Ergonomic Hazard Analysis

3.2 Category of Hazard

3.2.1 Ergonomic

Ergonomics is defined as the science of fitting the job to the worker. It is important because incompatibility between physical capacity of a worker and the physical requirement of a task can cause musculoskeletal disorder. Hughes and Ferrett (2011) stated that ergonomics is the study of the interaction between workers and their workplace in the widest sense, in that it covers the whole system surrounding the work process. Ergonomics comes into everything which involves people. In a phrase, the job must ‘fit the person’ in all respects, and the work situation should not compromise human capabilities and limitations. For employees who are working at jobs that require repetitive activities and heavy material

It is important to gain management commitment as the first step to develop an ergonomic program. Ergonomic team need to be develop to identify and correcting ergonomics hazard that exist in the workplace. The team should consist of variety personnel in your facility. Members of the team should consist of every department in the organization. Next, the ergonomic team will perform a worksite analysis to identify existing hazard or condition that may contribute to ergonomic hazard. Effective training programs can increase safety awareness among managers and employees in a long run. Training and education ensure employees are adequately informed about hazardswhich they may be exposed at their workplace. According to Swartz (2001), without proper training and knowledge, employees might experience ergonomic injuries that if not identified, will go uncorrected. Thus, a good training program with proper instruction to employees about equipment, tools and machine control can prevent these injuries. Improvement can be made on what is necessary, like heights of the table or controlling the weight being lifted. Training and education will provide an overview of potential risks of illness and

If necessary, specially trained workers such as radiation safety specialists and health physicists can evaluate radiation hazard level. If there is potential of radioactive being airborne, workers are necessary to wear respiratory protection. The respiratory protections have little difference when compared to the protection used for airborne chemical hazards. It differs in term of the additional device to filter the air on the respirator. In the other hand, employers should ensuring there are a proper use of sign and labels in workstation so that it can increase employee’s awareness about the task they are handling. Employee also can make a distance when possible from the source of radiation to limit themselves from radiation exposure.

According to Spellman et.al (2011), in order to control ionizing radiation, employer can limit their employee exposure by fitting permanent guarding and barriers. For example, X-ray rooms in medical institution are constructed with lead-lined walls. Other than that, they should substitute radioactive materials with less hazardous substances. Furthermore, equipment should be designed to use less hazardous substances. Safety switches, locks and interlocks are installed that safeguard the X-ray equipment to engage unless a user is activating the