Use meatpacking guidelines until revised rule is available
Use meatpacking guidelines until revised rule is available
Until federal safety officials refine the proposed ergonomics standard and come up with a final rule, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) in Atlanta suggests using the "red meat guidelines" as a template for structuring an ergonomics program.
Kae Livsey, RN, MPH, public policy and advocacy manager with the AAOHN, says the meatpacking guidelines provide a more proactive approach with an emphasis on prevention, unlike the proposed rule that waits until an injury is reported to trigger any significant intervention.
The red meat guidelines cover employers involved in the slaughter and processing of beef, pork, and lamb.1 The guidelines were issued following a 1988 inspection of the John Morrell and Company plant in Sioux Falls, SD. Though the inspection came at a time when there were no specific ergonomic regulations, the company was fined $4.33 million for "egregious" violations related to ergonomic hazards. The fine was the largest ever issued by OSHA at that time.
These are the major facets of the red meat guidelines:
• Survey of records. The employer is required to review medical, safety, and insurance records, as well as OSHA 200 logs, for evidence of cumulative trauma disorders. Data from this survey are used to calculate cumulative trauma rates in different jobs, departments, and facilities.
• Ergonomic survey. The employer must complete an annual work-site ergonomic survey, using an ergonomic checklist to describe each job. Information from this survey is used to identify jobs with a high risk of ergonomic hazards. A trained ergono mist must perform a detailed analysis on the jobs found to have high ergonomic risk.
• Symptom survey. OSHA recommends an annual cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence of symptoms. Workers should be asked about their symptoms. A high prevalence of symptoms in one job is considered evidence that an ergonomic job analysis is needed.
• Recordability. Cumulative trauma disorders must be recorded on the OSHA 200 log if there are one or more physical indications or the occurrence of a subjective symptom followed by medical treatment.
Reference
1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for Meatpacking Plants. OSHA 3123. Washington, DC; 1990.
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