CASE STUDY: GOLF CLUB POLISHING

DESCRIPTION OF THE TASK AND WORKSTATION PRIOR TO ABATEMENT:

1) The operator sits at the polishing machine and manipulates the golf club head around on the polishing belt. Wrist deviations are performed repetitively, with production rates of 86.4 to 176.4 clubs per hour.

2) The club head is held firmly against the polishing belt at various positions on the club in order to remove weight in meeting specifications and to create a desirable surface finish.

3) The height of the belt is somewhat adjustable and the height of the chair that the operator sits in is adjustable yet operator’s postures are still problematic with many employees bent forward over the machine throughout their shift.

METHODS USED TO IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS EXISTING IN THE TASK:

1) Personal observations were made of the task as hazardous by operators, engineers and management within the company.

2) Interviews and questionnaires were completed by all operators and supervisors working in the grinding and polishing department.

3) OSHA and medical logs of injuries concerning repetitive motion, within the department were examined.

IDENTIFICATION OF RISK FACTORS:

Posture:

Most operators were sitting hunched over the polishing machine throughout their shift.

Repetition:

To polish all necessary faces of each club, operators were deviating their wrists many times per minute.

Force Requirements:

To acquire the proper surface finish and weight removal from the club heads within the given time allowance, a substantial amount of force is required in pushing the club head against the polishing belt. This becomes increasingly important as belts begin to wear and lose their aggressiveness.

Machine:

1) Vibration in the wheel of the polishing machine is transferred to the hands, wrists, and arms of the operators intensifying the negative effects of repetitive motion by reducing blood flow to those areas and jarring the joints and tendons.

2) Operators don'’t take full advantage of the adjustability of their workstation including their chair and belt height.

ERGONOMIC SOLUTIONS:

Administrative Controls:

1) Paying closer attention to the necessity and seriousness of rest and stretch breaks during shifts is extremely important. The number of breaks was set at one per hour throughout the day, two such breaks including mandatory exercises.

2) Management must increase operator awareness to the problems and teach these employees better polishing procedures. The seriousness of these problems were explained to the operators as well as encouraging of employees to make use of workstation adjustments to better customize their work area.

3) Work hardening techniques were also implemented to acclimate operators to their specific job, in a way, physically “breaking them in” to the physical demands slowly to let their body adjust to the conditions.

Engineering Controls:

1) Club holding fixtures were developed and implemented in all grinding and polishing applications.

2) Chairs with chest rests rather than back rests are offered to operators for posture improvements.

Benefits of Ergonomic Solutions:

1) Risk of cumulative trauma disorders has been reduced by increasing operator and management awareness and by improved rest and stretch breaks.

2) Exposure to repetitive wrist deviation, force requirements in grinding, and transferal of vibration from polishing machines to operators have been reduced using holding fixtures and improved grinding procedures.

3) Postures have been improved with increased awareness to workstation customization and more chair options.

EMPLOYEE REACTION:

1) Original suggestions to change the polishing procedure were met with negative remarks from operators.

2) In follow-up interviews, after fixtures were integrated into nearly all polishing workstations, operator comments were extremely positive towards the steps that were being made.

3) In the first interview, prior to fixture implementation, 93 % of polishers reported pain associated with their job, while in the follow-up interview only 27% reported pain after using fixtures.

CONCLUSION:

1) Changes made in all grinding and polishing operations were implemented with an open mind regarding operators.

2) Employees are encouraged to express their feelings and ideas about each improvement in order to best meet the needs of the workers, providing a safer working environment while avoiding considerably sacrificing production rates and standards. For this reason, all changes made in the grinding and polishing workstations were met with positive operator feedback and an open mind from both the operators and management.

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