Evaluation of Ergonomic Risk Factors, Acute Traumatic Injuries, and Occupational Exposures at an Airline Catering Facility

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ceballos, Diana M. ; Kawamoto, Melody M. ; Ramsey, Jessica G. ; Wiegand, Douglas M.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  At the request of a union, the Health Hazard Evaluation Program evaluated an airline catering facility in New York. In a prior investigation for the union, we examined work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), injuries, exposure to hot and cold temperatures, and job stress at a facility in Michigan. At the New York facility, the union was also concerned about exposure to carbon dioxide (CO2) from dry ice use and potential communication issues due to language differences among employees. For this evaluation, we (1) interviewed 66 employees about their work, health, use of personal protective equipment, job stress, and communication, (2) reviewed injury logs and company training materials, (3) observed work practices, and (4) measured workstation height, reach distances, air temperature and air flow in cold rooms, CO2 levels in coolers, and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations at loading docks. We found some work tasks involved extended reaching and lifting from the floor to above shoulder height, and employees reported lifting heavy objects, bending, and working in awkward positions often. Our review of injury logs found that 22% of the recorded injuries in the past 5 years were related to lifting and other known MSD risk factors. The majority of employees also reported experiencing MSD symptoms, such as back and shoulder pain, and fatigue in the week prior to our visit. Many employees were exposed to cold temperatures for the majority of their shift. Dry ice was used in unventilated coolers, and CO2 levels were elevated in coolers and prep areas. We did not detect CO in the dock area. Some employees reported experiencing job stress and a lack of support from coworkers. Employees spoke a variety of languages, and some reported not receiving training in their primary language and having difficulty communicating with others. To reduce the risk for work-related MSDs, we recommended the company (1) redesign work areas to reduce reaching distances, elevate frequently used and heavy items 38 to 49 inches from the floor, and adjust standing hand work height surfaces to 38 to 47 inches, (2) provide lift tables, reaching tools, and industrial mats, (3) rotate employees every 2 hours between job tasks that use different muscle groups, and (4) educate employees on MSDs and ergonomics. To prevent elevated CO2 levels, we recommended the company only use dry ice in well ventilated rooms. We also suggested providing employees with ways to warm their hands, such as warm water, heaters, and gloves, and rotating employees from warmer and colder areas during the workday. Additionally, the company should address job stressors and provide training and safety information in multiple languages and formats.
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Cold Temperature Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Race Factors Safety Stress, Psychological

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• Keywords:
  Accident-prevention Acute Traumatic Injuries Airline Catering Back-injuries Carbon Dioxide Cold-environments Cold-stress Food Service Contractors Indoor Cold Environments Injuries Injury-prevention Job-stress Job Stress Language Barriers Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Musculoskeletal Disorders Neck-injuries New York OSHA Region 2 Posture Racial-factors Traumatic-injuries

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• 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 2011-0131-3222, 2015 Sep ; :1-39
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201101313222
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  46 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Booher, Donald E. ; Connick, Kathleen ; Galloway, Ellen ; Moore, Kevin ; Watts, Shawna
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046848
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2016-100060
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2015]. Health hazard evaluation report: evaluation of ergonomic risk factors, ; acute traumatic injuries, and occupational exposures at an airline catering facility. By ; Ramsey J, Kawamoto M, Ceballos D, Wiegand, DM. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department ; of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National ; Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HHE Report No. 2011-0131-3222,
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon dioxide (CAS RN 124-38-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  722310 - Food Service Contractors - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a643582437e122d51b5c68801182baec287de65cfbbf8b909001f44fd6750c493d43489db80ed32ca0940e7c1000d66ad2cb8116e43d879e7003689a631bf8ab
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172423/cdc_172423_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.01 MB ]