Work-related injury occurs in almost every job. Finding and correcting the ergonomic problems that cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) involves managing MSD hazard controls. These are engineering, work practice, and administrative controls. The latter two are about behavior and the way work is performed. While these tend to be the least costly solutions, they cannot be effective alone. Engineering controls, or those that physically change the work station or job task, are the most preferred way to prevent MSDs in the work place. This is because they don't rely on the employee to take self-protective action or intervention. In fact, they create a safer environment as a whole. In some fields, engineering controls are more about tools and workstations than they are changing a process or implementing new equipment. These are less costly scenarios. However, the more debilitating the potential MSDs, the more elaborate a change a company may need to make. These solutions can be a significant investment, but in the long run, they pay for themselves. Let's examine engineering controls as they relate to shoulder injuries.
The shoulder is the most moveable joint in the body and is used in a lot of the same tasks that place stress on the back, legs, arms, and neck. Common work-related MSDs in the shoulder include: tendonitis, bursitis, frozen shoulder, degenerative joint disease, impingement syndrome, and arthritis. Treatment for these can be extensive and costly depending on severity. In many cases, employees cannot return to the same job while recovering from shoulder injury, and sometimes they are permanently unable to return to the field. This is devastating not only to the affected employees, but also employers. There are too many specific automated devices in existence to list individually, but we can look at some broad solutions to the overworked shoulder.
Reducing overhead work: mechanized and automated equipment that can adjust to the height of the person using it significantly minimizes the need to reach. This may be a stationary unit that moves up and down or part of a pulley system that also transports product. In some cases, an overhead crane or lifting system is appropriate to eliminate any manual movement of an object. Reaching is a major factor in work-related shoulder MSDs.Minimizing repetition: repetitive movements - great or small - severely impact the health of a joint. Anything that replaces the job of manual repetitive motion will be an asset to a company whether it's a conveyor belt or a dipping machine.
Pushing and pulling modifications: most people equate injuries from pushing or pulling with the back. While this is true, the shoulder is also used in pushing and pulling. Ideally, carts (and the like) are motorized to eliminate pushing and pulling all together. This is the safest solution for the entire body. For transportation equipment that isn't motorized, having handles that adjust to the pusher's height is very important. Carts can also be designed to be loaded and unloaded with minimal bending, lifting, and twisting. These actions are also very stressful to both the back and the shoulders.
While these are just three categories of improvement, the number of machines, equipment, and devices built with those factors in mind is enormous. They're built because they're not only needed, but they're also effective. Whatever your industry, there are products designed to help minimize undue stress and injury to your body.
Carol Olin is Vice President of Americarts USA, a manufacturer of US-made motorized platform carts used for hospital transporting, hospitality and industrial. AmeriCart USA features high quality carts price to compete with imported products. Carol has been in the material transport equipment industry for over 11 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment