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Ergonomics Workplace

 Worldwide Safety Awareness

NCC HSE Department BSP: 9047 Riyadh
 October 2017
 Ergonomics in Welding
What You Will Learn:

 How to identify Work-Related Musculoskeletal

Disorders (WMSD’s) in welding jobs

 Propose solutions for hazardous exposures

 Find further information about ergonomics in

welding operations
 Common Hazards
Common hazards found in welding are:
Inhaling metals fumes
Eye exposure to welding arc light
Foreign objects in eyes
Burns
Noise
 WMSD Hazards
Welding also includes musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD)
hazards such as:
Awkward body postures
Lifting heavy equipment or materials
Static postures for prolonged periods
Awkward postures of the wrist
WA State-funded compensable claims 1994-2004
Welders, Cutters, Solderers
By Nature of Injury

Sprains account for

more than 1/3 of the Other
13%
compensable claims Neural Sprains
5% 32%
among welders in the
State of Washington. Symptoms
Ill-Def

9%

Some of those could

be caused by Hearing loss
11%
Contussion/
hazardous WMSD Fracture/ Cut/
Scratches
exposures.
Dislocation
14% 16%
 WA State-funded compensable claims 1994-2004 Welders, Cutters,
Solderers

Other Back/Neck/
15%
By Body Part Shoulder
28%

The back, neck and shoulder Ears

together with the arm and 11%

hand regions make up more

than one half of the injuries
among welders in
Washington State. Foot/
Leg Hand / Arm
Preventive efforts should 20% 26%

therefore focus on those Welding is a strenuous occupation

body parts among welders at involving work in awkward postures and
handling heavy equipment, usually with a
your workplace. high degree of sustained stress to arm
and shoulders.
 Consequences of a poor
working environment
 Absences due to injury or illness and
the transfer of welders to other tasks

 Overtime for replacement workers.

Welders are skilled employees

 High employee turnover

 Increased training and supervisory

time

 Reduced productivity and quality

 WMDS hazards most
common in welding

OFTEN, MORE THAN 1 RISK FACTOR IS PRESENT

 Rigorous manual precision requirements

– High degree of uniformity
 Awkward and static postures
– Difficult work position
 Heavy lifting, difficult material handling
– Heavy objects, heavy welding equipment
 Repetition
– High work intensity
 Hazard Elements

Duration (how long?)

Frequency (how often?)

Intensity (how hard?)

Common postures adopted in welding

Working in Working at
front ground level,
precision work

Working at Working at
ground ground level,
level confined space

Working Working above

above the shoulders,
shoulders confined space
 Awkward Postures
Severe torso flexion
Awkward postures in welding
Torso twisting
Kneeling, squatting

Bent wrists

Neck flexion/extension
Shoulder flexion/abduction (separation)
 The goal of a healthy work environment
To simplify the welding tasks for the welder
and reduce the physical load during the
work

Automate physically demanding or repetitive

jobs

Expand the work content of welders (provide

flexibility between jobs)
– (Multi-skilled workers who are able to
perform different tasks within a group)
 The Real World

 Often cost, ease of maintenance, space

considerations drive the design of the
workplace
 When hazards can’t be engineered out, using
best practices is a good alternative
 Examples of good design: providing
opportunities for work station adjustments,
providing different types of tools, using good
planning to eliminate unnecessary work
Ergonomic Solutions for Welding
 Heavy Lifting

Use:
• Manipulators
• Lighter weight
welding equipment
• Lighter weight cables
with low stiffness
• Cable supporting
balancers
• Overhead hoists
• Lifting and turning
tables
 Awkward Postures

• Position work between

waist and shoulder
when possible
• Provide lifting tables
• Use motorized
positioning devices
• Use welding guns with
swivels and designed
for use in both hands
• Try work stools
 Team Lifting
AFTER
BEFORE
Team lifting helps
reduce heavy,
awkward lifting of
equipment and
materials.
 Tables
BEFORE AFTER

This picture shows Because the work is

the worker with on a table, the
considerable worker doesn’t have
bending over at the to bend over as far
waist
 Pre-Assembly

Pre-assembly and
material handling
equipment helps reduce
unnecessary lifting or
any other kind of
manual material
handling
Ergonomic improvements

This rotational clamp

for pipe helps reduce
awkward postures for
the neck, shoulders
and arms.
 Ergonomic improvements

Use wheeled tables for

welding work and to
transport stock and
jobs.
This reduces lifting
and carrying of heavy
materials.
 Ergonomic improvements

Welding leads on
pulleys help reduce
heavy and awkward
lifting, and minimize
static postures.
 Ergonomic improvements

Robotic automation is a
feasible solution to
highly repetitive motion
with the arms and
hands. May also reduce
the exposure to fumes.
 Possible Consequences
Not implementing
some or all these
ergonomics guidelines
may result in the
following…
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders

They are cumulative (occur over time

and not a result of a single incident):

•Occur when the physical

demands of work cause
wear and tear on the body.
•Involve soft tissues such
as muscles, tendons,
ligaments, joints, nerves,
blood vessels.
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders
They are not acute injuries such as:
•Broken bones
•Cuts
•Slips
•Falls
•Trips
•Motor vehicle accidents
•Being struck by or
caught with objects
 Common disorders among welders
 Back injuries
 Shoulder pain/loss of range of motion
 Tendinitis/Bursitis
 Reduced muscle strength
 Carpal tunnel syndrome
 White finger
 Knee joint diseases
 The Ergonomics Cycle
The ergonomics
cycle shows an Management Employee
Support Involvement
organized way to
start your
ergonomics effort.
Evaluate Problem
progress Identification

Solution
Training
Implementation

Address
Injuries