Back Hazard Evaluation

Back Hazard Evaluation Presented by QBE Loss Control Services

Foundations of a Back Safety Program • Management commitment • Management policy statement • Defined safety responsibility • Communications • Goals and objectives • Allocation of resources • Meetings • Pre-planning • New Employee Orientation

Foundations of a Back Safety Program • Safety rules • Inspections • Training • Accident investigation • TRTW program • Audits of safety program • Emergency procedures • Substance abuse policy • Records

Type of Risk • Moving & storage • Warehousing • Furniture stores • Beverage distributor • Construction

Operations • Delivery staff • Maintenance personnel • Other specific departments or tasks within a facility

Records • OSHA 300 Logs • Workers’ Compensation Data • Accident investigations • Employee complaints • Symptom surveys

NIOSH Risk Factors • Heavy physical work • Lifting and forceful movement • Awkward postures • Whole-body vibration

Heavy Physical Work • High energy demand • Large compressive forces on the spine • Heavy, dynamic, or intense work • Low to moderate increase in back injuries

Lifting and Forceful Movements • Moving objects form one plane to another • Pushing and pulling • Asymmetrical truck loading • Compressive forces, shear forces, torsional force • Workers perception of lifting capacity is an important component

Awkward Posture • Bending trunk forward or laterally • Twisting truck • Non-neutral trunk postures (kneeling, squatting, stooping) • Speed changes in posture • High increase in risk if a lift is associated with these postures

Whole Body Vibration • Autos, trucks, industrial vehicles • Increased fatigue of muscles, and ligaments • Disc flattening and strain • Microfractures in vertebral end plates • Prolonged static posture, lifting and awkward posture increase effects

Other Risk Factors • Poor posture • Lack of exercise • Being overweight • Age • Sex • Stress, fatigue and anxiety • Smoking • Prolonged sitting • Arthritis • Degenerative spine conditions • Hobbies and sports

Age Physiology • Reduced tissue elasticity • Reduced brain function and nerve conduction • Reduced cardiovascular capacity • Reduced kidney filtration

Psychosocial Factors • Work organization • Work load • Mental demands • Job control • Pay, benefits, status • Interpersonal relationships • Community support • Culture • Education • Attitudes • Personal traits

Psychosocial Factors • Mechanism poorly understood • Perception of intense workload, limited control, low job satisfaction and lack of social support contribute to back injuries

Reducing Psychosocial Risks • Challenge employees • Fair compensation • Good working relationships with managers and co-workers • Decision making • Team building

NIOSH Lifting Equation Risk Factors • Weight of object • Horizontal distance from body to object • Vertical location of hands from floor at beginning and end of lift • Vertical distance object is lifted • Asymmetry • Frequency of lifting • Quality of hand hold

NIOSH Lifting Equation • Recommended Weight Limit (RWL) is 51 lbs multiplied by factors relating to the risk factors • If each multiplier is 1, RWL is 51 lbs. • As risk factors increase multipliers drop below 1 as RWL decreases • If any multiplier is 0, RWL is 0 and load should not be lifted

NIOSH Lifting Equation • Lifting Index (LI) provides estimate of stress associated with lift LI = Actual Load Weight RWL

Lifting Index • If LI is “1” or below, the load can safely be lifted • If LI is greater than “1”, there is risk of back injury • The higher LI is above “1”, the higher the risk

Lifting Index & Low Back Pain Lifting Index Low Back Pain Unexposed 19% 0-1 21% 1-2 27% 2-3 37% >3 27%

NIOSH Lifting Index Lifting Index %Male % Female 1 99 75 2 80 20 3 27 < 1

Look out for these Factors • Repetitive bending over at the waist • Unnecessary manual material movement • Lifting heavy loads • Lifting bulky or hard to handle objects • Twisting while lifting • Lifting above shoulder height • Lifting from floor or below knee level • Lifting with arms extended

Look out for these Factors • Lifting objects over barriers • Lifting/pushing/pulling in awkward postures • Stooping to perform work • Prolonged static postures including sitting and standing • Constant sitting with poor foot and back support • Repetitive or prolonged extended reaches • High lifting frequency without adequate recovery

Evaluation of Objects • Is the object difficult to bring close to the body? • Does the object have handles, hand holes or cutouts? • Does the object have sharp edges? • Is the object slippery? • Is the object handled or manipulated primarily with one hand, arm or shoulder?

Evaluation of the Environment • Is the floor surface slippery, inclined or uneven? • Is the lifting task conducted in a confined area? • Are there extreme environmental conditions such as heat, cold, noise, vibration, lighting or airborne contaminants?

Risk Factors

Back Hazard Evaluation