At the polishing workstation, employees use large, wheeled polishing machines to apply a desired, cosmetic finish to golf clubs. The clubs go through a series of these procedures, beginning with coarse belt grinding and progressing to the smoothest sating buff wheels. At each station, clubs are manually pressed against the belt or wheel at various pressures and moved along the polishing surface at specified angles to produce the proper polish lines and surface finish.
To meet the quality demands of the polishing procedure, an employee must manipulate the golf club in a way that subjects them to extreme wrist stress and deviation (the highest demand being ulnar deviation and wrist extension). This movement puts excess stress on the nerves and tendons running through the carpel tunnel of the wrist. In addition to the wrist positions, employees tend to hold the awkwardly shaped clubs using a pinch grip. While grinding and polishing clubs, workers wear one or more pairs of cotton gloves as protection from accidental contact with the polishing surface and the heat that the irons achieve while being ground. The wearing of these gloves tends to increase the force that employees use when gripping the clubs. This method of gripping the iron and use of gloves causes additional stress to the delicate inner wrist.
Not only are wrist movements precarious, they are done at a high rate of repetition throughout the day. Current rates require operators to complete one piece every 20 to 40 seconds, depending on the operation, throughout their shift.
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