Storage
Storage areas should be organized so that workers maintain good body positions, reduce muscular forces, and avoid excessive reach. Store heavy items between knee and shoulder height. Frequently used items should be stored close to the worker.
Work Fixtures and Tools
Workers should not have to use their hands or bodies as a vise to hold objects; mechanical devices do this much better. Tooling fixtures and jigs should be set up to avoid awkward postures and excessive forces.
Improper hand tool selection or improper use of tools can cause CTDs. Hand tools should fit the employee's hand; employees with small hands or who are left-handed may need tools designed specifically for these situations. Hand and wrist posture are important because they affect how much force the muscles must produce to hold objects.
When selecting and purchasing hand tools, the guidelines listed below should be followed.
- Select tools that allow the wrist to be held straight and that minimize twisting of the arm and wrist. Good working posture can be maintained when properly designed tools are used.
- Select tools that allow the operator to use a power grip, not a pinch grip. Minimal muscle force is required to hold objects in a power grip posture. The pinch grip requires excessive fingertip pressure, and can lead to a CTD.
- Avoid tools that put excessive pressure on any one spot of the hand (i.e., sides of fingers, palm of the hand).
- For power or pneumatic tools, select tools with vibration dampening built in whenever possible. Provide personal protective equipment such as gel-padded gloves to reduce exposure to vibration.
Work Environment
Workplace environmental factors interact with those the worker and the task brings to the job, and they deserve careful consideration. Below is a list of methods to minimize work-environment hazards.
- Isolating equipment or operations that produce loud or distracting noise.
- Making lights bright enough without causing glare.
- Isolating hands and feet from cold.
- Reducing whole-body vibration while riding in vehicles or standing near equipment.
- Isolating workers from excessive heat by providing adequate cooling and ventilation.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-5. Tools should be selected that allow the operator to _____.
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