Information on this page is drawn from "Ergonomics Best Practices for the Construction Industry" published by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Situation
Tasks performed at K.E. Dittmar, a family-owned construction company, include:
• Digging and leveling footers, digging post holes, and moving stone and fill for grading. These tasks involve carrying loads and operating tools, which create forces on the hands, shoulders and spine;
• Framing — This task involves lifting and carrying lumber, weighing 50 to 100 pounds. These bulky loads create large forces on the spine;
• Finish work — Tasks involve placing siding, soffit, gutter, downspouts, and trenching, along with grading and leveling the concrete work around the structure. Trenching entails swinging a pick and manually digging with a shovel. These tasks have been associated with increased risk of back injury.
Solution
K.E. Dittmar purchased a skid steerer with backhoe, buckets, forks, trencher and auger attachments. The skid steerer and attachments eliminated much of the manual labor required to perform these tasks and the associated risk factors.
Results (after 10 months)
• K.E. Dittmar was awarded $33,501.50 for the purchase of a skid steerer and attachments.
• Ten months after putting the skid steerer into place, CTD incidence rates had decreased from 29 to 5.9 CTDs per 200,000 hours worked — an 80-percent improvement.
• Restricted days due to CTDs declined from 29.1 to 23.6 days per 200,000 hours worked — a 22-percent improvement.
• Average risk factor scores for the affected tasks dropped from 34.2 to 21.0 — a 39-percent reduction.