OSH 3701 Ergonomic hazard Assessment
Assignment VII
OSH 3701
Ergonomic Hazard Assessment
Using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Entire Body Assessment brought some new perspective to conducting a risk assessment. Not only are the normal controls looked at for caught by, struck by, entrapment, etc. but these two assessment brings into question body movements and how they could be affected by Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). Using these assessments changed the way that my Hazard Assessment looks. I added two new columns for each category so I can get a total. I now can use the total to give this job and overall score. If there are was to reduce the risk with the individual task then the overall score will reduce. Thus, other jobs at the mill can be compared and risk can be evaluated. I like the fact that it uses a scoring system and you have something that can be looked at and reduce the WMSDs risk factors. I used two step-by-step guides for the RULA and REBA from ergo-plus too figure out what my scores would be in my Hazard Assessment.
|
Hazard Category |
REBA |
RULA |
Task Description |
Controls (Engineered, Administrative, PPE) |
|
GENERAL | ||||
|
Potential for Slip/trip/fall |
5 |
3 |
Climbing up the stairs, ladders (fixed and portable), and equipment. |
3 point contact required and appropriate footwear |
|
Potential for bumps, bruises, contusions, lacerations |
4 |
4 |
Mechanical structures present tight spots and areas where bump hazards exist. |
Hard hat is required PPE |
|
Potential for hearing lose |
0 |
0 |
Pelletizers are loud and operator activities occur during operation and adjacent to operating equipment. |
Single hearing protection required |
|
Potential for Sprain/Strain |
4 |
4 |
Walk route and lube equipment climbing over and under equipment. |
Daily stretches and use of Gloves required. |
|
Potential for Sprain/Strain MSDs |
4 |
4 |
Transferring 35/55 gallon drums to/from location. |
Daily stretches and use of drum dolly required. |
|
Potential for Fall |
4 |
4 |
Access to lube locations (e.g. on top of pellet cooler, floor shafts, etc.). Potential for fall. |
Articulating boom lift or scaffold. PFAS required |
|
Potential pinch points |
3 |
3 |
Opening/closing pelletizer door/latches and exposure to moving parts. |
LOTO procedure required. Gloves are required |
|
Potential for Sprain/Strain MSDs |
4 |
4 |
Transporting cones, rollers and dies to/from working deck. Handling heavy parts. |
Usage of elevator. PPE. Lifting hoist to be used whenever possible. Use proper lifting and manual handling practices. Daily Stretch |
|
Potential for Sprain/Strain MSDs |
6 |
6 |
Accessing shear pins to remove from housing. Rotating dies to remove pins. Striking punch in awkward position. |
Daily stretches, housekeeping of mill structure before pin change, rid area of oils/fiber. |
Reference
Ergo-plus. (n.d.) Retrieved April 10, 2018, from{" "} http://ergo-plus.com/wp-content/uploads/RULA-A-Step-by-Step-Guide1.pdf
Ergo-plus. (n.d.) Retrieved April 10, 2018, from{" "} http://www.bibme.org/apa/website-citation/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=http%3A%2F%2Fergo-plus.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FRULA-A-Step-by-Step-Guide1.pdf
