Proactive Ergonomics

By Barbara F. Taylor, CIH, Director of EHS, Biogen Idec, and Rachel Michael, M.Sc., AEP, Assistant Vice President, Marsh Risk Consulting

PharmaManufacturing.com

Progressive programs at Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Biogen Idec are raising the bar for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Installing standing platforms and adjustable-height isolators can make equipment suitable for workers of all sizes. Photo courtesy of AstraZeneca.

As technology and automation transform pharmaceutical manufacturing, the human factor is often overlooked. New production equipment and manufacturing spaces may be cramped or inadequately designed, while work schedules and operating procedures often fail to consider workers’ physical needs and limitations.

A common example of a mismatch between human abilities and task design is when employees sit parallel to a filling or packaging line, instead of facing it. This position is usually taken because there isn’t enough knee and leg space under the machinery, but sitting parallel to equipment results in twisting and reaching, increasing the likelihood of stress or musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Ergonomics prevents situations like these, by evaluating worker abilities and limitations and taking them into account in designs. Key MSD risk factors include:

• force
• awkward posture
• repetition
• duration
• vibration
• contact stress

All of these risks are commonplace in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and may affect the bottom line, by reducing productivity, morale and product quality.

More manufacturers today recognize the importance of integrating proactive ergonomic solutions into their business processes (see BEST PRACTICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, below). “We used to be focused on training employees just to be aware of ergonomic issues,” says Robb Patterson, ergonomics team leader at Pfizer Global Manufacturing’s Kalamazoo, Mich. site. “Today, we’re getting our engineers to think about human factors during the design stage.” The industry is moving from a reactive to proactive stance towards ergonomics, Patterson says.

Good ergonomics foundations

Successful ergonomics programs are systematic and sustainable, and put in writing. They include clear goals, focus on risk, and are integrated into existing processes and operations. They must be measurable, visible and focused on continuous improvement.

More sophisticated workplace ergonomics programs share the following characteristics:

• management commitment and support
• extensive training on risk factors and ergonomics
• hazard analysis and control
• strong medical management
• regular program evaluation

If any ergonomics program is to succeed, it must be viewed, from top to bottom, as a good business decision. Ergonomics programs that operate as “one-off” fixes or grass-roots initiatives fail to change the manufacturing culture.

U.S. regulatory requirements for ergonomics are generally limited to the General Duty Clause. Except for a few state OSHA programs, ergonomics programs are recognized as a best practice by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and other organizations.

The preferred method for controlling risk factors is through engineering controls. Engineering controls involve a change in the physical features of the workplace, and might include reducing the weight of objects, changing work surface heights or purchasing lifting aids.

When engineering solutions are not feasible, administrative controls are used. These controls are less effective than engineering controls because they don’t eliminate the hazard. They include longer rest breaks, using more employees to perform lifting or certain tasks, and improving maintenance for tools and work areas.

Work practice controls such as personal protective equipment (PPE), are also used, but are the least effective methods, since the employee is still exposed to the risk factor.

Employees at Pfizer’s Kalamazoo site inspect and pack Gelfoam sponges, used for dental surgery. Previously (above), inspectors sat parallel to the pace belt and had to reach over the work area to grab product off the belt. Photo courtesy of Pfizer.	After a redesign (above), workstations are perpendicular to the belt, which has reduced worker reaches from 24 in. to about 6 in. Stations and chairs are also adjustable, allowing workers to stand or sit at preferred heights. Photo courtesy of Pfizer.

Ergonomics at Biogen

Several years ago, Biogen Idec implemented a full-blown ergonomics program after it realized that most of its workers’ compensation costs stemmed from poor ergonomics.

Key to the program, modeled after NIOSH and OSHA recommendations, is a written corporate policy that explicitly correlates ergonomics with the company’s core values of worker safety and a high quality of work life.