ergonomics approach and tools - food and drink · pdf fileergonomics approach and tools. ......

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

Matt Birtles

Ergonomics approach and tools

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

The goal of ergonomics is to create a balanced and effective relationship between the needs of the workforce, the requirements of the activity and the influence of the environment.

Ergonomics approach

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

environmentwork

machine

Ergonomics approach

Human centredHolisticApplied

human

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

environment

human

Ergonomics approach

Study humans (and all their limitations)Who are your workers?

human

machinework

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

environmentwork

machine

Ergonomics approach

human

Ensure that machines/tools meet workforce needs

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

environment

work

Ergonomics approach

Ensure work suitable for humans workers

machinehuman

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

environmentwork

Ergonomics approach

Ensure environment is safe, healthy and conducive to work tasks

machinehuman

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

environmentwork

machine

Ergonomics approach

Provides an approach for understanding the workforce and what they do, to make judgements on risk and find improvements.

human

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

Ergonomics approach

The benefits of a human-centred approach?

risk is reduced, performance enhanced and acceptance and satisfaction are improved.

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

Ergonomics approach

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

load

repetitionposture

individual

environment

MSD

psychosocial

Ergonomics approachexposure

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling

Upper Limb Disorders

Posture

• lower frequency, • higher force (~ >4kg per hand), • gross movement of the body/torso, • generally lower back symptoms.

• higher frequency (>twice per min), • repetitive use of upper limbs, • reduced forces, • less movement in the body,• generally upper limb symptoms.

• possibly no set forceful task, • often none neutral posture (bending),• often stationary task.

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling

L23 MAC

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

L23Manual Handling

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

L23Manual Handling

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

L23• HSE authored• Covers all risk factors• 2 key parts (risk filter and risk checklist)

Manual Handling

• Long winded / time consuming• Covers non-relevant factors• Subjective• Often misinterpreted eg. “25kg limit”

• Well established (courts & inspectorate) • Thorough• Obviously schedule 1 of MHOR• List of risk factors and probable solution

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

MACManual Handling

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

MAC

• HSE authored• Traffic light approach to risk• Quantifies risk (internally)• Assesses lifting, carrying and team

handling tasks• Push pull tool is on it’s way

Manual Handling

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

MACManual Handling

• Less obviously Schedule 1 of MHOR• Psychosocial and individual often

overlooked (including gender)

• Well established• Quick to use• Simple to understand and interpret• Strong guidance• HSE guidance (EMM)• Easy to teach and share• Highlights key risk factors• Compares tasks within an organisation

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling & ULDS QEC

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling & ULDS QEC

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling & ULDS QEC

12

8

8

10

6

8

6

6

8

4

4

4

12

8

8

10

6

8

6

6

8

4

4

4

12

8

8

10

6

8

6

6

8

4

4

4

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling & ULDS QEC

• Developed by Surrey University, revised for HSE

• Well evaluated• Designed to be highly useable• Will assess manual handling or upper

limb disorders• Assess risk to 4 main body areas

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling & ULDS QEC

• Back end a bit laborious• Action limits are not to be used too

rigidly (little validation)• Does not deal will multi-element tasks

(i.e. job rotation)• No too many weaknesses, I like it.

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Manual Handling & ULDS QEC• Quick to complete, easy to use• Designed for Occ. Health Practitioners• Participatory approach with workforce • Provides action limits• Good at comparing a large number of

tasks• Include psychosocial factors• Validity and usability confirmed• Indicates body area are greatest risks

http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr211.pdfhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/food/live.htm#msd

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

Upper Limb Disorders

ARTHSG 60

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

HSG 60

• HSE authored • Risk factors listed• Similar approach to L23• Good for when thorough examination or

a small number of tasks is required

Upper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

HSG 60

• Long winded – time consuming• Not so accessible to communicate• Does not provide simple comparison of

risks or tasks• Does not deal will multi-element tasks

(i.e. job rotation)

Upper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

HSG 60

• Simple approach• Easily understood• Well guided• Very thorough and comprehensive• Applies to all upper limb tasks• Good guidance and explanation given

in the HSG60 book• List of risk factors, reasons they are

relevant and possible management methods

• Mild boredom

Upper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

ARTUpper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

The worker has to pick sheets from a bin, locate the corners and feed them on to attachments for the machine to iron automatically.

<1 kg

None

~14

Ironing sheets

N/A

18 Sept ‘07

Company Y

Mrs X

ARTUpper Limb Disorders

What approach to take?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

2

3.5

Daily

Daily

Placing folded sheets on conveyor

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14start

finish

ARTUpper Limb Disorders

What approach to take?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

ARTUpper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

The assessment is split into four stages.

All together ART assesses 12 risk factors that are common in repetitive work. The level of risk (colour) of each risk factor is determined by following the instructions in the assessment guide.

Each stage covers a different risk:

Frequency and repetition of the movements

Force applied by the worker

Awkward postures of the neck, back, arm, wrist, and hand

Additional factors, such as breaks, work pace, duration and other factors

AA

BB

CC

DD

AA

BB

CC DD

What approach to take?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

ARTUpper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

ART

• HSE authored (probably)• Traffic light approach to risk

assessment• Quantifies risk (internally)• Suggests action levels• Ties into other tools (QEC, RULA)• Will be published early next year on

HSE website

Upper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

ART

• Not sure yet – hasn’t been used enough• May be issues with subjectivity of some

responses.• More complex than MAC…. • New, so not been through courts,

unions, inspectorate.

Upper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

What approach to take?

ART

• Relatively simple approach and interpretation

• Participatory approach with workforce• Builds on MAC experience• Provides detailed guidance • e-training will be available• Provides method of dealing with multi

element tasks• Highlights key risk factors• Compares tasks within an organisation

Upper Limb Disorders

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

Ergonomics approachRemember these are all just approaches to understand what is going on and to try to help you fix what’s not working.

From experience, the biggest challenges are knowing where to start – and then the finding investment to make any necessary improvements. environment

workmachinehuman

environmentwork

machinehumanhuman

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

Ergonomics approachSitting down with the workforce over a cup of tea can often get you 80% of the way there and already highlight areas of possible improvement.

Probably

environmentwork

machinehuman

environmentwork

machinehumanhuman

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executivewww.hsl.gov.uk

Ergonomics approach

environmentwork

machinehuman

environmentwork

machinehumanhuman

Thank you for your time

matthew.birtles@hsl.gov.uk