160: Physical Workload Issue
Definition/Typical Issues
Were the physical demands of the task beyond the capabilities of the personnel? Did the tasks require an excessive amount of strength or did the task cause repetitive stress injuries?
Was the worker rushed to get the job done? Was there pressure to get the job done to allow the system to be restarted? Did he/she perceive that he/she was at risk?
Note 1: Dual coding under the Supervision Issue (#185) node may also be appropriate.
Note 2: Consider dual coding under the Awkward/Inconvenient/Inaccessible Location of Control/Display/Alarm (#153) and/or Awkward/Inconvenient/Inaccessible Equipment Location (#154) nodes.
Examples
Example 1
- Personnel in the warehouse stacked 30-pound boxes of finished product onto pallets. They were assigned to work 8-hour shifts with three breaks. Worker stress injuries were frequently occurring just prior to the break periods.
Example 2
- During a startup an operator had to climb several towers in quick succession to take readings and check valve alignments. While descending one of the personnel access ladders, he became fatigued. His foot slipped off one of the ladder rungs and he fell a few feet to the grating below.
Typical Recommendations
- Make the system more stable to reduce the number of control adjustments required.
- Increase the frequency and/or length of break periods.
- Provide a remote means of actuating the component or performing the task. For example, provide a control for a heater in the control room in addition to the local control.
- Automate the task to reduce the physical burden placed on personnel.
- Modify the system to provide mechanical assistance in performing the task (e.g., cranes, lifts, carts).
Cross-References
| Version 10 Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 155 | Workload |
| Maritime Element(s) | |
|---|---|
| Node ID | Node Name |
| 144 | Workload |