, and from worker team members to rest of work force.

• Ergonomics experts and other resources

can be brought in as consultants, as

needed.

• Team can develop ongoing ergonomics

education program and address new problems as they arise.

Tip Sheet

Participatory Ergonomics Team

17
Why Set Up a Participatory

Ergonomics Team?

The participatory approach—involving workers and

managers—produces the best ideas for preventing

injuries. It also means that the ideas will be used,

rather than collecting dust on the shelf. The participatory approach recognizes workers’ knowledge and

uses it both to single out the worst hazards and to

develop solutions. Workers are in on the decisions

about which jobs to improve, and how to improve

them. They spread the knowledge of ergonomics and

of the specific solutions to the rest of the work force.

Who Should Be On

an Ergonomics Team?

Keep the size of the team small. Involve production

workers and supervisors from the different departments—the people who will put the job improvements

into use—and also the maintenance workers or engineers who will build the needed tools. Include a representative from each major type of job. It is important

that the person who has decision-making power to

implement the team’s recommendations also be a

team member.

Hold training and meetings during work hours; participation should be seen as part of the job, not an

extracurricular activity. Hold training and meetings in

the workers’ first language. Sometimes this will mean

using two languages, with translation.

What Are the Tasks of

an Ergonomics Team?

1. The team should receive training in basic ergonomic

principles. See the Resources section of this pamphlet for a good training video, Listen to Your Body,

and a pamphlet, Blueprintstwo.

2. Identify the ergonomic risk factors in each major job.

3. Rank jobs by urgency, based on the risk factors 

present, number of people affected, and number of

injuries. The team should have permission to look at

all injury and cost data, to help them set priorities.

4. Develop solutions. Look at equipment or tools available in your industry or in other industries, or design

new tools. Call in engineers or consultants as necessary. Look for ways to change how the job is

designed, so work safety is built into the job. This is

more effective than changes in instructions or work

rules.

5. Try out the solutions in daily use.

6. Get feedback and modify as necessary.

7. As it works, the team should keep management and

the work force fully informed of its goals, progress,

and successes.

8. Design a program to educate all workers on ergonomic principles. For example, at one tree nursery, the Ergonomics Team drew up information

sheets, specific to the nursery, that outlined the risk

factors for the major jobs and some methods to

work more safely. This information became part of

new employees’ orientation training.

What Are the Costs of

an Ergonomics Team?

Workers’ and managers’ time spent working on the

team should be paid at their regular rate. New tools

may have to be ordered or built. Reduced costs

because of decreased injuries should outweigh these

short-term costs.

Where Can I Get More Information

About Setting Up an Ergonomics Team?

See the Resources section for a video, Ergonomic

Programs That Work, and a pamphlet, Elements of

Ergonomics Programs.

Where Can I Find a Consultant

on Ergonomics?

Look in the Resources section for a list of free OSHA

consultation services (there is one in each state).

Contact Information

This Tip Sheet was produced from material developed

by the Safety and Health Assessment and Research

for Prevention (SHARP) Program, Washington State

Department of Labor and Industries.

SHARP, Washington State Department of Labor and

Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, WA 98504-4330.

Or visit http://www.wa.gov/lni/sharp/.

Ergonomics Team

18
Problem:

Harvesting blueberries with a traditional rake

is hard on the body.

• Stooped position hurts the back.

• Thin handle is hard to grip comfortably.

• Rake design causes worker to flex wrists

and to use pinch grip with fingers, risking

tendinitis in wrists and hands.

• Steel rake is heavy, up to four pounds.

Two Solutions:

1. Modify existing rake.

• Add electrical tape or pipe foam to make

the handle diameter right for the worker.

• Add a

handle on

each side

of the

rake, so it

can be

held with

both

hands. 

• Use an

aluminum

rake

rather

than

steel.

2. Use a stand-up rolling rake.

• Can be used while standing

upright.

• Eliminates awkward

pinch grip with hand.

Tip Sheet

New Rakes for Harvesting Berries

19
Why Not Use a Traditional Rake?

Because wild blueberries grow only about eight inches

from the ground, harvest workers rake in a very

stooped position. Their short-handled steel or aluminum rake, costing about $60, causes the wrist to

flex as the rake is dragged through the berries. To help

guide the rake, most workers hold on to its side, using

a pinch grip, which can cause tendinitis in the hands.

The rake handle is too thin, at 11⁄4 inches in diameter,

for most people to use comfortably.

How Can I Improve a Traditional Rake?

1. Add electrical tape or foam pipe insulation, available

in hardware stores, to enlarge the diameter of the center handle. The best size is 1-3/8” for small hands, up

to 2-1/8” for large hands, with an average of 1-3/4”.

When gripping, the finger and thumb should overlap

slightly.

2. Attach a handle on each side of the rake, which

workers can grab without using a pinch grip. The idea

is to have one hand on the center handle and the

other hand on one of the side handles. Holding the

rake by two hands will stabilize it and decrease its tendency to swivel when raked through the plants. Also,

having a handle on either side will allow the worker to

switch the main raking hand.

Use handles that have a rubber or plastic coating and

that are 1-3/8” to 2-1/8” in diameter, depending on the

hand size of the worker who will be using the rake.

Drill a hole in each side of the rake. Put the bolt of the

handle through the hole and connect with a washer

and nut on the inside of the rake (see drawing on page

19).

3. Encourage workers to keep wrists straight while raking (see illustration, left). They should let the larger

muscles of the shoulder and elbow do the work, and

switch hands often.

4. Encourage workers not to fill their rakes or buckets

too full. Tell them to stop if they feel pain, and to put

something cold on the sore spot. Encourage stretch

breaks.

Where Can I Get a

Long-Handled Rake?

Acadian Machine Works Ltd.

Tignish, Prince Edward Island C0B 2B0 Canada

902-882-2349

Cost: $550 Canadian or about $300 U.S., plus shipping

This rake rolls on two wheels, making it easy to push

through the bushes.

Some workers have also made homemade stand-up

rakes, by attaching a long handle to a traditional rake,

via a frame around the back and a cylindrical roller

(like a rolling pin) attached to the bottom. Such homemade roller rakes are heavy, but still easier on the

back than the traditional rake.

Cost Analysis

At a cost of $300, it would take 17 to 30 hours for a

blueberry harvester to pay for a manufactured standup rake. The rake should be sturdy enough to last for

many seasons.

Contact Information

This Tip Sheet was produced by NIOSH.

NIOSH, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH

45226. Or visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh.

Blueberry Rake

20

Encourage workers to keep their wrists straight while

working.
Problem:

Thick woody plants are difficult to cut with

small propagation shears. Repetitive gripping can contribute to chronic problems in

the hand, wrist, and arm.

• Nursery workers use hand shears to make

cuttings from plants for future propagation.

Some plants, such as juniper, have thick

and woody stems.

• Highly repetitive hand work can contribute

to chronic injury of the hand, wrist, and arm

(such as tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome). When workers have to squeeze

forcefully, the risk of injury is increased

even more.

• Repetition leads to fatigue of small muscles

and to increased wear on tools.

• Besides the injury factor, woody plants can

be prickly and difficult to handle.

One Solution:

Use a bench-mounted power cutter to relieve

repetitive gripping and speed the work.

• Reduces need for repetitive and forceful

gripping.

• Reduces need for handling of cuttings.

• Can improve productivity.

Tip Sheet

Power Cutter for Woody Plants

21
How Does the Cutter Work?

The cutter uses air pressure to power a pneumatic cylinder that closes and opens a set of mounted hand shears, which have been modified for

this purpose. Each cycle is activated by a light

touch of the plant material against the trigger

lever of an air micro-switch.

How Does the Cutter Affect

Cutting Quality?

The cutting quality is unchanged, because the

blades are identical to those of current hand

shears. Workers new to the powered cutter will

need one to two hours of practice before they can

use it as well as the hand shears.

How Does the Cutter Affect

Productivity?

Reducing fatigue may increase productivity over

the course of the day. Also, workers with physical

limitations may be able to use the machine much

more easily than the hand shears, and thus be

more productive.

Where Can I Get a Power Cutter?

Contact:

MG Enterprises

Rocky Canyon Road

Creston, CA 93432

Prices will likely run about $1,000 for a smaller

cutter and $1,250 for a larger one.

Contact Information:

This Tip Sheet was produced by the University of

California Agricultural Ergonomics Research

Center under a grant from the National Institute

for Occupational Safety and Health.

UC Ag Ergonomics Research Center, Bio & Ag

Engineering, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue,

Davis, CA 95616-5294. 

Or visit http://ag-ergo.ucdavis.edu.

Power Cutter

22
Problem:

Manual application of liquids (such as growth

regulators) with a spray-wand can cause

worker injury, as well as waste of chemicals

and plant loss.

• Worker must squeeze and hold spray-wand

trigger up to 25 times per minute.

• Highly repetitive hand closure can cause

inflammation of the tendons in the carpal

tunnel.

• Mental counts to “time” the discharge can

result in inconsistent or improper amounts.

• Many spray-wands currently in use are not

appropriate for long reaches, resulting in

prolonged poor wrist posture.

One Solution:

Use a semi-automated, metered liquid applicator to provide a precise dose to each

plant and to eliminate repetitive hand

closure.

• Eliminates virtually all of the repetitive

hand-squeezing motion.

• Can reduce waste of chemicals and plant

loss.

• Curved wand design improves wrist posture for long reaches.

• Can improve productivity.

• Can document production, if fitted with a

counter.

Tip Sheet

Metered Liquid Applicator

23
How Does the Applicator Work?

The system has three parts: a) the electric controls box, b) the metering cylinder assembly, and

c) the check valve-fitted spray-wand. It uses a

tractor’s 12-volt battery to power the timer module

and to create 120-volt electricity that powers the

solenoid valve. Liquid is alternately supplied to

each side of the double-acting cylinder, which

meters a precise dose through the discharge

hose. An adjustable momentary delay provides

time between discharges to move the wand to the

next plant. A spring-loaded check valve at the

end of the spray wand ensures that excess liquid

does not flow out of the spray gun between discharges.

How Can I Make a

Metered Liquid Applicator?

The applicator is composed of off-the-shelf components with the exception of a steel frame. It

requires a qualified electrician for wiring and

assembly of the electrical components. Material

costs should be about $500.

Caution! Proper assembly of the liquid applicator requires specific expertise. Consult a

trained electrician or engineer for advice and

assistance. The assembled liquid applicator

should be tested initially using potable water,

not chemicals.

The electric controls box houses the power converter, ground fault interrupter, system toggle

switch, terminal strip, fuses, and timer module.

The cylinder metering assembly consists of a

steel frame with a double-acting double-rod cylinder, an adjustable stop for the cylinder, an air

purging valve, and a solenoid valve with inlet/outlet hose adapters.

The spray gun can be any pistol-style wand, or

one modified to pistol style, to allow for a neutral

wrist position with an outstretched arm.

For a free parts list and detailed instructions on

how to make the metered applicator, write to:

UC Ag Ergonomics Research Center

Bio & Ag Engineering, UC Davis

One Shields Avenue

Davis, CA 95616-5294

Or visit http://ag-ergo.ucdavis.edu.

Operational Tips:

Trapped air in the solenoid valve, tubing, cylinder,

or hose will affect the accuracy of the system. To

help avoid this problem, the cylinder ports face

upward, and the 4-way valve is located directly

above the cylinder. A bypass valve for purging air

from the hose is provided. Rough handling of the

discharge hose can cause unwanted discharge.

Handle the hose relatively gently unless the

spray-wand valve is closed. For more information

about this system, please visit the UC-AERC web

site at http://ag-ergo.ucdavis.edu.

Contact Information:

This Tip Sheet was produced by the University of

California Agricultural Ergonomics Research

Center under a grant from the National Institute

for Occupational Safety and Health.

UC Ag Ergonomics Research Center, Bio & Ag

Engineering, UC Davis, One Shields Avenue,

Davis, CA 95616-5294. 

Or visit http://ag-ergo.ucdavis.edu.

Metered Liquid Applicator

24
H

and transplanting

seedlings into the field

can be tedious and

time-consuming. Some growers lay a tape measure or

knotted string on the planting

bed to space transplants

evenly. Others just estimate

plant spacing with their eyes.

Many growers then use a

hand trowel to dig holes for

the transplants. A rolling dibble marker, or dibble drum, is

a tool that helps you transplant seedlings faster and

more accurately. The handpulled tool rolls across the

planting bed, punching or

scooping transplant holes into

the soil at regular intervals.

How Does It Work?

You walk down the path beside the prepared

planting bed, pulling the dibble drum behind you

by its handle. As it rolls along, “dibbles,” or

scoops, which are screwed into a PVC drum at

regular intervals, create indentations in the soil for

transplants.

In loose soil, the dibble drum

will dig holes, but in heavy or

compact soil it will mark locations for transplant holes.

After rolling the dibble drum

along your planting bed, plant

transplants into the holes or

scoop marked holes with a

trowel.

Why Use a

Dibble Drum?

Saves time. You can set out,

plant, and water transplants

24% faster when using a dibble drum to space and dig

holes, compared to visually

estimating spacing and using

a trowel.

More accurate. If you mark your planting bed

with a dibble drum, you will ensure exact spacing

of your transplants in a grid pattern, even when

the task is performed by inexperienced workers.

Consistent spacing makes weeding easier, since

you can use a hand hoe or wheel hoe in two

directions or use a mechanical cultivator.

Accurate plant spacing will conserve bed space

and maintain plant quality. Even experienced

growers tend to overestimate plant spacing,

which can waste productive land. If growers

underestimate spacing, plants can be crowded

and yield might suffer.

Easier on the body.

Using a dibble drum

to space transplants

lets you stand

instead of stooping

or kneeling to mark

transplant spacing.

Tip Sheet

A Rolling Dibble Marker

for Easy Transplant Spacing

25

Traditional transplanting often uses a measuring stick

(above) or knotted string (right) to space plants.
Simple. It can be complicated and time-consuming to

explain how to space transplants to inexperienced field

hands. With a dibble drum, you can instruct workers to

simply roll the drum down the planting bed and set

one plant in each hole.

How Do I Make a Dibble Marker?

This rolling dibble marker, designed by Bob Meyer of

the University of Wisconsin Ag Engineering Lab, is

made from readily available hardware, lumber, and

PVC pipe. The drum is a section of 12” diameter PVC

pipe ($45-$50) commonly used for sewer connections.

Check with plumbing supply stores and ask for a section as long as your bed is wide. Parts for the dibble

drum will total approximately $100.

Materials and Assembly

Drum:

(1) 12” diameter PVC pipe cut to length of bed width.

Scoops:

(1) 2”x18” PVC pipe cut into (6) 3” sections which are

each cut in half lengthwise at a 45o angle.

(12) 2” metal angle brackets, fastened to each scoop

and then to the PVC drum.

Axle assembly (galvanized plumbing fittings):

(2) 1’x1’x3/4” plywood pieces, cut to fit end of drum

and fastened with screws.

(2) 3/4” floor flange, screwed into center of plywood.

(2) 3/4”x6” nipple threaded through PVC handle “T”

and screwed into flange.

(2) 3/4” coupler or end cap.

Handle assembly:

(1) 1”x10’ PVC pipe, cut into 4 sections (42”, 24”, 25”,

13”).

(2) 1” PVC “T”, to slip over each axle.

(1) 1” PVC 90o elbow to connect the 13” handle section to the 42” section.

(2) 1” PVC 45o elbow.

Glue the 42” section and 24” section each into an axle

“T”. Glue a 90o elbow to the 42” section and a 45o

elbow to the 24” section. Glue the 13” section to the

25” section with a 45o elbow. Attach the other end of

the 13” section to the 90o elbow, and the other end of

the 25” section to the other 45o elbow.

Misc.:

(48) 1/4”x1” machine screws, (56) 1/4” lock washers,

(56) 1/4” nuts, (16) 1/4”x1” wood screws, (8) 1/4”x2”

pan head machine screws.

PVC glue.

Exterior wood varnish or paint.

Contact Information

This material was developed by the Healthy Farmers,

Healthy Profits Project, whose goal is to find and share

work efficiency tips that maintain farmers’ health and

safety and also increase profits. For more information,

visit our web site at http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/ or call

608-265-9451.

Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, Department

of Biological Systems Engineering, College of

Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of

Wisconsin, 460 Henry Hall, Madison,

WI 53706.

Feel free to reproduce;

please mention source.

Rolling Dibble Marker

26

3/4” thick

plywood

end cap

Axle assembly:

3/4” galvanized plumbing

fittings and spare weights

Handle made

from 1” PVC

12” diameter

PVC (as long

as bed is wide)

Scoops made from

section of 2” PVC with

angle bracket bolted

through drum.
Problem:

Long-handled metal floor scraper (used for

cleaning up dirt and mud) requires lots of

force to grip and to push.

• Nothing to grip.

• Cannot comfortably be pushed with the

torso. 

One Solution:

Attach an eight-inch bar

handle to top of scraper.

• Gives a better grip.

• Disperses contact force over

a larger area.

Tip Sheet

Scraper Handle

27

What’s Wrong With a Plain Shaft

Like a Broom Handle?

Dirt and mud packed on the floor of a work area can

be thick and heavy. It’s hard to hold the handle tightly

enough to push as hard as you need to. If workers

lean into the scraper to use the whole force of their

bodies, it hurts when the end of the shaft jabs into

their stomachs.

How Is a Bar Handle Added?

You can use two hollow pipes (four- or five-inch-length

nipples), attached to the shaft with a pipe T fitting, or

you can weld an eight-inch length of pipe nipple directly to the shaft. If the original shaft is made of wood,

this will mean replacing it with pipe as well. Use a 3⁄4-

inch pipe shaft. Being hollow, the pipes will not make

the scraper overly heavy. Then wrap the nipples with

foam pipe insulation to cushion the handle.

Contact Information

This Tip Sheet was produced from material developed

by the Safety and Health Assessment and Research

for Prevention (SHARP) Program, Washington State

Department of Labor and Industries.

SHARP, Washington State Department of Labor and

Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, WA 98504-4330.

Or visit http://www.wa.gov/lni/sharp/.
Simple Solutions Are Cost-Effective!

The next four tip sheets were written for small fresh-market vegetable farms, where

produce is sold without processing, directly to stores, restaurants, or consumers. For

these four items, researchers from the University of Wisconsin Biological Systems

Engineering Department made estimates of costs, profit improvements, and work hours

affected. As you can see, each improvement gives a lot of bang for the buck.

ESTIMATED WORK FORCE AND LABOR HOURS AFFECTED BY FOUR

INNOVATIONS ON A TWO-ACRE MARKET VEGETABLE OPERATION

Percent of Percent of Possibility for

Work Force Work Hours Profit

Innovation Affected Affected Improvement Start-Up Cost

Net bag wash system 60% 10-20% High $24 (six bags)

Standard containers 75-95% 10-20% Medium-high $120 (12 containers)

Pallets and

hand truck 80% 20-50% High to very high $750 (75 pallets & truck)

Packing line layout 75-95% 15-25% Low to medium $150-$400

SOURCE: All data are best estimates based on field observations and professional judgment of project staff.

28
Tip Sheet

29

Problem:

Washing leafy greens by hand is backbreaking and time-consuming.

• Worker must stoop, lift, and grip repeatedly.

• Slow washing reduces crop quality.

• There is static load on arms while holding

produce to drain.

• Hands are in direct, frequent contact with

cold water.

• Rough handling lowers crop quality.

One Solution:

Use mesh bags to speed the process.

• Erect posture while removing and draining

leaves.

• Greater amount per trip: can use batch processing.

• Able to wash 50% more greens (by weight)

in the same amount of time.

• Faster process maintains crop quality.

• Hands spend less time immersed in cold

water.

• Less chance of leaf damage from crushing.

Mesh Bags: Easy Batch Processing
30

When Would I Use a Mesh Bag?

A mesh bag is a woven or knotted polyester or

nylon sack that lines your harvest containers or

wash basins. When you need to wash a large

number of small items (such as salad greens,

peas, beans), a mesh bag can save you time and

help reduce stress and strain on your body.

What Is ‘Batch Processing’?

You can move a large amount of produce at one

time through the harvest, washing, and drying

process. This amount, or batch, allows you to

speed the entire process because you cut out

many short repetitions along the way. For example, you can line your harvest container with a

mesh bag, then lift the entire bag and its contents

into the wash basin. Leave the produce in the

bag to soak and rinse, and then lift the entire

batch to dry. Dry light produce by placing the bag

into a commercial salad spinner, or use an old

washing machine set to “spin” cycle. The mesh

allows water to drain out. If you don’t have a spinner or washing machine to dry produce, spin the

bag lasso-style in the air.

Will Using Mesh Bags

Save Me Money?

Mesh bags cost approximately $2-$5 apiece, and

the time savings from batch processing with a

mesh bag will increase your profit. You can lift

50% more produce by weight with a mesh bag

compared to by hand without a bag. Indirect savings will occur from preventing stress and strain

on your body. Produce quality is improved with

faster washing and drying, and produce loss from

repeated handling is also prevented.

Where Can I Get Mesh Bags?

Several companies sell mesh bags for various

uses such as laundry bags and storage bags.

Check ads in magazines such as the American

Vegetable Grower, Growing for Market, and The

Packer. The Nylon Net Company sells a 22”x22”

square bag with 1/4” mesh. Cady Industries sells

32”x27” knotted McKnit bags. These sources are

provided as a convenience for our readers. They

are not an endorsement by the University of

Wisconsin-Extension, nor is the list exhaustive.

Cady Industries

P.O. Box 2087

Memphis, TN 38101

800-622-3695

Nylon Net Co.

845 North Main St.

Memphis, TN 38107

800-238-7529

Mesh Bags

Contact Information

This material was developed by the Healthy

Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, whose goal is to

find and share work efficiency tips that maintain

farmers’ health and safety and also increase profits. For more information, visit our web site at

http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/ or call 608-265-9451.

Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project,

Department of Biological Systems Engineering,

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences,

University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry Hall,

Madison, WI 53706.

Feel free to reproduce; please

mention source.
Tip Sheet

31

Problem:

Non-uniform containers are difficult to use.

• Carrying round crates or baskets is awkward; center of gravity is too far from the

body.

• Non-stacking containers require you to

stoop and bend more often.

• Missing and poor handles make crates difficult to carry.

• It is hard to estimate crop yield using nonstandard containers.

• Containers may be too large or too small

for the product.

• Cardboard and wooden crates are hard to

sanitize.

One Solution:

Standardized containers for your produce.

• When you carry square or rectangular containers, the center of gravity is close to

your body.

• Containers stack, which saves on bending

and stooping.

• Containers have molded, sturdy handles.

• Crop yield is easy to estimate with standard-sized containers.

• Several sizes are available for different

uses and loads.

• Plastic containers are easy to sanitize.

Standard Containers
32

Are Standard Containers Worth It?

Standard containers cost about $5-$10 apiece.

Their durability, versatility, and ease of use may

save you money in the long run. More efficient

work using standard containers—compared to

using assorted baskets, boxes, crates, and

pails—may produce indirect savings. These

would include faster harvest and handling, less

stress and strain on your body, and easier monitoring of crop yield. You can save field time by

tossing empty containers to strategic places

along the harvest row.

Standard containers can be used to wash and

drain produce as well as for transport. Some

have rounded bottoms so they can be used as

“sleds” in the field or used as wash basins in the

packing shed.

Standard containers made of plastic polymers will

last for many years. Standard containers nest to

save storage space. You can help prevent the

spread of plant diseases by regularly washing

plastic containers. Be sure to sanitize all surfaces

of the containers, both inside and out. Containers

should not be stacked on soil to dry, nor should

you stack cleaned containers if they have been in

contact with soil. Containers that fit the size and

weight of your produce may improve harvested

crop quality, since less loss will occur from damage.

Are There Tools that Complement

Standard Containers?

Standard containers can be stacked on narrow

pallets or full-sized pallets and then entire pallet

loads can be moved with a hand truck or

hydraulic pallet jack.

Where Can I Get

Standard Containers?

A number of companies sell standard containers.

Check ads in magazines such as the American

Vegetable Grower, Growing for Market, and The

Packer for sources. The following list of companies is provided as a convenience for our readers. It is not an endorsement by the University of

Wisconsin-Extension, nor is it exhaustive.

Buckhorn Inc.

55 W. TechneCenter Dr.

Milford, OH 45150

800-543-4454

CSA Works

121 Bay Rd.

Hadley, MA 01035

413-586-5133

recycled containers; bulk orders for

small- and medium-sized growers

Perstorp Xytec, Inc.

9350 47th Avenue SW

Tacoma, WA 98499

800-423-3221

Standard Containers

Contact Information

This material was developed by the Healthy

Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, whose goal is to

find and share work efficiency tips that maintain

farmers’ health and safety and also increase profits. For more information, visit our web site at

http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/ or call 608-265-9451.

Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project,

Department of Biological Systems Engineering,

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences,

University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry Hall,

Madison, WI 53706.

Feel free to reproduce; please

mention source.
Tip Sheet

33

Problem:

Carrying heavy boxes by hand is strenuous

and awkward.

• Carrying loads up to 75+ pounds is tiring.

• Can only move four boxes at once.

• Awkward carrying positions.

• Must stoop, bend, and lift often.

• Poor handles on boxes.

One Solution:

Roll a stack of boxes with a hand pallet truck.

• Carry loads of 500+ pounds with less effort.

• Can move up to 16 boxes at once.

• Allows loads to be rolled.

• Less stooping, bending, and lifting.

• Better carrying grip, lower weight at 

handles.

Narrow Pallet System
34

What Is a Pallet Truck?

Pallet trucks are similar to regular hand trucks (dollies)

with the exception of having pivoting forks instead of a

plate metal shoe. If you stack your load on a small pallet (14”x24”), you can position the forks underneath

and roll away as many as 16 5/9 bushel boxes. A pallet truck can be tilted (by releasing the forks) for loading and unloading and locked into an upright position

to tip back and roll the load.

Why Not Use a Regular Hand Truck?

With a hand truck, you need to push a stack of boxes

forward in order to squeeze the shoe under the stack.

This can make the stack unstable. A pallet system

keeps the load upright and stable until the truck is

locked into position for moving. The shoe of a regular

hand truck is fixed, which limits its use in tight quarters. Standard stackable containers tend to slide

around on a regular hand truck when full because the

bottom of the container has a smaller footprint than the

top. But using a pallet underneath the standard containers, you eliminate the sliding.

Why Not Use a Regular Pallet?

Many small-scale growers store and pack produce in

converted barns, older buildings, and coolers with tight

spaces and narrow doorways. A full-size pallet and

pallet jack require a very flat, smooth, hard surface to

roll easily. Pallet trucks, with their narrow size and

pneumatic wheels, roll easily through doorways and on

rough surfaces.

How Much Time and Energy

Will It Save?

There are several ways a pallet truck can increase

your efficiency compared to moving boxes by hand.

1. The number of times you lift or lower a box can be

cut in half.

2. If you would normally carry 3 or 4 boxes at a time,

you can cut your total number of trips by 75%-82%.

3. By using a pallet truck you can cut the time you

spend carrying boxes by 60%.

Cost Analysis

A new custom-made pallet truck with pallets costs

$750. At $7.00/hr., you’d need to save yourself 143

hours for the system to pay for itself. Ten hours saved

per month (30 minutes per weekday) means the system pays for itself in a little over 14 months of use. If

you commonly visit a chiropractor or massage therapist to relieve back pain, the pallet truck system can

pay for itself in less than 12 visits (at $50/visit).

Where Can I Find a Pallet Truck?

Pallet trucks are commonly used for feed and

seed sacks. Look in feed mills and co-ops for used

pallet trucks which you can retrofit with a larger back

frame to support two stacks of boxes. Valley Craft

makes pallet trucks with the wider frame; these trucks

are distributed by several dealers. Look under “materials handling” in your phone book or contact the following companies. This list is provided as a convenience

for our readers. It is not an endorsement by the

University of Wisconsin-Extension, nor is it exhaustive.

Narrow Pallet System

Contact Information

This material was developed by the Healthy Farmers,

Healthy Profits Project, whose goal is to find and

share work efficiency tips that maintain farmers’ health

and safety and also increase profits. For more information, visit our web site at http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/

or call 608-265-9451.

Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, Department

of Biological Systems Engineering, College of

Agricultural and Life Sciences,

University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry

Hall, Madison, WI 53706.

Feel free to reproduce; please

mention source.

Fastenal Co.

1117 Ashwaubenon St.

Green Bay, WI 54304

414-432-9181

Reynolds Sales and

Equipment

4255 Sunset Ridge

Cottage Grove, WI 53527

608-839-3417

Stoffel Equipment

P.O. Box 23341

Milwaukee, WI 53223

414-354-7500

Valley Craft

2001 South Highway 61

Lake City, MN 55041

800-328-1480

carts@valleycraft.com
Tip Sheet

35

Problem:

Packing produce in an unsystematic manner

wastes time and effort.

• No clear path for product and workers to

follow.

• Wash tubs do not drain; they must be carried and tipped to empty them away from

work area.

• Table height inappropriate for task or individual worker.

• Used window screens are difficult to sanitize.

• No shade for workers or produce.

• Clutter impedes efficient work.

One Solution:

Design a well-organized, clear, step-by-step

task and product flow.

• Straight line flow for product and worker.

• Drain empties washtub and drainpipe leads

dirty wash water away from work area.

• Table heights adjusted to fit task and individual.

• Screen tables made from galvanized hardware cloth are easy to sanitize.

• Shade has been provided for the workers

and produce.

• Supplies are kept where they are needed.

Packing Shed Layout
36

Why Analyze My

Packing Shed Layout?

You may be able to save time and effort by slightly

changing your current routine or habits.

How Can I Analyze My

Packing Area?

On paper, diagram the flow of your product from

field to packing box to cooler or truck, and note

work stations. Have an outsider describe the flow so

you don’t overlook any details you might take for

granted. You can also videotape the packing

process.

Will Rearranging My Packing Area

Save Me Money?

Any time saved during produce packing will save

money. Indirect savings will occur from creating a

more comfortable work area that will be healthier

and less hazardous for you. If your produce moves

more quickly through the packing process it will

maintain higher quality and be fresher when

packed.

What Are Some Considerations for

Efficient Packing Area Layout?

• Consider the general “flow” of the produce you

will be handling. Try to create a step-by-step product line that doesn’t waste effort. For example, do

all of your crops need to be washed? Do some

need to be spray-washed and others dunked? Do

you need both water and electricity at some work

stations but not others? Could you run two product lines that intersect at a shared work station

that has water and electricity? Could you make

the product lines intersect at a shared work station where boxes are packed, for example? Or circular product lines that intersect at the shared

work station? Could you use some sections of

roller table?

• Is your space large enough for your packing

needs?

• Is there plenty of light?

• Is the floor level and smooth to allow you to use

wheeled carts or handtrucks? Concrete is most

effective, followed by asphalt and packed roadbase or gravel. Dirt or woodchips hold water and

are unsanitary.

• Do you have enough water to frequently change

wash water? Do wash tubs drain away from the

work area? Could you use a splash guard or collecting trough under a screen table? Do you have

a handwashing station?

• Is there enough shade for both produce and workers? Would it help to suspend a tarp, mosquito

net, or fan?

• Are supplies such as bags or rubber bands kept

where they are needed? Are other items kept out

of the way (perhaps overhead)? Is the scale

handy and easy to use?

• Are your work station heights adjusted to the individual workers? Efficient work height is half-way

between wrist and elbow, measured when the arm

is held down at the worker’s side. Could some

workers use a stepstool? Consider setting up

work stations so that you move produce toward

your leading hand, for example from left to right

for right-handed people. You will have more control and be more accurate.

• Do electrical cords and outlets have Ground Fault

Circuit Interrupters? They are cheap and easy to

install.

Packing Shed Layout

Contact Information

This material was developed by the Healthy Farmers,

Healthy Profits Project, whose goal is to find and

share work efficiency tips that maintain farmers’ health

and safety and also increase profits. For more information, visit our web site at http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/

or call 608-265-9451.

Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, Department

of Biological Systems Engineering, College of

Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of

Wisconsin, 460 Henry Hall, Madison,

WI 53706.

Feel free to reproduce; please

mention source.
37

Written Materials for Farm Workers

Guidelines

• Use workers’ primary language. If that language is Spanish, be sure to use the

version your workers use (Central American, Mexican, Puerto Rican). If workers are from different backgrounds, avoid colloquialisms to make the leaflet

understandable to all. It’s worth the trouble to have the materials translated by

someone who is a native speaker of the language.

• Shoot for a fifth-grade reading level.

• Use plenty of illustrations. A picture is worth a thousand words.

• Show and tell not just the wrong way of doing work, but also the right way. 

• Get the thinking and input of farm workers themselves. This will produce a

result that workers will actually use.

The following leaflets in English and Spanish illustrate these guidelines.
38
39
Company Safety Director Testifies:

‘Ergonomics Works!’

Alethea Leandro is a workers’ compensation specialist with Norton-Parker

Insurance Agency, and former Safety Director at Salyer American Fresh Foods in

Salinas, California. At Salyer, she implemented ergonomic changes that significantly

reduced workers’ compensation premiums for the company. Salyer American employs

its own harvesting crews to harvest lettuce and celery on twenty-five small farms.

Q. What background did you have in ergonomics?

I began my career at a small farming operation as the personnel manager. When we

moved to a new location we had the opportunity to design our packing shed from

scratch. We designed it with the height of our employees in mind, making it more comfortable to stand and work at each location for a long time. This was the start of my

ergonomics “training.” Little did I know there was a word for designing the workplace

with the human body in mind.

Over the years, I’ve found that most of the equipment we use in California agriculture is designed by and for men. There are many women involved in this industry, and I

found, for example, that if things were weighted properly, if the center of gravity was

correct, I could use the equipment. If it had been mended or repaired with no concern for

balance, I found it difficult to use the equipment safely. We soon began to consider the

person using the equipment before any changes or repairs were completed.

Later, my “formal” ergonomics training took place at Human Resources conferences I attended.

Q. What sorts of changes did you implement in the fields?

We made small design changes to the equipment we used to harvest the lettuce. As you know,

today produce is packed right out in the field, on

equipment that moves through the furrows. On this

equipment the workers stand on metal platforms.

It’s as tough on the body as standing on concrete

all day long, so we put anti-fatigue mats (rubber

with holes in it, the same type a bartender uses to

stand on behind the bar) on the metal platform, and

40

A footrest on lettuce-packing equipment.

Workrelated

injuries

dropped

by over

fifty percent.

Ergonomics works.
also attached a raised bar to rest their feet on, so they could alternate feet and have their

lower backs straight. We saw fewer slips and falls getting on and off the equipment and

fewer lower back strains due to fatigue.

Another simple change was to pad a lot of solid surfaces. Some of it was not to

bruise the food, and some of it was for people purposes. We used foam rubber with plastic over it so it could be washed down. For example, the cutters have to throw the lettuce

or celery up onto a table to the employee

who will pack it. That table is shoulder

height with an angle iron edge on it, and

people were bruising themselves by standing up and hitting the edge. So we padded

that, and by padding it, we also raised the

surface of the table for the woman or man

who was packing, so they weren’t reaching

as low for the produce and it didn’t require

any twisting of the upper body. Along with

these ergonomic changes, we painted hazards red to catch the eye—an area where a

bolt might be sticking out, for example—

so they could be avoided, and we trained the employees in the benefits of these changes.

These are all small, inexpensive changes, but it’s amazing the difference they make.

Q. Did you have a hard time convincing your managers to make changes?

I had two factors in my favor. The workers’ compensation premiums were high,

and California had just implemented legislation that required each employer to have a

written Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

I began with small, easily implemented recommendations. Most recommendations

were readily accepted and the results were positive. Along with mechanical changes, we

began to change management and employee behaviors through training. What I found

difficult was that the question most frequently asked was, “What is this going to cost?”

rather than “What is this going to save?”

Q. How much savings did you see?

The loss ratio on our workers’ compensation went down steadily each year, which

in turn brought the premium down. At year four our workers’ compensation premium

decreased by one million dollars from the high at year two.

Not all of the savings were due to ergonomic or behavioral changes we had implemented. The manner in which workers’ compensation was calculated also changed in

January of 1995. California began an open rating system, allowing carriers to discount

your rate based on your safety programming. Our programming allowed us to benefit in

this new system, with significant discounts on our premiums.

Ultimately, the number of work-related injuries dropped by over 50 percent, and we

maintained an ongoing decrease in the number of injuries in our fields. Ergonomics

works.

The

question

most

frequently

asked

was,

‘What is

this going

to cost?’

rather

than

‘What is

this going

to save?’

41

Table padded with foam rubber and plastic.
Resources

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 4676 Columbia

Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998, 800-35-NIOSH (800-356-4674). Web site

address: www.cdc.gov/niosh.

NIOSH Agricultural Health and Safety Centers

Deep-South Center for Agricultural Disease & Injury, Research Education & Prevention.

University of South Florida College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd,

Tampa, FL 33612-3805. Phone: 813-974-6661.

Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention. Department of Preventive

Medicine, University of Kentucky, 1141 Red Mile Rd., Suite 102, Lexington, KY 40504-

9842. Phone: 606-323-6836.

Northeast Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health. One Atwell Road, Cooperstown,

NY 13326. Phone: 607-547-6023.

Midwest Center for Agricultural Research, Education, and Disease and Injury Prevention.

National Farm Medicine Center, 1000 North Oak Avenue, Marshfield, WI 54449-5790.

Phone: 715-387-9298.

Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health. 100 Oakdale Campus, #124 AMRF, The

University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-5000. Phone: 319-335-4412.

Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury and Education. The University of Texas

Health Center at Tyler, 11937 US Hwy 271, Tyler, TX 75708. Phone: 903-877-5896.

High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety. 154B Environmental

Health Bldg., Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1681. Phone: 970-491-

6151.

University of California Agricultural Health and Safety Center at Davis. Old Davis Rd.,

University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616-8757. Phone: 530-752-5253.

Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center. Department of Environmental

Health, Box 357234, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7234. Phone: 206-685-

8962.

42
NIOSH Publications

The following are free from the NIOSH Publications Office. Call 800-356-4674 or fax 513-

533-8573.

Elements of Ergonomics Programs: A Primer based on Workplace Evaluations of Musculoskeletal Disorders. 1997. A. Cohen, C. Gjessing, L. Fine, B. Bernard, J. McGlothlin, editors. NIOSH Publication No. 97-117. This 132-page book outlines a seven-step process that

tells you how to determine whether you need an ergonomics program and how to start one.

Chapters include training, reviewing medical data, and developing solutions. Checklists and

questionnaires for data gathering are included.

Participatory Ergonomic Interventions in Meatpacking Plants. 1994. By C. Gjessing, 

T. Schoenborn, and A. Cohen. NIOSH Publication No. 94-124. This 200-page book from

NIOSH gives case studies of three companies that set up participatory programs with

employees. Although the case studies are in meatpacking plants, the same principles apply

in most workplaces.

Other Publications

Easy Ergonomics, A Practical Approach for Improving the Workplace. 1999. Published by the

California Department of Industrial Relations, Cal/OSHA Consultation Service. Copies can

be obtained at no charge from Cal/OSHA, Manager, Consultation Education and Training

Unit, 2211 Park Towne Circle, Suite 4, Sacramento, CA 95825. 916-574-2528. Although

this publication is geared toward general industry, the ideas presented are easily transferable to agriculture.

Blueprintstwo: The Ergonomics Manual. 1990. Published by Comprehensive Loss Management,

Inc., Minneapolis. This 40-page guide is designed for supervisors and managers to help

employees prevent cumulative trauma disorders. It discusses the risk factors of cumulative

trauma disorders and specific prevention strategies, including 80 illustrations. Copies can

be obtained for $4.95 each by calling 800-279-0288 ext. 122.

Videos

Listen to Your Body: Safe Lifting, Pushing and Pulling, English/Spanish, 1992, 30 minutes.

Illustrates how back injuries occur and demonstrates safe lifting techniques. Made by the

University of Florida. Available from: Safety Coordinator, Department of Agricultural and

Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona, Shantz Bldg, Room 403, PO Box 210038,

Tucson, AZ 85721-0038. Materials are sent on a loan basis. User agrees to return materials

on or before a scheduled date and to pay return shipping costs. Please request materials as

far in advance as possible. Telephone requests accepted at 520-626-3134.

Ergonomic Programs That Work, English, 1998, 21 minutes. Shows how several companies

resolved ergonomic problems in their workplaces, resulting in higher productivity and

fewer lost workdays. Can be borrowed from U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational

Safety and Health Administration, Office of Public Affairs, Room N3647, 200 Constitution

Avenue, Washington, DC 20210. 202-693-1999. osha.videos@osha-slc.gov. Duplication of

tape for further use is permitted. Can be bought from NTIS (National Technical

Information Service) for $55 +$5 shipping and handling. Call 800-553-6847. Order

#AVA20258-VNB1INA.

43
NIOSH Lifting Equation

This equation is a simple way to determine a recommended weight limit for

specific tasks. The equation plugs in factors such as the height from the floor that the

object is picked up from, the distance the object is moved, and the frequency of lifts.

The equation and instructions on how to use it are available from the NTIS

(National Technical Information Service). Ask for PB94-176930; cost is $12.00 plus

$4.00 handling. Write to NTIS, U.S. Dept of Commerce, Technology Administration,

Springfield, VA 22161. Call 703-487-4650 or fax 703-321-8547.

Cooperative Extension Services

Contact your local county agricultural extension office. This is usually listed under

county government in the phone book, but sometimes under U.S. government (agriculture) or state government.

You can also contact the extension services at land-grant universities. These are the

big public universities in each state; in Michigan, for example, Michigan State

University. Call the university’s agriculture department. For a complete list of university

extension services, go to http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/statepartners/usa.htm (click on

your state). Or contact CSREES (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension

Service), an agency of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, at USDA, Washington, DC

20250-0900. Phone 202-720-3029. Fax 202-690-0289.

The OSHA Consultation Program

OSHA’s free consultation service is delivered by state governments using

well-trained professional staff. Consultants can assist you in recognizing potential workplace hazards on your farm and suggest approaches or options for eliminating these hazards. Primarily for smaller, high-hazard businesses with 10 or more employees, this service is completely separate from OSHA enforcement. No citations are issued and no

penalties are proposed. 

Setting it up: Your phone call or letter sets the machinery in motion. The consultant will discuss your needs with you and set up a visit date. OSHA encourages a complete review of your work environment; however, you may limit the visit to a specific

problem, such as ergonomics.

The walk-through: Together, you and the consultant will examine occupational

safety and health conditions at your farm. OSHA encourages employee participation in

the walk-through. Talking with employees helps the consultant identify and judge any

hazards; it also allows the consultant to provide limited informal training, upon request.

The consultant will do an appraisal of all mechanical and environmental hazards

and physical work practices, or will look just at the specific operations you designate.

You will learn not only what you need to improve, but also what you are doing right.

Hazard abatement dates are determined by you and the consultant.

44
The On-Site Consultant Will:

• Help you recognize occupational safety and health hazards in your workplace.

• Suggest general approaches or options for solving a safety or health workplace problem. 

• Identify kinds of help available if you need further assistance. 

• Provide you a written report summarizing findings. 

• Assist you in developing or improving your safety and health management system. 

• Provide occupational health and safety formal training for you and your employees. 

The On-Site Consultant Will Not:

• Issue citations or propose penalties for violations of OSHA standards. 

• Report possible violations to OSHA enforcement staff. 

• Guarantee that your workplace will “pass” an OSHA inspection. 

For more information about the OSHA Consultation Program, you can contact the

Consultation Project in your state (directory follows) or go to the OSHA web site at

www.osha.gov.

45

ALABAMA

Safe State Program, University of

Alabama

205-348-3033

ALASKA

Consultation Section,

ADOL/AKOSH

907-269-4957

ARIZONA

Consultation and Training, Industrial

Commission, Division of

Occupational Safety and Health

602-542-5795

ARKANSAS

OSHA Consultation, Department of

Labor

501-682-4522

CALIFORNIA

CAL/OSHA Consultation Service,

Department of Industrial

Relations

415-703-5270

COLORADO

Colorado State University,

Occupational Safety and Health

Section

970-491-6151

CONNECTICUT

Department of Labor, Division of

Occupational Safety and Health

860-566-4550

DELAWARE

Department of Labor, Division of

Industrial Affairs, Occupational

Safety and Health

302-761-8219

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Program available only for employers within the District of

Columbia 

DC Department of Employment

Services, Office of Occupational

Safety and Health

202-576-6339

FLORIDA

Department of Labor and

Employment Security, 7(c)(1)

Onsite Consultation Program,

Division of Safety

850-922-8955

GEORGIA

Georgia Institute of Technology,

7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation

Program

404-894-2643

GUAM

OSHA Onsite Consultation,

Department of Labor

671-475-0136

HAWAII

Consultation and Training Branch,

Department of Labor and

Industrial Relations

808-586-9100

IDAHO

Boise State University, Department

of Health, Safety and Health

Consultation Program

208-426-3283

ILLINOIS

Onsite Consultation, Industrial

Service Division, Department of

Commerce and Community

Affairs

312-814-2337

INDIANA

Bureau of Safety, Education and

Training, Division of Labor

317-232-2688

IOWA

7(c)(1) Consultation Program,

Bureau of Labor

515-965-7162

KANSAS

7(c)(1) Consultation Program,

Department of Human Resources

785-296-7476

KENTUCKY

Labor Cabinet, Division of

Education and Training

502-564-6895

LOUISIANA

7(c)(1) Consultation Program,

Department of Labor

225-342-9601

MAINE

Division of Industrial Safety, Bureau

of Labor Standards, Workplace

Safety and Health Division

207-624-6460

MARYLAND

MOSH Consultation Services

410-880-4970

MASSACHUSETTS

Division of Occupational Safety and

Health, Department of Work

force Development

617-727-3982
MICHIGAN (Health)

Occupational Health Division

517-322-6823

MICHIGAN (Safety)

Department of Consumer and

Industry Services

517-322-1809

MINNESOTA

Department of Labor and Industry,

Consultation Division

612-297-2393

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi State University, Center

for Safety and Health

601-987-3981

MISSOURI

Onsite Consultation Program,

Division of Labor Standards,

Department of Labor and

Industrial Relations

573-751-3403

MONTANA

Department of Labor and Industry,

Bureau of Safety

406-444-6418

NEBRASKA

Division of Safety and Labor

Standards, Department of Labor

402-471-4717

NEVADA

Safety Consultation and Training

Section, Division of Industrial

Relations, Department of

Business and Industry

702-486-9140

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Department of Health and Human

Services

603-271-2024

NEW JERSEY

Department of Labor, Division of

Public Safety and Occupational

Safety and Health

609-292-3923

NEW MEXICO

Environment Department,

Occupational Health and Safety

Bureau

505-827-4230

NEW YORK

Division of Safety and Health

518-457-2238

NORTH CAROLINA

Bureau of Consultative Services,

Department of Labor, OSHA

Division

919-807-2905

NORTH DAKOTA

Division of Environmental

Engineering

701-328-5188

OHIO

Bureau of Employment Services,

Division of Onsite Consultation

614-644-2246

OKLAHOMA

Department of Labor, OSHA

Division

405-528-1500

OREGON

Oregon OSHA, Department of

Consumer and Business Services

503-378-3272

PENNSYLVANIA

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

724-357-2396

PUERTO RICO

Occupational Safety and Health

Office, Department of Labor and

Human Resources 

787-754-2171

RHODE ISLAND

OSH Consultation Program, Division

of Occupational Health and

Radiation Control, Department of

Health

401-222-2438

SOUTH CAROLINA

Department of Labor, Licensing and

Regulation

803-734-9614

SOUTH DAKOTA

Engineering Extension, Onsite

Technical Division, South Dakota

State University

605-688-4101

TENNESSEE

OSHA Consultation Services

Division, Department of Labor

615-741-7036

TEXAS

Workers’ Health and Safety

Division, Workers’ Compensation

Commission

512-804-4640 

OSHCON Request Line:

800-687-7080

UTAH

Labor Commission, Workplace

Safety and Health, Consultation

Services

801-530-6901

VERMONT

Division of Occupational Safety and

Health, Department of Labor and

Industry

802-828-2765

VIRGINIA

Department of Labor and Industry,

Occupational Safety and Health,

Training and Consultation

804-786-6359

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Division of Occupational Safety and

Health, Department of Labor

340-772-1315

WASHINGTON

Department of Labor and Industries,

Division of Industrial Safety and

Health

360-902-5638

WEST VIRGINIA

Department of Labor

304-558-7890

WISCONSIN (Health)

Department of Health and Human

Services, Division of Public

Health, Section of Occupational

Health

608-266-9383

WISCONSIN (Safety)

Department of Commerce, Division

of Marketing, Advocacy and

Technology Development,

Bureau of Manufacturing and

Assessment

262-523-3044 or 800-947-0553

WYOMING

Department of Employment,

Workers’ Safety and

Compensation Division

307-777-7786

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