SHANKAR THAMBIRAJA GS61646

INDUSTRIAL ERGONOMICS EMM5710

Assignment 2:
ERGONOMICS ISSUES FACED BY
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
 1. Introduction

• Preventive maintenance is maintenance that is

regularly performed on equipment to lessen the
likelihood of it failing.
• It is routine maintenance that is scheduled
based on data insights. A preventive
maintenance task is performed while the
equipment is still working so it does not break
down unexpectedly and create unplanned
downtime.
• In terms of the complexity of this maintenance
strategy, it falls between reactive maintenance
(or run-to-failure ) and predictive maintenance.
 2. Work Process of Maintenance Technician

• Responsible for making sure that the machines

and equipment of production are always in
perfect working conditions.
• Role of the technician is to service and repair
facilities to prevent any major breakdown that
might disrupt the smooth operation of the
production.
• Technician responsible to change worn-out parts
of machines before they lead to major
mechanical damage.
• It is also the responsibility of the technician to
identify any mechanical fault that may lead to a
major breakdown of machines.
 Cont…. Work Process

• The preventive activities of a technician in context to Dutch Lady Milk

Industries include; maintaining correct fluid levels on machines by checking
the pneumatic lines, oil, and water line, and/or steam lines for the production
equipment.
• Technician work description also entails checking on wear and tear on
equipment parts, such as shaft alignment and belts.
 3. Problem Statement

Risk#1: Lifting a heavy load(Homogenizer)

Explanation: While servicing Tetra Homogenizer, technicians need to dismantle

machine parts and lift to change spare parts.
The homo piston weight is around 3kg each, the technician needs to hold the
piston weight until they unscrew and remove the piston holder to prevent
scratching or damaging the piston. The cycle must be repeated until remove all
the pistons.
 3. Problem Statement

Risk#2: Lifting a heavy load (Mix proof Valve)

Explanation: To service mix proof valve, the technician needs to dismantle each
valve and remove it from the valve cluster staging area to allow other lines to
continue production. Each valve weighs approximately between 13kg to 22kg
depends on the size. Each production line will have between 5-7 valves
depending on the line flexibility structure.
 3. Problem Statement

Risk#3: Awkward Body Posture (Homogenizer)

Explanation:
• To dismantle homogenizer parts, the technician needs to bend down more
than 30 degrees without support or without the ability to vary the position
and in a repetitive cycle until done with the disassembling task.
• This is called static work which requires a technician to be in a fixed position
which causes certain skeletal muscles to remain contracted. Due to limited
space for the technician to disassemble, it leads to inappropriate body posture
 3. Problem Statement

Risk#4: Awkward Body Posture (Valve )

Explanation: The technician will be squatting or in a kneeling position to

dismantle every valve from valve cluster staging. Approximately it will take 15-
20 minutes for each valve to be dismantled, change spare parts and assemble.
 3. Problem Statement

Risk#5: Force

Explanation:
• Technician need to change the gasket for THE tube
which requires them to unscrew the tube plate.
• Each THE has two sides containing approximately 120
-160 gaskets to change.
• Technician need extra force to loosen the hardened
screw due to operating at high temperatures. This
resulted in 240-320 screws to unscrew and once
complete the task same force required for assembling.
• The task requires two shifts for the technician to
complete the job as each shift consumes 8hours.
 4. Effects of that Ergonomic Issues

Risk Effects

1&2 While attempting to lift a heavy load, puts a terrible strain on our body, which can
lead to painful muscle sprains and tears. Might also end up with a slipped disc or
a hernia. There are possibilities to drop the object and cause injuries.

3&4 Poor body posture of the technician while carrying out the task for an extended
period is a common cause of back, neck, and leg pain. Awkward posture often
stresses the spine and causes muscle fatigue and pain.

5 The more force that must be applied in the exertion, the more quickly the muscles
will fatigue or become strained. Excessive or prolonged exposure to forceful
exertions also leads to overuse of muscles and may result in muscle strain,
soreness and damage.
 5. Ergonomics Intervention

 Ergonomic refers to interactions among

workers and other elements in the working
environment, which includes physical,
organizational, and cognitive components..
 Ergonomic interventions is to improve
workers’ comfort, safety, productivity,
environment, behavior, and other long-
term educational approaches to treat and
prevent further damage due to Work-
Related Musculoskeletal
Disorders(WMSD).
 5. Ergonomics Intervention

Engineering Intervention
• To reduce the chance of injury, work tasks should be designed to limit
exposure to ergonomic risk factors. Engineering controls are the most
desirable, where possible.
• Use a device to lift and reposition heavy objects to limit force exertion
• Reduce the weight of a load to limit force exertion
• Reposition a worktable to eliminate a long/excessive reach and enable
working in neutral postures
• Redesign tools to enable neutral postures
 5. Ergonomics Intervention
Cont….Engineering Intervention
Engineering Intervention

• Adjustable lifter can be used to hold

the weight of the object while the
technician dissembles parts.
• Pallet truck can be used to transport
heavy objects.

• Using a torque wrench will prevent

from using excessive force to loosen
the screw.
• Using wrench extension prevents the
technician from the awkward posture.
 5. Ergonomics Intervention

Administration Intervention
• Require that heavy loads are only lifted by two people to limit force
exertion
• Establish systems so workers are rotated away from tasks to minimize the
duration of continual exertion, repetitive motions, and awkward postures.
• Design a job rotation system in which employees rotate between jobs that
use different muscle groups
• Staff "floaters" to provide periodic breaks between scheduled breaks
• Properly use and maintain pneumatic and power tool
 5. Ergonomics Intervention

Personal Protective Equipment

• Use proper PPE to minimize exposure to
hazards.
• Use a padded glove to have a better grip
while lifting heavy objects.
• Use safety boots with steel cap protection to
prevent injuries due to dropping objects.
 6. Conclusion

• In a nutshell, maintenance technician daily task involves high ergonomic

risk which can affect worker health due to injuries, increase in operating
cost due to unsafe environment, and poor quality of work due to worker
tiredness can lead to decrease in productivity due to higher breakdown.
• Ergonomics intervention via engineering, administrative, and personnel
protective equipment(PPE) can minimize and improve ergonomic risks.
• Continuous Ergonomics risk assessment and intervention will be beneficial
for manufacturing in terms of quality service, improve worker health,
increase productivity and eliminate hazards.

.
 7. Reference

• Ergonomic intervention, workplace exercises, and musculoskeletal

complaints: A comparative study; Amir Houshang, Mohammad Heydari &
Syed Jalil, published July 2014
• Why and How to Do Ergonomics, Katrin E. Kroemer Elbert, ... Anne
D. Kroemer Hoffman, in Ergonomics (Third Edition), 2018
• Ergonomic Guidelines for Manual Material Handling was prepared for
publication by the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service, Research and Education
Unit, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, California Department of
Industrial Relations; Published 2007 by the California Department of
Industrial Relations.
• https://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/control-hazards