Sliced sections of ham are placed on a pocket conveyor with about 2 to 3 slices being placed in each pocket. This conveyor also feeds to a heat sealer. After packages have been sealed they are taken by conveyor to an area where a label is affixed to the ham after which the conveyor removes it to a packaging area where they are packed into a box for shipment. Employees stand for the duration of the operation. The following potential hazards and solutions apply to all three of the above listed tasks.
Employees use repeated, extended reaches to perform tasks on all lines observed.
Principal among these is the band saw station on the trim line, the mesh bagging operation on the hang line, product transfer operations where product is moved from the area where the ham is placed in the sealing bags to the sealing conveyor, and the final sealed and labeled packing station. Frequent reaches present a hazard as extending the arm creates a weak position in terms of arm strength. Frequent reaches are consistent with the development of acute shoulder, arm, and upper back injury such as strains, sprains, and tears. Additionally, reaching often forces employees to continually bend the torso forward to gain adequate access. Continual bending of the torso is consistent with the development of low back pain.