Generally, a minimum of a 15 minute rest break at least every two hours is required. Employees grasp the plastic bag with a medial grasp and lifts the entire 50 pounds with all the weight supported by the fingers of the hands. Approximately 25 pounds of force must be exerted by each hand to lift and move the bags. Assuming equal distribution the finger force exerted is at least 6 pounds. Research by Kamon and Goldfuss indicate that grip forces should be maintained at less than about 5 pounds for repetitive actions.
Employees are wearing, what appears to be cloth, gloves during the loading operation.
The use of cloth gloves with a plastic bag significantly increases the amount of finger force which must be exerted to control and transport the bag. Implement the workstation changes outlined in the previous section. These changes will allow the employee to cradle the load instead of grasping and lifting the load. Cradling the load will allow the employee to place the hand under the load and support it without using finger force to lift and move the materials. Make sure gloves fit properly and do not decrease tactile sensitivity.