ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to extend our appreciation to the Washington Growers League, the Shippers and Growers Association, and to the management and workers of all participating companies without whom this study would not have been possible.
We would also like to thank Claire Olsovsky, Yolanda Gomez, Estella Sicairos, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries SHARP Program, and Mary Miller for their assistance in data collection and interpretation. And finally, we would like to thank the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center for its financial support of the project.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Field Research and Consultation Group (Field Group) of the University of Washington Department of Environmental Health recruited, with the assistance of the Washington Growers League, three fruit packing companies in Yakima County, Washington to participate in an investigation of the musculoskeletal risks in the packing house industry. The goal of this study was to better understand the nature of musculoskeletal risks in this industry and to provide employers and employees with information to assist in the development of controls to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs).
Ergonomic evaluations were performed on sorting, packing, and segregating job tasks at three Washington apple warehouses. Observations of job tasks, workplace measurements, worker interviews, and videotaping were performed in April and May 1999. Data collected were then used to characterize and analyze musculoskeletal risk factors for six packing house jobs. Particular attention was paid to the manual and semi-automatic bagging and tray filling operations. The Washington State Ergonomics Rule, WAC-296-62-051, was finalized during the course of this evaluation, and an assessment of how this rule might apply to these jobs was also conducted.
There was good agreement among the variety of assessment instruments used with regard to the body sites at greatest risk of musculoskeletal injury. Repetition, static loading of neck and back, and extended reaches produced risk for injury to the back, shoulders, hand/wrist, and neck in sorters. Repetition, static loading of neck and back, high force, and extended reaches were evident in packing jobs, increasing the potential risk to shoulders, upper back, hand/wrist, shoulders, and elbows. Segregators were observed to engage in tasks with high force, repetition, and awkward postures creating a potential for back and shoulder injuries. Objective measures suggested that segregators were at high risk for injury, although they did not report symptoms. All jobs had at least one task that met the criteria of a “caution zone jobs” under the new Washington State Ergonomics Rule. Several jobs had at least on hazard zone risk factor. This report concludes with a variety of ergonomic risk factor reduction recommendations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
1.0 INTRODUCTION
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
Table 1 Analyst Observations
Table 2 Participating Company Overview
Table 3 Study Participants
Table 4 Workers Compensation and OSHA 200 Rates
Table 5 OSHA 200 Musculoskeletal Injury Rates by Body Site
Table 6 Participant Health Conditions Compared to U.S. Population
Table 7 Symptom Reporting by Body Site
Table 8 Self–Reported Across Shift Discomfort
Table 9 Mean Cycle Time Sorting Apples, by Company
Table 10 Percent of Shift Risk Factors were Observed – Sorters
Table 11 Self-reported Symptoms – Sorters
Table 12 Mean Cycle Time Segregating, by Company
Table 13 Percent of Shift Risk Factors were Observed – Segregators
Table 14 Self-reported Symptoms – Segregators
Table 15 Self-reported Symptoms – Packers
Table 16 Symptom Reporting by Age – Packers
Table 17 Mean Cycle Time Manual Tray Packing, by Company
Table 18 Percent of Shift Risk Factors were Observed – Manual Tray
Table 19 Mean Cycle Time Manual Bag Packing, by Company
Table 20 Percent of Shift Risk Factors were Observed – Manual Bagging
Table 21 Manual Packer Symptoms and Job Task Observations
Table 22 Mean Cycle Time Semi-automatic Tray Packing, by Company
Table 23 Percent of Shift Risk Factors were Observed – Semi-auto Tray
Table 24 Across Shift Body Discomfort Semi-automatic Tray Packers
Table 25 Mean Cycle Time Semi-automatic Bag Packing, by Company
Table 26 Percent of Shift Risk Factors were Observed – Semi-automatic Bagging
Table 27 Across Shift Body Discomfort – Semi-automatic Bag Packers
Table 28 Semi-automatic Packer Symptoms and Job Task Observation
Table 29 Summary of Hazard by Body Site
Table 30 Back Pain: Packing House Workers vs. Reference Group
Figure 1 Apple Packing Process
Figure 2 Sorter with Extended Reach to Place Apple on Conveyor
Figure 3 Sorter Across Shift Body Discomfort Map
Figure 4 Segregator Stacking Box on Top Layer of Pallet
Figure 5 Effect of Box Layers on RWL
Figure 6 Effect of Horizontal Distance on RWL
Figure 7 Segregator Cross Shift Body Discomfort Map
Figure 8 Manual Tray Packing at a Circular Tub
Figure 9 Manual Tray Packer Across Shift Discomfort Map
Figure 10 Manual Bag Packer Twist-Tying a Bag
Figure 11 Manual Bag Packer Across Shift Body Discomfort
Figure 12 Discomfort Map Comparison of Manual Tray and Bag Packing
Figure 13 Box Filling and Apple Arranging – Semi-automatic Tray Packing
Figure 14 Semi-automatic Tray Packer Across Shift Body Discomfort
Figure 15 Semi-automatic Bag Packing at Company 1 and Company 3
Figure 16 Semi-automatic Bag Packers Across Shift Body Discomfort
Figure 17 Across Shift Body Discomfort: Semi-automatic Tray Packing and Bagging
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