NIOSH Hazard Controls HC22 – Control of Ergonomic Hazards in Commercial Drycleaning

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Ergonomic hazard control in commercial dry cleaning was reviewed. Ergonomic risk factors such as repetitive motions, awkward postures, excessive reaching, and precision gripping increased the risk of musculoskeletal injury. Ergonomic risks in the dry cleaning industry occurred during garment transfer, pressing, and bagging. The engineering measures and work practices useful for controlling ergonomic hazards during garment transfer, pressing, and bagging included workstation redesign, work organization alteration, garment transfer modification or elimination, multipress stations, shirt pressing stations, and garment bagging areas. Excessive reaching and awkward positions were often eradicated through workstation redesign. Work organization changes such as frequent rest breaks and worker rotation were useful for controlling ergonomic risks when engineering changes were not feasible. The use of dry to dry machines eliminated the garment transfer process. When transfer machines were used, limiting the weight of each transfer operation and reducing the amount of required bending and reaching were two ways to control the ergonomic risks of garment transfer. Ergonomic risks at multipress stations were reduced by using adjustable utility presses, placing hand iron platforms near the worker, using proximity sensors, and using thick closed cell silicone floor mats. Ergonomic risks at shirt pressing stations were reduced by placing cabinet bag sleever hand controls near the worker, using proximity sensors, and using button pulling devices. The use of well maintained, adjustable bagging poles with a hydraulic pedal control system was recommended for controlling the ergonomic risks at garment bagging areas. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cumulative Trauma Disorders Ergonomics Hazardous Substances Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Body-mechanics Control-methods Cumulative-trauma Cumulative-trauma-disorders Dry-cleaning-industry Equipment-design Health-hazards Industrial-design Industrial-hazards Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Occupational-exposure Repetitive-work Risk-factors Work-areas Work-practices

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• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• Subseries:
  Hazard Control
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB97160
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; EID - Education and Information Division ; DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00240719
• Citation:
  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, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-160, (HC 22), 1997 Oct; :1-4
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1998
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e9f492a0362ad47d0ed7dd393b7ae1ea5265047b6f2577897348a3af2b126e260e2e5cefe697b4258af18e35d444eeafc1b05f7be0b53ddc33033f432109c8f5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/209730/cdc_209730_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 68.07 KB ]