Affiliations: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Marquette
University, Milwaukee, WI, USA | Ergonomics Solutions LLC, Wales, WI, USA | EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute), Palo Alto,
CA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Amy Stone, OTR, 2658 N. Lake Drive,
Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA. Tel.: +1 414 962 4932; Fax: +1 414 962 4936; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: As part of a collaborative approach involving electric utility
companies, university researchers, individual contractors and a not-for-profit
research institute, two ergonomics teams consisting of skilled utility workers
and trained ergonomists, were assembled. These teams were to identify tasks
with risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among workers in
fossil-fueled generating stations and and to propose ergonomic interventions
for these tasks. One team focused on tasks of electricians and the other
focused on tasks of plant operators and mechanics. Several of the tasks were
tested in an ergonomics laboratory and at one of the utility's generating
stations. We present a sample of the recommended interventions in this paper.
An anthropometric analysis of electrical box height recommended the appropriate
height for electrical boxes. The results of a field experiment showed that low
rolling resistance wheels decreased the forces to initiate and sustain pushing
a cart. The same experiment also demonstrated that the forces required to turn
a cart with six wheels were lower than the forces equired to turn a cart with
four wheels. A collaborative approach to ergonomics proved to be an effective
method to identify and assess tasks that are problematic for workers and to
develop best practices for these tasks in the electric power industry. This
method could be used by other industries in their attempt to decrease the
incidence, cost and severity of workplace MSDs.
