Participatory Ergonomics in a Red Meat Packing Plant. Part I: Evidence of Long-Term Effectiveness

Details

• Personal Author:
  Garg, Arun ; Moore, J. Steven ; Garg, Arun ; Moore, J. Steven
• Description:
  The effects of a participatory ergonomics program implemented in 1986 at a red meat packing facility on employee injury/illness rates and workers' compensation claims were analyzed. Details of the plan were described. The crude annual incidence rate of injury/illness increased more than 60% between 1988 and 1992 and decreased between 1992 and 1993. Similarly, the lost time incidence rate increased about 70% between 1988 and 1992 and decreased significantly in 1993. In 1988, 26% of the total lost or restricted days was due to restricted days compared with 60% in 1993. Although no consistent patterns in the percentage changes in severity rates were identified, a suggestion of a progressive decrease in recent years was seen. The percentage of conditions considered ergonomically related remained at about 40% between 1988 and 1993. Inflation adjusted annual workers' compensation expenses demonstrated a clear pattern of decline between 1987 and 1993. The authors conclude that ergonomics programs may alter injury/illness statistics and workers' compensation costs. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cumulative Trauma Disorders Food Industry Musculoskeletal Diseases Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Cumulative-trauma-disorders Meat-packing-industry Musculoskeletal-system-disorders NIOSH-Cooperative-Agreement NIOSH-Publication Occupational-health-programs Work-practices
• ISSN:
  0002-8894
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Texas ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  127-131
• Volume:
  58
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00235420
• Citation:
  Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1997 Feb; 58(2):127-131
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1997
• Performing Organization:
  Medical College of Wisconsin
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
• End Date:
  19990929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7b9a6d8064594302ae89fd1b5c2fe3f66f7f313b09c36a0b132bdae0a8745d3cefacb1797ac9357903d33354652c279f6987b4b3cc4c2acdeac55b33674fca78
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/197779/cdc_197779_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.23 MB ]