Ergonomic Evaluation of Frank Hangers at a Turkey Processing Plant

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gibbins, John D. ; Ramsey, Jessica G.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  On January 19, 2007, NIOSH received an HHE request from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers to evaluate potential ergonomic hazards among workers at the Foster Farm deli plant in Livingston, California. Complaints from employees who were not able to perform the frank hanging job in the deli plant prompted the request. On March 15-16, 2007, NIOSH investigators visited the Foster Farms deli plant. NIOSH ergonomic specialists walked through the plant to observe tasks in both the raw and cooked frank production areas. A NIOSH epidemiologist conducted voluntary medical interviews with workers. The ergonomics evaluation indicated that workers are exposed to risk factors for developing MSDs due to awkward postures (lifting overhead) and repetitive motions. Five of 10 (50%) workers who performed frank hanging tasks at the time of their interviews reported work-related musculoskeletal pain or discomfort in the back and/or shoulder in the previous year. Pain was reported as minor with no missed work
  
  however, two workers had sought medical care from their personal physician. Recommendations for reducing the risk of injury include reducing the heights and horizontal reach distances of the lifts and/or providing platforms that reduce overhead reaching in both the raw and cooked production areas.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Cumulative Trauma Disorders Engineering Ergonomics Food Handling Food Industry Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Arm-injuries Control-technology Cumulative-trauma Cumulative-trauma-disorders Engineering-controls Hanging Franks Hazard-Confirmed Injury-prevention Meat-handlers Meat-packing-industry Musculoskeletal-system-disorders OSHA Region 9 Poultry-industry Poultry-workers Poultry Processing Repetitive-work Repetitive Motions Shoulder Pain Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders

  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, HETA 2007-0098-3061, 2008 May ; :1-25
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA200700983061
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• 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:
  32 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Evans, Stefanie M. ; Galloway, Ellen ; Habes, Daniel ; Smith, Robin
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20033874
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2008-109806
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2008]. Health Hazard Evaluation Report: Ergonomic evaluation of frank ; hangers at a turkey processing plant, Livingston, California. 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, NIOSH HETA No. 2007-0098-3061,
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  311615 - Poultry Processing - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:467a48a9769a3a72395ad30959ffb4a837a557a7fc09b51e94fd19570f8ca369949f8363b23f7d7c1b1ae534ecbb4ada8a6f7be3d2921236ffa36816639e269d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172575/cdc_172575_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.57 MB ]