• ERRP sites in the process for the full three years have experienced the most dramatic results
  • a 38% reduction in the MSD Recordable rate
  • a 40% reduction in Handling & Lifting rate
• ERRP sites are experiencing greater success than non-ERRP sites:
  • MSD rates are 35% less in ERRP sites
  • Handling & Lifting rates are 18% less in ERRP sites
• A $1.8 million savings in workers’ compensation medical costs (a 39% reduction)
• More than 77,000 employees have been trained
• Nearly 7,000 ergonomic task analyses have been conducted and 3,600 fixes have been implemented

• Supervisors and craft working together to resolve problems
• Better trained workforce and development of individual responsibility for job improvements
• Improved communication and organizational skills of the ERRP team members
• Follow-up on employee suggestions
• USPS, Labor and OSHA resolving issues as partners for better employee health
• Management and union leadership working together
• ERRP teams provide input on equipment layout
• Better morale and evidence that the Postal Service cares about its employees
• Improved mail flow
• Low cost improvements

1. MSD analysis to identify jobs with high rates of MSD;
2. Review of the job safety analysis and standard operating procedures
3. Describe jobs by observing and interviewing employees and supervisors
4. Breakdown jobs into tasks and steps
5. Link ergonomic risk factors to steps
   Forceful exertions, awkward and static postures, repetitive motions, contact stress, environmental (vibration, cold temperatures, lighting)
6. Describe the risk and root cause
7. Brainstorm alternatives to apply a principle of ergonomics to eliminate or reduce the ergonomic risk.
   Examples: neutral postures, reduce force, keep objects within an easy reach, keep objects at elbow height or within knees to shoulders, reduce repetitive motions, avoid static postures, avoid pressure points, provide adequate clearance, reduce vibration, control the temperature and lighting
8. Develop an implementation plan
9. Obtain feedback on days 1 and 30 after implementation
10. Record the cost to implement

• Job analysis
• Tracking the implementation of controls and removing barriers
• Training
• Service talks with employees
• Presentations to management
• Developing communication ideas

"Postal employees will be able to do their job without pain and enjoy their retirement without physical restriction."

The examples of solutions in this material are the product of the USPS Ergonomic Risk Reduction Process teams across the nation. Working with employees, plant and union leadership and safety and health committees, the ERRP teams have identified opportunities to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at their facility and they have implemented solutions to eliminate or reduce the risk factors that contribute to MSDs. These solutions were selected from hundreds of implementations because the tasks are common to many mail processing facilities and the solutions have general applicability. To reduce risk factors the solution must be appropriate for the task and used by the people performing the task. A successful implementation is more than the control, training (employees, supervisors, and maintenance), testing, and periodic feedback are also needed.

Task Intervention # 1
Work Location - Mail Prep
Task – Mail handlers remove bundled flats (2 C & Standard) from hampers to prep into Flat Mail Carts for the AFSM 100 flats processing operation.
Opportunity to reduce risk - Reaching to the bottom of hampers to unload mail resulted in frequent bending, extended reaching, and forceful lifting from below knee height.
Solution – Provide a container tilter and service talk on the use of hamper tilters and updated the JSA. Less than $5,000
 

Before – Bending and reaching into a hamper to retrieve a bundle of mail	After – Container tilter lifts and tilts the hamper resulting in less bending and reaching

Task Intervention # 2
Work Location – Maintenance on automation equipment
Task - Maintenance employee working on automated machines such as the AFCS, DBCS, OCR, BCS, SPBM, MPFSM, AFSM, LMLM, etc. vacuum the equipment to remove dust and debris.
Opportunity to reduce risk - Positioning the vacuuming nozzle results in prolonged gripping in awkward wrist and shoulder position
Solution – Use a swivel nozzle and flexible hose attachment to keep the wrist straight and elbow in close to the body. Less than $100

Before – Straight nozzle on the vacuum hose results  in awkward wrist and shoulder position to vacuum equipment	After – Flexible nozzle allows operator to vacuum equipment with a straight wrist

Task Intervention # 3
Work Location - Dock/platform
Task - Raising dock plates requires pulling a chain in the dock plate.
Opportunity to reduce risk – Pulling the chain results in forceful exertion while bending to the floor.
Solution – Provide a tool to pick up the chain that can be pulled while standing. Less than $100.

Before – Reaching to the floor to pull a chain that activates the dock leveler	After – Use of a tool allows the dock leveler to be positioned while standing

Task Intervention # 4
Work Location – Loading trays and tubs
Task – Lifting trays and tubs from pallets on the floor
Opportunity to reduce risk – Lifting trays or tubs of mail from a pallet results in frequent bending and forceful lifting from below knee height.
Solution – Provide a pallet lifter to elevate trays to waist level. Less than $5000

Before – Frequent bending to lift trays of mail from a pallet on the floor	After – Pallet lift allows the person to raise the trays to waist height

Task Intervention # 5
Work Location - Culling mail in cancellation
Task - Pulling oversized letters, parcels and flats from the culling belt on the canceling machine.
Opportunity to reduce risk - Work surface is too high for shorter employees, resulting in awkward shoulder position.
Solution - Provide an adjustable and removable platform. Less than $200.

Before – Height of the conveyor results in working above elbow height	After - Use of a portable platform allows work to be performed at elbow height. Platform has a yellow border to improve visibility and is portable so it can be easily removed

Task Intervention # 6
Work Location - Delivery Barcode Sorter (DBCS)
Task - Sweeping letters from the DBCS bins and placing them in trays
Opportunity to reduce risk – Heavy volume mail is sorted to a bin on the bottom level resulting in frequent bending.
Solution – Reprogram the sort plan to allow heavy volume mail to be sorted into bins at the middle level. Rotate between sweeping and feeding the DBCS. Less than $500

Before – Heavy mail volume falls to the bottom bin resulting in frequent bending and twisting while removing the mail from the machine	After – Moving heavy volume mail to the middle bin results in less bending

Task Intervention # 7
Work Location – Flats mail processing equipment
Task – Tubs of mail are stacked in carts, then unloaded from the cart at the flats processing equipment.
Opportunity to reduce risk – Tubs are stacked above shoulder height resulting in forceful lifting with the hands above the head.
Solution – Supervisors should ensure employees follow safety guidelines and not fill containers above the ¾ capacity mark on the containers.

Before – Overloading containers results in forceful lifting above the head	After – Containers filled to ¾ full reduces lifting above head height

Task Intervention # 8
Work Location – Dock/platform
Task – Pull the 5th wheel release pin on a trailer
Opportunity to reduce risk – The handle to release the 5th wheel is under the trailer resulting in forceful pulling with a long reach and bent back
Solution – Provide a tool that allows the handle to be pulled without reaching under the trailer. Less than $100.

Before - Reaching under the trailer to pull the  5th wheel release	After - Using a tool to pull the 5th wheel release

Task Intervention # 9
Work Location – Small Parcel Bundle Sorter (SPBS)
Task – Removing reject mail from the waterfall
Opportunity to reduce risk – Mail from the waterfall falls on the floor resulting in prolonged bending or squatting
Solution – Place a cart at the waterfall to catch the mail. Less than $300.

Before - Pulling mail out of the waterfall with a rake	After - Cart at the waterfall to collect mail

Task Intervention # 10
Work Location – Dumper or sweeping flat/parcels
Task – Stacking and unstacking empty hampers, or wire containers
Opportunity to reduce risk – Stacking empty hampers or wire container to save floor space or shipping cost results in forceful lifting and pushing above head height.
Solution – Provide a hamper (and wire container) stacker. Less than $12,000.

Before - Two people lifting a third hamper onto a stack	After - One person rolling a hamper into the stacker with two hampers already stacked.

File: USPS Ergo Best Practices Apr 16, 2007

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