Frequent reaches are consistent with the development of shoulder musculoskeletal fatigue and tendon wear, tear, inflammation, and thickening. Excessive forward reaching can flex the torso forward which increases low back stress and increases the hazard of low back injury. Reduce the width of the conveyor belt such that employee reaches are maintained within recommended distances. Generally, reaches should be limited to 16 to 17 inches. Provide a push bar on the far side of the conveyor such that items from the far side of the conveyor are deflected to employees within recommended reach distances.
Employees have slight deviation of the wrist while rotating the forearm during cutting tasks.
Educate the employee on the basics of body biomechanics and the importance of maintaining the wrist in an ergonomically neutral position while limiting the amount of forearm rotation as much as possible. Some employees appear to use cutting motions which have little forearm rotation and permits the wrist to stay in an ergonomically neutral posture. These should reduce the amount the amount of wrist deviation required for the task as they permit the use of power grips to control the knife. Develop knives which incorporate any needed bend angles into the blade and handle of the tool instead of employees bending their wrists. Knives and cutting surfaces should be designed such that employees can maintain a neutral wrist posture.