Generally, a minimum of a 15 minute rest break at least every two hours is required. Employees grasp the bag with a medial grasp which requires the fingers to support the entire 100 pounds. At least 50 pounds of force must be exerted by each hand to lift and move the bags. Assuming equal distribution of force each finger must exert at least 12 pounds of force to support the load. Research by Kamon and Goldfuss indicate that grip forces should be maintained at less than about 5 pounds for repetitive grasping actions.
Employees are wearing, what appears to be cloth, gloves during the loading operation.
Implement the workstation changes outlined in the previous section. These changes will allow the employee to roll the load onto the hopper shelf instead of grasping and lifting the load. Rolling or sliding the load will allow the employee to place the hand under the load and guide it without using finger force to lift and move the materials. Make sure gloves fit properly and do not decrease tactile sensitivity. Gloves should be made of a material which increases the coefficient of friction between the hand and the load surface.