April 15, 2011:NWLP
4/12/11
10:17 AM
Page 4
OR-OSHA ergonomics consultants can help prevent injuries
By DON McINTOSH
Associate Editor
For 20 years, unions have tried to
get the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) to re-
quire employer action to prevent er-
gonomic injuries — disorders like
carpal tunnel and tendonitis that are
caused by strain or repetitive motion
in poorly designed work stations.
But workers’ health is political,
and the political system on this issue,
as with many others, has been more
responsive to big business than organ-
ized labor. Congress intervened in the
late 1990s to prevent OSHA from im-
plementing ergonomic requirements,
and that legislation still stands.
However, that doesn’t mean there
haven’t been incremental improve-
ments. OSHA and its state-level
counterparts have tried to make it
easy for businesses to voluntarily im-
plement ergonomic prevention — by
making information available, and
providing free consultations.
The state-run Oregon OSHA em-
ploys two staff members who go out
(International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X)
Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon
as a voice of the labor movement.
4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150,
Portland, Ore. 97213
Telephone: (503) 288-3311
Fax Number: (503) 288-3320
Editor: Michael Gutwig
Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice
Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of
each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-
profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the
Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore-
gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union
members.
Group rates available to trade union organizations.
PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID
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CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a
change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old
and new addresses and the name and number of your local union.
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PORTLAND, OR 97213
PAGE 4
to offices, factories, bus yards, and
other workplaces to look at work sta-
tions and make recommendations to
employers on how to prevent muscu-
loskeletal disorders, as ergonomic in-
juries are more properly known.
[Technically, the term ergonomics is
the science of fitting the work to the
worker.]
The two, Nathan Sweet and Steve
Morrissey, visit both union and non-
union workplaces. They’re members
of Service Employees International
Union Local 503. The Labor Press
asked them to identify some of the
most common ergonomic hazards
they find. Unsurprisingly, it varies de-
pending on the kind of workplace.
In jobs that require physical exer-
tion, proper lifting is key. Back prob-
lems brought on by improper lifting
are among the most common work-
place injuries. Injuries happen when
workers stoop to lift something heavy,
or try to lift an object higher than their
shoulders, or lift more than they
should try, or twist or turn while they
lift. Aging workers, in particular, may
not realize the cumulative effect of
excessive lifting.
In any lift, good body positioning
can be the difference between success
and a back injury. Bend your knees,
keep your back straight, avoid twist-
ing, and know where you’re going,
Sweet says.
At construction work sites, Sweet
stresses the importance of planning
the work, considering where lifts are
going to happen, and making sure
there’s adequate space, enough em-
ployees to do the lift safely, and the
right tools. In recent years, a multi-
tude of new tools have been devel-
oped to eliminate ergonomic hazards
— tools that lessen muscle strain, re-
duce the amount of hand force re-
quired, eliminate the need for awk-
ward postures, and expose bodies to
fewer sharp edges. Examples include
extension poles for overhead work,
easy-hold gloves that attach to dry-
wall mud pans, vacuum machines to
help with lifting and placing heavy
windows, wheeled kneelers to reduce
knee and lower back stress for work
done close to floors, and reduced-vi-
bration power tools.
For office workers, good office
chairs are vital — “good” meaning
they are adjustable and in proper op-
erating condition. Adjustable chairs
are becoming much more common,
but ironically, many office workers
don’t know how to use them properly.
“Make sure you understand how to
adjust your seat,” Sweet said. “In an
office setting, most of the time, most
of the people I speak with don’t know
how to adjust their office chair.”
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
Washington’s OSHA counterpart
— the Washington State Department
of Labor and Industries — has an on-
line tutorial showing proper seat ad-
justment, at http://1.usa.gov/e7D6pp.
For driving occupations, posture
makes a big difference, Morrissey
says, and it’s worth taking the time to
properly adjust the seat, steering
wheel, headrest, and rearview mir-
rors. Prolonged driving is associated
with low back pain, and neck and
shoulder trouble.
Ergonomic improvements aren’t
just the right thing to do — employers
also save money when they prevent
injuries, both directly through lower
workers’ compensation insurance pre-
miums and indirectly through less lost
work time, less need to replace em-
ployees, and less productivity loss
due to workers being in pain and dis-
comfort. Not only that, but changes to
prevent ergonomic injuries may also
speed up workflow and increase pro-
ductivity.
Since ergonomic injuries are often
the result of cumulative stress, Sweet
says it’s important that employees re-
port symptoms as early as possible —
so that injuries can be prevented.
“Each workplace culture is unique,
but [early reporting] is ideal,” Sweet
said. “It’s a cost saver for everyone.”
While Oregon OSHA’s ergonomic
consultations are free, it’s the em-
ployer that has to request it. But union
workers can give employers a nudge.
And for workers or union reps who
want to get up to speed on ergonom-
ics, there are good online resources
available.
• For construction workers, the
Center for Construction Research and
Training (formerly known as The
Center to Protect Workers’ Rights)
created by the AFL-CIO’s Building
and Construction Trades Department,
has lots of information at its web site,
www.cpwr.com.
• OR-OSHA’s ergonomics page
has downloadable guides for office,
construction, health care, and other
workplaces:
www.orosha.org/subjects/ergo-
nomics.html.
• Washington L&I has many er-
gonomic offerings among its online
courses and videos at www.lni.wa.
gov/Safety/Train Tools.
APRIL 15, 2011