Modules currently available include:

• Noise
• Asbestos
• Measurement of Hazardous Substances
• Health Effects of Hazardous Substances
• Control of Hazardous Environments
• Thermal Environments
• Ergonomics
• Basic Principles of Occupational Hygiene

According to the website, OHTA mission is as follows:

OHTA was formed to promote better standards of occupational hygiene practice throughout the world.  We develop training materials and make them freely available for use by students and training providers.  We also promote an international qualifications framework so that all hygienists are trained to a consistent, high standard, recognized in all participating countries.

LI = the relative estimate of the physical stress associated with a manual lifting job

Sources:  eLCOSH & NIOSH

In 2003 OSHA deleted the MSD provisions (column and definition) from the 2001 Recordkeeping rule. However, after further consideration and analysis, the Agency believes that information generated from the MSD column will improve the accuracy and completeness of national occupational injury and illness statistics; will provide valuable and industry specific information to assist OSHA in effectively targeting its inspection, outreach, guidance and enforcement efforts to address workplace MSDs; and will provide useful establishment-level information that will help both employers and employees readily identify the incidence of MSDs.

OSHA stresses that the purpose of this rulemaking is solely to improve data gathering regarding work-related MSDs. The proposed rule does not require employers to take any action other than to check the MSD column on the OSHA 300 log if a work-related MSD case occurs that meets the general recording requirements of the Recordkeeping regulation. Unlike OSHA standards, the proposed rule does not require employers to implement controls to prevent and control employee exposure to an identified occupational hazard.

Source:  OSHA.gov

From the car, to the office and job site, from packaging, to pretty little things, the concept and application of ergonomics has made the objects and environments in our lives more comfortable.

A selection of the article about Three Mile Island vs. Ergonomics  is provided after the break.

In 1979, there was a core meltdown at Three Mile Island – the most dangerous type of nuclear plant accident. As coolant poured away from reactor, those on duty could not understand what was happening due to confusing information on their instruments. And so they inadvertently took action that made things worse.

Bhopal and Chernobyl too have primarily been attributed to “operator error”.

At Three Mile Island, in Pennsylvania, no-one died or was injured. But it led to far-reaching reforms of how nuclear plants operate, which used ergonomics to work out more logical controls for staff.

A 1979 report by the President’s Commission on the Accident at Three-Mile Island noted the “control panel is huge, with hundreds of alarms, and there are some key indicators placed in locations where operators cannot see them”.

Ergonomics experts were called in to give a crash course to Nuclear Regulatory Commission managers, engineers and scientists. And a panel investigating other plants found “haphazard” control rooms to be a widespread problem. In the US and abroad, the accident led to improved instrumentation and better control rooms.

In the UK, the Central Electricity Generating Board became aware of the importance of ergonomics in the late 1950s, and recruited a specialist to design the control room at Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Plant. This proved a success, and ergonomics became central to control room design.

Source: BBC

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To aid in the prevention of these injuries, this booklet suggests many simple and inexpensive ways to make construction tasks easier, more comfortable, and better suited to the needs of the human body.

Example of a “simple solution.” This ironworker uses a tool that automatically ties rebar with the pull of a trigger. The extended handle lets him work while standing upright. No leaning, kneeling, stooping, or hand twisting are necessary.

Did you know … ?

• Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States.
• The number of back injuries in U.S. construction was 50% higher than the average for all other U.S. industries in 1999 (CPWR, 2002).
• Backaches and pain in the shoulders, neck, arms, and hands were the most common symptoms reported by construction workers in one study (Cook et al, 1996).
• Material handling incidents account for 32% of workers’ compensation claims in construction, and 25% of the cost of all claims. The average cost per claim is $9,240 (CNA, 2000).
• Musculoskeletal injuries can cause temporary or even permanent disability, which can affect the worker’s earnings and the contractor’s profits.

The “Tip Sheets” in this booklet show how using different tools or equipment may reduce the risk of injury. All of the items described in this booklet have been used on working construction sites. Given the nature of construction, some solutions here may not be appropriate for all worksites. Sometimes solutions discovered for one trade can be modified for other trades.

This booklet provides general information regarding the methods some construction contractors have used to reduce workers’ exposures to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The examples described in this booklet may not be appropriate for all types of construction work. The use of the tools and equipment described in the booklet does not ensure that a musculoskeletal disorder will not occur. The information contained in this booklet does not produce new obligations or establish any specific standards or guidelines.

Our goal has been to describe solutions that are also cost-effective. Although the cost of some of the solutions here exceeds $1,000, which may be too high for some contractors, we believe successful implementation will lead to a quick recovery of the investment in many cases.

Source: NIOSH

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According to AIHA, the goal of ergonomics is to:

1. Decrease the risk of MSD
2. Decrease worker discomfort and improve the quality of work-life
3. Improve worker performance

AIHA believes that the benefits of such a program include:

1. Enhanced safety and health program performance
2. Improved quality and productivity
3. Reductions in errors
4. Heightened employee morale
5. Reduced compensation and operating costs
6. Accommodation of diverse populations of workers

Scientific data supports findings that indicate work-related MSDs cost approximately $50 billion annually and affect 1 million people each year.  Guidelines are available that reduce the risk associated with MSDs but regulation concerning ergonomics should be enacted as a more effective strategy to deal with the issues.  Additionally, research should be continued to refine models and dose-response relationships between the workplace and MSDs.

A copy of AIHA’s position paper can be downloaded HERE: AIHA Ergonomics Position Statement (80)