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May / June 2008

Table of Contents :

1. Managing Ergonomics Issues In-House:
   – The Ergonomics Team
2. Going Green at Home:
   Tips for an Environment Friendly Home
3. Think Safe! Working Outdoors:
   6 tips for summer safety

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Managing Ergonomics Issues In-House:

– The Ergonomics Team

The goals of a good ergonomics program should include finding cost-effective solutions to minimize or eliminate Cumulative Trauma Disorders while maintaining productivity and reducing worker’s compensation costs. A good ergonomics program will also promote ongoing teamwork and continued program success. This task falls largely on the shoulders of the Ergonomics Team.

The Ergonomics Team should be made up of mostly production workers with representatives from supervisors, top management, safety and health staff, engineering and/or maintenance. The production workers chosen for the team should be those who are willing and able to effectively communicate with co-workers in a non-threatening manner. Members of the team should be highly active, visible, and approachable.

The Ergonomics Team is essential to a company meeting the guidelines set by OSHA’s general duty clause for ergonomics. It provides on-going follow up on ergonomic issues within the company. The Ergonomics Team should receive detailed training in the anatomy and biomechanics of the body, high risk positions and activities for the body, and other factors that can impact employee ability to safely perform job tasks. The team should also receive in-depth training on how to analyze a job and come up with potential corrective recommendations to minimize the risks identified.

The duties of an ergonomics team should include:

• Meet every two to four weeks.
• Identify jobs in need of analysis.
• Analyze the jobs.
• Develop list of corrective actions.
• Assign responsible parties to implement.
• Assign a timetable for implementation.
• Follow Up.

Analyzing a job should include collecting information from workers performing the tasks in regards to fatigue/pain complaints and any recommendations they may have for making the job easier. Analyzing the job should also include completing a work risk checklist and videotaping workers performing regular work duties. This information is then evaluated by the team and a list of corrective actions is formulated, with a plan for implementation. Corrective actions should fall into each category of the five E’s for Injury Elimination. These include Engineering/Ergonomics, Exposure Reduction, Education, Exercise, and Enforcement/Accountability.

One of the most important duties of the Ergonomics Team is to have a positive attitude toward the workers, toward fellow team members, and toward the ergonomics program. There needs to be a commitment by the company of time, money, and expertise for the Ergonomics Team to be a successful part of a long term ergonomics program.

If you’d like to learn more about training and establishing an Ergonomic Team, please contact CISonsite at (866) 298-1312 or jpanozzo@cisonsite.com.

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Going Green at Home:

Tips for an Environment Friendly Home

Being environmentally conscious is important both at work and at home. Here are some tips for making your space green:

Water

• Fix any leaky faucets, toilets, or water pipes. Even a small drip can add up to a lot of water over time.
• Install water saving faucets.

Energy

• Conserve fuel by turning down the heat at night and while you are away from your home, or install a programmable thermostat.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Insulate your home against heat loss and periodically check insulation.
• Fix air leaks with weather stripping and caulking.
• In the winter, change your furnace air filters once a month. The heater uses more energy when it is full of dust.
• Insulate your electric hot water heater and pipes. Do not, however, insulate gas heaters and only start insulating gas heater pipes about six inches away from the heater.
• Avoid using cars – walk, cycle or use public transportation whenever possible.
• Avoid anything battery operated (or use rechargables or solar rechargables if batteries are unavoidable).
• Buy locally – not only is it good for the local economy, it will save energy because products haven’t traveled across the globe to get to you.

Toxics

• Furnish your home with furniture made out of natural fibers, wood, metal, and glass.
• Avoid the use of polyvinyl chloride (also known as PVC or vinyl) in your home. The entire life cycle of products made from PVC pollutes the environment and your home. PVC items include shower curtains, flooring, even some children’s toys.
• Avoid the use of aerosols.
• Use castor or mineral oils to lubricate switches and hinges instead of lubricants containing solvents.
• Choose water based latex paints over solvent based paints when painting your home. Never use lead based paints.
• If you have a furnace, fireplace or gas heater, have them serviced regularly to prevent deadly fumes and install a carbon monoxide detector.
• Ensure you have good ventilation and balanced humidity in your home to prevent the growth of mold and mildew, which can be harmful to your health.

Waste

• Do not throw out your toxic household wastes, such as paint, paint thinner, and car fluids, in the garbage or down the drain. Check with your local facilities for proper disposal and avoid these products in the future.
• Take your own bags to the grocery store. If you take plastic bags, use them until they are worn out.
• Compost your food waste and use as nutrient rich soil for your lawn.
• Avoid excess packaging.
• Always use reusable mugs, lunch containers, batteries, pens, razors, etc.
• Replace paper products with reusable ones (use recycled, non-chlorine bleached paper when you do have to use paper).

Adopted from VPPPA Safety News Network

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Think Safe! Working outdoors:

6 tips for summer safety

Does your job require you to work outdoors in the summer? If so, you may be at risk for developing several different health problems, such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke or Lyme disease. To protect yourself, try these tips for working outdoors safely.

1. Take your work breaks out of the sun, especially if it’s very hot or humid.
2. If you work in areas with a lot of vegetation, poison ivy may be a concern. To protect yourself, learn what poison ivy looks like and where it’s found in your area.
3. Prevent dehydration by drinking small amounts of water frequently. During heavy physical activity in hot weather, drink two to four glasses of cool fluids each hour, regardless of whether you’re thirsty. Cool, not cold, water is best. Avoid products with alcohol or large amounts of sugar.
4. Use a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
5. Pace yourself. If possible, schedule extremely strenuous tasks for early morning or late afternoon, when the sun’s rays are less intense.
6. Wear lightweight, long-sleeved, loose-fitting cotton shirts, long paints and a wide-brimmed hat. This will help you guard against sunburn, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, as well as tick- and mosquito-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus.

Adopted from Mayo Clinic Health Information

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