Trimming employees should be rotated through these positions for periods of the day to provide rest and recuperation from the over exertion caused by knife handling tasks. Reduce the base rate that is required to be trimmed by each employee. Studies have shown that tendon symptoms seem to appear when repetitions reach between 1500 and 2000 repetitions per hour. With the current base rate of 8 pieces per minute there is at least 1920 cuts per hour which is a rate which could be problematic. Reducing the standard to about 6 pieces per minute would reduce the number of repetitions to about 1500 per hour which is the upper limit of the frequency range thought to present minimal tendon problems.
Employees use a straight, in-line, filleting type knife to perform trimming tasks.
These knives force the employees to deviate the wrist while exerting finger force to perform the requisite cuts. Employees were observed to be repeatedly bending the wrist of the cutting hand with flexion and ulnar deviation to utilize the supplied knife and cutting board. Repeatedly exerting finger force while the hand is in an awkward posture such as wrist deviation is recognized as a risk factor in the development of MSDs such as tendinitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Reduce employee wrist flexions by tilting the cutting surface for trim jobs toward the employee. The work surface should be adjustable between about 0 and 30 degrees so employees can tilt the surface at different angles to accommodate their particular anthropometry.