ERGONOMICS OF MANUAL MATERIALS HANDLING - Environmentally Conscious Materials Handling - page 59

solution to that problem. The guidelines themselves do not tell you how to fix
the problem (the solution), but provide you with task characteristics that pinpoint
areas for improvement.
The finding of simple, cost-effective solutions (such as found in Section 2.3)
is often a stumbling block to workplace improvement.

4.2 Controls and Solutions: Fitting the Job to the Worker

Once MSD risk factors have been identified, and properly measured (say, by the
NIOSH equation (5)), an appropriate control strategy must be chosen. The goal
of your solution is to match task demands with worker capabilities, improving
the fit of the job with the worker. As introduced at the beginning of this chapter,
many different types of ergonomic interventions are available for consideration,
falling into three broad categories: administrative, engineering, and providing
personal protective equipment (PPE).
Engineering solutions involve a change in the physical features of the work-
place. Engineering controls redesign the job to minimize effects on the worker
and are often permanent. This includes approaches such as automation (this
redesign eliminates human exposure), using mechanical aids (as presented in
Section 3), and modifying the job through redesign (adjusting the work process
or workstation).
When the cost or feasibility of engineering controls become unreasonable,
administrative solutions, which focus on the worker, offer methods to reduce
the exposure of workers to a hazard. Administrative controls are the workplace
policies, procedures, and practices that minimize the exposure of workers to
hazard conditions. They are less effective than engineering controls, as they do
not usually eliminate the hazard, instead lessening the duration and frequency of
exposure to the hazard condition.
If administrative controls are not appropriate, personal protective equipment
(PPE) should then be considered. They are the least effective form of control,
as they do not eliminate the hazard or reduce the time of exposure. PPE reduces
hazardous exposure by placing a barrier between the hazard and the worker, such
as through the use of gloves or earplugs.
The most effective method of reducing or eliminating ergonomic hazards
is to fix the hazard, not the worker. Focusing on engineering controls for
reducing injuries has several advantages over the worker-focused administrative
approaches. They do not depend on worker capabilities (such as strength, motor
skill, and conditioning) to prevent injury. Temporary or new workers may
become injured because they do not have similar physical characteristics to
meet the physical demands of the task, as did the original worker.
Although the final solution to any materials handling problem may involve a
combination of workplace and worker adjustment, early focus should not be on
the worker but on developing workplace solutions.