From Tech Transfer Newsletter, Fall 2006 » printer-friendly

How to Avoid Ergonomic Injuries in the Roadway Construction Industry

By Bradley Sant, Vice President of Safety and Education, ARTBA

On-the-job injuries are expensive. Taking the form of lost work hours, costly replacement worker recruiting and training, and increases in insurance premiums, the price tag for an employee's injury can become very high. In the roadway construction industry, the highest percentage of insurance injury claims are ergonomic injuries, primarily sprains and strains to the back, shoulders and wrists. Most employers are quite familiar with these costs. What is less well known is this: many of the costs resulting from injuries could be avoided by applying a few ergonomic strategies at worksites.

Where Should You Look to Improve Ergonomic Performance?

There are three areas in the construction industry that most often offer good opportunities for improving worker performance:

• Staging (storing) of materials and equipment
• Manual materials handling
• Work method techniques

Let's look at each of these areas briefly and discuss common solutions that improve worker health and productivity.

Staging of materials:

The key to success in this area simply requires a bit of planning—making an effort to place materials in close proximity and at an appropriate height as to where they will be used. A simple, observational analysis of a jobsite will reveal the amount of time and effort that is wasted as workers walk between the locations where materials and tools are stored and where they are using them. By locating tools and materials next to workers, and placing them on palates, tables, planks, etc. to reduce the need for bending and turning to retrieve them, an employer can change unproductive retrieval time into productive work time while minimizing the risk of injury.

In addition to storing tools and equipment in convenient areas, it is also important to have equipment readily on hand to move heavy materials. Again, this comes from the planning process. Employers and supervisors should take a few minutes at the beginning of each shift to determine what material they will need, find a suitable location to conveniently store it, create or locate a table or rack to place material at a convenient height for the worker to quickly and easily access it, and have equipment on hand to move heavy, awkward or bulky materials.

Manual materials handling:

If a safety officer or supervisor is looking for proof to take to his or her supervisors in support of implementing an ergonomics program, try this exercise: Spend a day recording how long it takes a person to bend over to retrieve tools and materials, or to perform a task. Multiply that time period by the number of workers performing the task, and the number of times in a day, week, month and year that task is repeated. After one day observing inefficient materials handling procedures, one can easily document the amount of lost, unproductive time a worker experiences in manually handling materials.

Next, figure out how/if the work could be performed in an ergonomically correct manner by moving the work to waist height, getting stored materials up from the floor or ground, and placing material in a location that will reduce twisting, turning and bending postures. If the work is such that the environment cannot be changed, look for opportunities to change the tools themselves. Some easy examples include providing shovels with handles, using equipment to move heavy materials, and automating or using improved tools for tedious tasks like tying rebar.

Work method techniques:

Another quick way to improve ergonomics on a road construction site is to evaluate work techniques and look for opportunities to improve them. Techniques can be improved by understanding what postures are most stressful and substituting alternative postures. For example, if a crew is spending a lot of time performing a task by bending at the waist, look for ways to allow them to sit or kneel comfortably, removing stress from the back and arms.

Improved techniques may require purchasing new equipment or retrofitting old equipment to reduce vibration or noise, or to minimize stress on joints and muscles.

Don't forget your workers!

A great approach to solving ergonomic problems on jobsites is to get the workers involved in identifying opportunities for improvement and solutions. They are the experts on their jobs and have great ideas on ways the work could be improved ergonomically. Setting up a small task force or committee to discuss solutions may be very helpful, or casual conversations around the water cooler or tailgate could yield instructive advice from your workers.

How Do You Begin?

The first step for most organizations to implement an aggressive ergonomics program is to quantify the problem. Begin making measurements to set a baseline of where your opportunities for improvement are right now. Establish basic criteria for measuring those improvement opportunities.

Next, share the results of your observations with management and seek authority to implement some of the easier ergonomic interventions. Look for the "low hanging fruit" where you can show success quickly.

The third step is to implement several changes in work processes and measure those interventions using your established criteria. Compare the improvements against the baseline you established at the beginning. It is a good idea before you make improvements to determine whether the change is really an improvement or may create other problems.

Fourth, quantify the results in terms of efficiency, time and money. Share that information with your company leadership.

Remember, a good ergonomics program is not a one-time procedure, but rather a continual process of observation, measurement, intervention, analysis and quantification.

Ergonomics in California Cities

There are few—if any—cities in California that have ergonomics training programs specifically designed for roadway construction and maintenance workers. However, many cities incorporate elements of ergonomics into their safety training programs or bring in outside groups to provide training.

The city of Tustin holds bi-weekly safety training meetings for maintenance workers. Field Services Manager Sam Altowaiji said these trainings often touch on ergonomics, providing training in topics that have included how workers should lift and handle objects, proper ways to bend, and when to exercise or take breaks.

San Jose Department of Transportation Safety Officer Dan Suriaga brought in a consultant to provide ergonomic training for city personnel who work in the field. He said the training covered proper methods for lifting and handling tools. The classes were designed to help workers become more aware of their work environment and to think of methods to manipulate their work for their own comfort. Staff is encouraged to come forward if they have any ideas for how their jobs could be made easier with ergonomic solutions. Suriaga said several changes have been implemented since the training. Heavy equipment operators now use back support systems, and workers wear anti-vibratory gloves when working with certain tools. Although it's too soon to quantify any benefits from the ergonomic training, he said he hopes to see a reduction in back and shoulder injuries as a result of the initial training and a subsequent refresher course held last year.

The California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (JPIA) operates a municipal self-insurance pool comprised of more than 100 cities, mostly in Southern California. JPIA provides many risk management services to its members, including training in ergonomics for field and transit personnel. Karen Jenny, Risk Manager for the city of San Luis Obispo, said JPIA comes in and provides ergonomic training for city maintenance employees every two years, as recommended by JPIA.

Manual Materials Handling Checklist for Roadway Construction Crews

A few easy ergonomic solutions for manual materials handling can keep your employees healthy and job sites productive.

• When lifting, keep the load close to the body. Bending at the knees—not the waist—can help you maintain proper spine alignment.
• Use care when lifting heavy or bulky loads. Use your leg muscles to do the lifting. Whenever possible, seek help or use mechanical assistance.
• The power zone for lifting is close to the body, above mid-thigh and below mid-chest. This zone is where arms and back can lift the most with the least amount of effort.
• The back is placed under a double burden when bending and twisting while lifting. When bending is unavoidable, turn the body as a unit to avoid twisting at the waist.
• Repetitive reaching and pulling motions—such as raking asphalt—can place stress on the spine and cause fatigue to muscles in the arms, shoulders, back and legs. On these jobs, workers or tasks should be rotated.
• Kneeling or squatting for a long time can cause injuries to your back, knees and muscles. When possible, move the activity to a bench or table. Tools may be available to decrease ground-level work. Always use kneepads or a stool to reduce stress on the knees and legs.
• Vibration restricts the blood supply, which can contribute to an ergonomic injury. Try using low vibration tools, dampeners, or shields. Inspect power tools for wear regularly.
• To carry loads more easily, wrap all of your fingers and the thumb around the object to make a "fist." This type of hold is less stressful than a "pinch" grasp, which should only be used for lightweight items. Use handholds, including handles, slots, or holes.

This checklist was reprinted with permission from ARTBA.

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