NIOSH Recommends Controls to Address Ergonomic Hazards at Logistics Facility

NIOSH’s recommendations for ergonomic controls at a California logistics company, based on the agency’s January 2019 evaluation, have been published in a recent health hazard evaluation (HHE) report. NIOSH staff visited the facility, which was part of a global distribution platform, at the request of safety management concerned with ergonomic issues and musculoskeletal injuries among warehousing operations workers. To assess worker health concerns, the evaluators interviewed 39 distribution process workers and leaders, who were among the facility’s 1,300 employees, and observed work processes, practices, and conditions. Most workstations and areas lacked features such as antifatigue mats and adjustable chairs and stools. Some employees whose tasks included packing, unpacking, loading, or unloading boxes from trucks reported back pain, and others tasked with unpacking and sorting material from the chute reported pain in their shoulders.

NIOSH recommends that the logistics company reduce workers’ risk of lower back and shoulder disorders through changes to job design. “Job tasks, workstations, and tools and other equipment should be designed to match the physical capabilities of the employee,” the HHE report states. This includes ensuring proper hand working heights and reach distances. The employer should also provide standing and seated workstations that adjust to accommodate workers’ heights and job demands, while employees who routinely stand to perform their jobs should be provided antifatigue mats. Precise specifications for all these controls are provided in the report.

The HHE report may be downloaded as a PDF from NIOSH’s HHE report library.