Ergonomic Evaluation of Radiopharmaceutical Tasks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ramsey, Jessica G.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Management at a nuclear pharmacy requested a health hazard evaluation regarding potential musculoskeletal disorders among pharmacists. Their concerns focused on employees who manually moved shipping containers and used hot cell manipulators to pull individual drug doses. We visited the facility to evaluate ergonomic hazards and musculoskeletal health symptoms of employees. During the visit, we observed work processes, practices, and conditions
  
  measured workstation heights and took pictures of workstations
  
  and interviewed employees about their work and health. We found that workstations and tools were not ergonomically designed to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders
  
  computer workstations were static and did not adjust and conveyors were not set up properly for the size of the containers. Remote handling tools were not ergonomically designed. The most common potentially work-related pain reported was in the hand, wrist, and back. We provided recommendations on hand working heights, reach distances, and design characteristics for a remote handling device. We made recommendations to improve seated and standing workstations, including providing antifatigue mats for employees who usually stand as part of their job. We also recommended encouraging employees to report health concerns they think are work-related to their supervisors.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Biopharmaceutics Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Pharmacies Radiation Safety
• Keywords:
  Manual Materials Handling MSD MSDs Musculoskeletal Disorders Nuclear OSHA Region 4 Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing Pharmaceuticals Pharmacist Pharmacists Radioactive Materials Radiopharmaceutical Repetitive Work

  More +
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2020-0020-3406, 2024 Sep ; :1-18
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE202000203406
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Kentucky ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  18 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Armes, Shawn ; Booher, Donald E. ; Dubose, Weston ; Hamilton, Cheryl ; Moore, Kevin ; Watts, Shawna
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070171
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2024]. Ergonomic evaluation of radiopharmaceutical tasks. By Ramsey J. Cincinnati, OH: ; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2020-0020-3406,
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  325412 - Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:06d70fa42625293a9edaa9ef67f6578ac124b854b9b8f6ffd4670f9ab1c24a47816e9d11d9e05b4094ada91fe7d76241b91040653ede81842bda49b2db34e1ad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172295/cdc_172295_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 598.03 KB ]