Ergonomics and safety in secondary wood processing

The main goal of the project was to initiate a pilot program in ergonomics for the secondary wood products industry. Case studies were conducted at three Midwest secondary wood product companies in 2000 and 2001. Purdue researchers helped these companies implement the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 7-step program using the following work plan: 1) Administer a short, work site questionnaire to employees regarding ergonomic hazards; 2) Videotape problem jobs and conduct work site analysis; 3) Provide recommendations for musculoskeletal hazard prevention and control; 4) Provide ergonomic training and education for selected employees; 5) Provide advanced ergonomics training to ergonomics team and safety and health staff in a “train-the-trainer” format to transfer ergonomics expertise; 6) Monitor the progress of the in-house driven ergonomics program and act as a facilitator to accomplish ergonomics goals; and 7) Disseminate information through scientific and trade publications and an industry-wide conference sponsored by industry associations. This report uses one of the companies, a producer of hardwood flooring and mouldings, as a case study to illustrate how the work plan was implemented. In the case study illustrated here, the three areas that posed the highest risk were identified to be the Bundling area, the Flooring area, and the Rough Mill. Out of the five employees interviewed in the Bundling area, the body part with the most reports of pain or discomfort was the lower back (3 of 5 reported back pain), with the hand/wrist being the next highest (2 of 5). Out of the 10 employees interviewed in the Flooring area, the body part with the most reports of pain or discomfort was the hand/wrist (5 of 10 reported hand/wrist pain), with the elbow/forearm being the next highest (3 of 10). Out of the seven employees interviewed in the Rough Mill, the body part with the most reports of pain or discomfort was the hand/wrist (4 of 7 reported hand/wrist pain). The primary risk factors for the Bundling area were associated with the lifting of awkward and heavy loads (resulting in lower back strain) and manual materials handling leading to hand and wrist strain. In the Flooring area the risk factors were the high levels of repetition and manual materials handling affecting the forearm, elbow, hands, and wrists. The primary risk factors for the Rough Mill area were related to vibration of the material being handled as it was fed into the planer and the handling of long boards (up to 16 feet in length). Controls for the risk factors ranged from good work practice, administrative controls, and engineering modifications. An example of a good work practice was training employees to understand the mechanics of material handling when carrying long or heavy loads. Administrative controls included worker rotation to different jobs and more frequent rest breaks. Engineering controls included removable or telescoping stacking bars for the carts so that the employees did not have to lift boards over the bars and the provision of scissor lift tables. Based on the case study results, the NIOSH 7-step process provided structure for this company to implement ergonomic controls as a part of their overall health and safety program. Long-term medical surveillance is recommended to see if implementation of the suggested controls is effective in minimizing and preventing musculoskeletal disorders among workers at this company. If so, this model could be used to prevent similar injuries and illnesses across the secondary wood products industry.

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