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Evaluation of ergonomics, dust, and unanticipated hazards at a donation and retail store
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October 2019
[PDF-924.14 KB]
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Description:"The Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from employees of a donation and retail store. They were concerned about ergonomics and exposures to dust and unanticipated hazards, such as needles, other sharp items, and feces- or urine-soiled items. Our evaluation included reviewing documents on new employee health and safety training, injury reports, and health and safety meeting topics; observing work processes, practices, and conditions; reviewing personal protective equipment (PPE) availability, use, and storage; measuring workstation dimensions; confidentially interviewing employees; and speaking with management about work practices, health and safety concerns, and our preliminary observations and recommendations. We found communication gaps between employees and management. Employees reported health problems they believed were work-related, and they were concerned about stress, sharp objects, and dust in the workplace. Employees reported the potential for being cut or stabbed with sharp objects when stepping into a large box of donations to sort its contents. We did not observe noticeable clouds of dust in the air, and the store did not have any processes that created dust. We observed that required PPE (such as cut-resistant gloves) was not available to some employees. We recommended methods for better cleaning practices, and for improving the training around potential hazards, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) access, and the sorting of donations. We also made recommendations on PPE, workplace lighting, anti-fatigue mats, pallet jack warning devices, and ways to improve communication between employees and management." - NIOSHTIC-2
NIOSH no. 20057474
Recommended citation: NIOSH [2019]. Evaluation of ergonomics, dust, and unanticipated hazards at a donation and retail store. By Grant MP, Reynolds L. 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 2019-0108-3360,
https://www .cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2019-0108-3360.pdf.
2019-0108-3360.pdf
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