Description
Unit III Assignment
Assignment Content
As a graduate of Columbia Southern University’s Safety and Emergency Services program, you have decided to pursue a career as an occupational safety and health consultant. You were recently contacted by Will B. Shafe, the human resource manager at On Call, the company that employs Ms. Handz-Hurt from the unit lesson. According to Mr. Shafe, he is having trouble convincing the leadership at the company to address ergonomics because there is no OSHA ergonomics mandate.
Part 1:
You have agreed to assist Mr. Shafe by preparing a one-page minimum overview explaining the regulatory requirements related to ergonomics, including the history of the OSHA Ergonomic Standard and the benefits of implementing an ergonomics program. Your summary must include references and should be written to convince management to implement a program (after all, you are a consultant, and you want their business).
Part 2:
After a week Mr. Shafe contacts you again and asks you to review a specific operation and provide some information that he can present to his leadership team.
Watch this scenario video (and then answer the following questions about the operation. Please note that this video does not include audio.
Using the above video, you are required to write a two-page response that includes the following information:
Provide a description of the task being performed.
Include a discussion of the individual and work-related risk factors identified in the video.
Include a discussion of the potential MSDs to which the workers are exposed.
Provide a discussion of the relationship between the human body, the workplace, and the development of MSDs.
Discuss how including the ergonomic issues into an existing safety and health management system can help reduce risks associated with these ergonomic hazards.
This part of your completed assignment must include at least two outside sources, one of which must be from the CSU Online Library.
Your final paper for this two-part assignment must total at least three pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. All in-text citations and references must use appropriate APA Style.
Unformatted Attachment Preview
UNIT III STUDY GUIDE
Ergonomic Risk Factors and
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
2. Relate human biology to workplace ergonomics.
2.1 Explain the relationship between the human body, the workplace, and the development of
musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
2.2 Discuss individual and psychosocial risk factors associated with MSDs.
4. Describe common work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
4.1 Identify workplace factors that lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Required Unit Resources
Chapter 2: The Body as a Mechanical System, pp. 31–46
Chapter 4: Standing and Sitting at Work, pp. 107–119
Chapter 5: Repetitive Tasks: Risk Assessment and Task Design, pp. 155–174
Chapter 6: Design of Manual Handling and Load Carriage Tasks, pp. 203–209
In order to access the following resource, click on the link below:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders & ergonomics.
https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/health-strategies/musculoskeletaldisorders/index.html
Unit Lesson
Meet Al B. Bach
Al B. Bach is a certified nurse assistant (CNA) at Uplift
Care Center, a 125-bed nursing home facility in Leland,
Mississippi. The facility has 75 employees, 35 of whom are
nursing assistants. As a CNA, Al is required to aid
residents in many day-to-day tasks, including dressing,
bathing, eating, and moving to and from beds, chairs, and
the restroom. For 10 years, Al has done his job with no
major injuries and only minor discomfort in his lower back.
However, that quickly changes the day Al enters a
resident’s room and finds the resident has fallen on the
floor while trying to get out of bed. Instinctively, Al runs
over to try to help the resident get back into bed and
instantly feels a “pop” in his lower back. After seeing a
physician, Al learns he has a herniated disc in his back that
is going to require surgery.
Nurse helping a patient use a walker
(Wavebreakmedia Ltd, 2017)
Following Al’s incident, the facility administrator decides she must take action to ensure the safety of the other
employees. Uplift immediately provides training to all members of the nursing staff on safe lifting techniques
and implements a policy, which requires a two-person lift whenever resident handling is required. However,
OSH 6301, Advanced Ergonomics
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six months later, the administrator notices the nurse assistants are continuing UNIT
to experience
high rate of
x STUDYaGUIDE
injuries, especially back injuries even with the safe lifting training and the implementation
of what most
Title
consider the industry’s best practices.
Upon review of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 300 logs, the administrator
realizes the facility has had 87 documented injury cases with 41 lost time cases, 29 of which were back
injuries and directly involved resident lifting. In addition, the worker’s compensation claims for these cases
were approximately $137,500, and the turnover rate among nursing assistants averaged over 50%; moreover,
that was just for a six-month period.
Determined to find a solution to the problem, the administrator began soliciting input from the nursing staff for
ideas to minimize injuries and reduce the turnover rate. The staff formed a committee and provided weekly
updates to the administrator on their progress. Having reflected on the tasks of moving and repositioning
residents for several weeks, the administrator and her staff concluded there simply was no safe way to
manually lift residents. But wait—work should not hurt!
Understanding Musculoskeletal Disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been characterized as one of the most common work-related
ailments and are associated with high costs to employers, including lost productivity, decreased quality, high
absenteeism, and increased health care, disability, and worker’s compensation costs. What exactly are
MSDs? The musculoskeletal system is made up of muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, and blood
vessels or soft tissue and is designed to enable the body to move. MSDs usually result from one or more of
these tissues having to work beyond what they were designed to do and are simply injuries or disorders that
affect the human body’s ability to move or the movement system (Middlesworth, 2016). Common MSDs
include carpal tunnel syndrome, digital neuritis, and radial tunnel syndrome (OSHA, n.d.).
For the full list, click on the link: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/
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MSDs often result in acute symptoms that arise suddenly and are short-lived, UNIT
such as
sprainsGUIDE
and strains.
x STUDY
They typically begin with a feeling of discomfort, swelling, or muscle fatigue that
subsides with rest. However,
Title
as the condition progresses, symptoms often worsen to a tingling sensation or numbness and become more
constant. Left undiagnosed and untreated, symptoms gradually develop and result in muscle weakness and
nerve problems and can lead to lifelong conditions, including ongoing chronic pain, functional impairment, and
occupational disability.
Musculo-skeletal disorders
(Adapted from Middlesworth, 2016)
MSDs are often referred to by other names, including cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), repetitive strain
injuries (RSIs), repetitive motion injuries (RMI), and overuse injuries (Middlesworth, 2016). Although these
terms are often used synonymously, they are a little misleading, as they do not accurately describe the
disorders. For example, the terms “repetitive strain injuries” or “repetitive motion disorders” suggests that
repetition is the singular cause of these disorders. However, that is not the case as force or posture can also
be contributing causal factors. Therefore, musculoskeletal disorders are best identified as what they are—
injuries/disorders that affect the human body’s musculoskeletal system (Middlesworth, 2016). The two main
groups of MSDs are back pain/injuries, such as low back pain, hernias, and upper limb disorders, such as
carpal tunnel syndrome. Disorders caused by slips, trips, falls, or similar incidents are not considered MSDs
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.).
The Cause of Musculoskeletal Disorders–Exposure to Risk Factors
Every day workers use their muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints in a variety of ways to perform workplace
activities, including lifting, carrying, moving, sitting, standing, and walking. These are all common movements,
which are not particularly harmful in that they are ordinary activities of daily living. So what makes them
hazardous in work situations?
OSH 6301, Advanced Ergonomics
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It is not necessarily the nature of a person’s movements but rather the
manner in which these movements are performed that causes them to
be hazardous. In the workplace, the aforementioned movements are
often performed repetitively, at high rates of speed, using a great degree
of force, and with little to no recovery time between movements. For
example, in manufacturing, assembly line workers are required to
perform continuous operations often at high rates of speed with little to
no recovery time between movements. Healthcare workers may perform
manual lifting and/or manoeuvring of patients. Many times, the work area
may be designed poorly, which means workers are also required to work
in a non-neutral position.
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Musculoskeletal injuries occur when the body sustains a load that
exceeds the tolerance or strength of the supporting tissue. When
workers are required to exert themselves beyond their physical
capabilities and limitations, the tasks fatigue the worker’s body beyond
his or her ability to recover. As the body fatigues, a musculoskeletal
imbalance occurs. If fatigue continues to outpace recovery and the
musculoskeletal imbalance persists, musculoskeletal strain can occur
and eventually result in the development of a MSD.
This can have serious implications in industries such as manufacturing
and healthcare where frequent lifting of objects is often required as we
Opening warehouse door
saw in the example of Mr. Bach, who injured his back while attempting to
(Fagan, n.d.)
lift a resident from the floor to the bed. Musculoskeletal injuries can also
occur as a result of accumulated trauma over time due to the application of either a low load repetitively or a
sustained load for a long duration as we saw in the scenario with Ms. Handz-Hurt (from our Unit II Lesson)
whose continuous performance of the data entry task lead to her carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis.
MSDs can be broadly categorized as the following (Altarum, n.d.):
•
•
•
Work-related risk factors can be defined as the actions in the workplace that may cause or aggravate
a MSD:
o forceful exertion;
o static and awkward posture;
o repetitive motion;
o heavy lifting; and
o exposure to extreme environmental conditions such as heat, cold, humidity, or vibration.
Individual risk factors are physiological factors related to the individual themselves:
o work practices,
o dietary practices,
o physical conditioning and physical activity,
o age,
o gender,
o previous MSD diagnosis, and
o degenerative diseases.
Psychosocial risk factors are related to the body’s fight or flight response experienced during
heightened periods of stress. There is growing evidence linking MSDs with psychosocial risk factors
(especially when combined with physical risks):
o high demand of work or low autonomy;
o low job satisfaction;
o lack of influence or control over one’s job;
o increase pressure (e.g., to produce more);
o lack of or poor communication;
o monotonous tasks; and
o perception of low support (e.g., manager or co-worker).
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Conclusion
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
In order to develop an MSD prevention strategy, it is important to first understand what MSDs are and what
causes them. In this unit lesson, we have identified musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) as injuries and
disorders that affect the human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system, muscles, tendons, ligaments,
nerves, discs, or blood vessels. Musculoskeletal imbalance occurs when the body is fatigued beyond its
ability to recover leading to the eventual development of an MSD. Symptoms can range from mild to severe
and are generally cumulative in nature. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders have high incidences and
prevalence among workers who perform work involving manual handling, repetitive and static work,
vibrations, and forceful exertions. Exposure to risk factors whether work-related, individual, or psychological
increases musculoskeletal fatigue, introduces barriers to productivity and human performance, and puts
workers at a higher level of MSD risk (Stack, Ostrom, & Wilhelmsen, 2016). The risk level is further
heightened as a result of a combination of and interaction among several risk factors. Knowing what risk
factors to look for can help businesses improve employee quality of life and lower costs associated with MSD
injuries.
References
Altarum. (n.d.). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) https://altarum.org/our-work/work-relatedmusculoskeletal-disorders-msds
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders & ergonomics.
https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/health-strategies/musculoskeletaldisorders/index.html
Fagan, S. (n.d.). Opening warehouse door (ID 36095430) [Photograph]. Dreamstime.
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-opening-warehouse-door-image3609543
Middlesworth, M. (2016). Understanding musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). ErgoPlus https://ergoplus.com/understanding-musculoskeletal-disorders-msds/
Stack, T., Ostrom, L. T., & Wilhelmsen, C. A. (2016). Occupational ergonomics: A practical approach. Wiley.
Wavebreakmedia Ltd. (2017). Nurse assisting senior patient in walking with walker at nursing home (ID
97388464) [Photograph]. Dreamstime. https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-nurse-assistingsenior-patient-walking-walker-nursing-home-midsection-image97388464
Suggested Unit Resources
In order to access the following resource, click on the link below:
The link below contains some additional reading material provided by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, which is included to give you a better understanding of the human system. The information is
included for your learning but is not a required reading.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders & ergonomics.
https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/health-strategies/musculoskeletaldisorders/index.html
OSH 6301, Advanced Ergonomics
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