Introduction Workplace safety should always be a priority for an employer particularly in areas demanding mechanical and intensive movement of machines and products. Bangtail as a bike seller has engaged in the massive packaging of bike parts that weigh 50 lbs. and above. These weights demand extensive manpower to move up and down and even in packaging in the boxes. In our findings, we found that the key tasks in Bangtail involve moving bikes in boxes up and down, moving assembled boxes, and hanging bikes from the ceiling by the back wheel. The findings in this report will be guided by the Washington State WISHA Screening Tool that guides on various areas that need to be addressed for safety in a mechanical workplace. The report below presents out findings in the Bangtail company and makes recommendations where ergonomics improvements could be made. The report breaks down the risk factors findings based on two areas namely indicators for caution and hazard. The three major activities undertaken in Bangtail pose a different level of risk and thus demand a varied degree of caution. One of the most demanding tasks in Bangtail was to hang bikes from the ceiling by the back wheel that not only appeared difficult but risky. It was interesting to note that Bangtail has laid out great measures on the safety of the employees mainly in handling the heavy boxes and bike parts. There were caution signs all around the workplace that was meant to guide and remind the employees on procedures when handling and moving the boxes up and down. Secondly, the reports find that the Bangtail workplace and made adverse measures to guide and caution the employees in day to day activities. The reminders in the form of printed images and pieces of writing on walls at the workplace were helpful in guiding and reminding the employees on precautionary measures. We identified three areas where Bangtail mechanical work laid based on the nature of the task and its intensity. Guided by the Washington State WISHA Screening Tool, the report notes that Bangtail had various weaknesses in its workplace safety and precautions against risks and hazards. The weight lifting and movement of boxes had some loopholes concerning flexibility and number of hours worked. According to the WISHA Caution/Hazard Checklist, the number of hours worked should be guided by the intensity of the work done (Kale & Vyavahare, 2016). Bangtail had outlined various categories for employees regarding weight and number of hours to be worked. We found that there were great disparities and mismatch between the weight and number of hours worked that was a great health risk for the employees. The WISHA Caution/Hazard Checklist guides that an employee working with back bent should have rest intervals of around an hour between three hours of work. The Bangtail work environment did not allow for this ample rest time particularly for employees lifting or moving bike bikes up and down. Another observation was that the weight lift precautions had various shortcomings concerning many hours worked. It was noted that the boxes weighed 50 lbs. and above and this demands intensive labor. Bangtail overworked the employees mainly in the weightlifting considering that the boxes weighted 50 lbs. and above. About the WISHA Caution/Hazard Checklist, lifting 55 pounds more than ten times a day was categorized in the caution level. However, lifting the same 55 pounds for more than 20 times a day lies in the hazardous level. The report notes that Bangtail paid little attention to this precaution since most of the employees would lift the 50 lbs. boxes for more than 20 times a day. The other area of concern at Bangtail was in weightlifting above shoulders and was noted to have significant shortcomings at the workplace. One of the major tasks that were undertaken at Bangtail was in lifting bikes and hanging them with the back wheel. This was a risky task that demanded a lot of workforce due to its intensity. We found that an employee could lift and hang more than 20 bikes that were already too demanding due to their weight and the distance. The bikes weighed more than ten that was already beyond what WISHA Caution/Hazard Checklist categorizes as caution level. The employees would lift the bikes above their shoulders and hang them by the back wheel that significantly posed a risk to injuries. A case in point was where a bike fell off the hook and injured an employee leading to fracture of the left leg as well as a bruise on the forehead. The employees had insufficient protective gear mainly on the head that was a threat to their safety. Lifting and hanging the bikes was a very tedious task that proofed risky due to the weight and distance moved. Recommendations for improvement at Bangtail The report makes several recommendations that could be applied based on the findings of the report. One of the significant areas of shortcoming at Bangtail was in a number of hours the employees spent lifting the weight. There was greatly mismatch between the number of hours worked and the break intervals. Guided by the WISHA Caution/Hazard Checklist, the employees engaged in lifting boxes weighing 50 lbs. and more should work a maximum of one hour and get a one-hour break (Asadi et al., 2015). This should be observed at all times to ensure safety in the workplace. The number of hours per day spent in lifting more than 50 lbs. should be reduced from 6 to 4; this will significantly contribute to the employees’ productivity as it will cut fatigue by a considerable margin. There should be regular breaks between lifting and moving of boxes to ensure the employees get enough rest. Extensive precaution against injury for those lifting weight above their shoulders should also be laid down. This should be done by providing the employees with the right protective gear mainly on the head and legs. This will prevent injuries when heavy and metallic objects fall off. Another vital area of concern should be on the hands and wrist safety. The workers at Bangtail handle metallic material that may be rough and sharp, and this requires protection against injuries. The report recommends that the employees should be provided with hands and wrist gloves that will prevent wearing off of the skin during weight lifting. This should mainly be provided for those employees involved in lifting the bikes from the ceiling by the back wheel. Lastly, information is vital, and the workers should be reminded of the precaution and safety measures to take when at the workplace. For this reason, the report recommends that the employees should be well informed of the safety procedures to undertake while handling materials at the workplace. References Asadi, N., Choobineh, A., Keshavarzi, S., & Daneshmandi, H. (2015). A comparative assessment of manual load lifting using NIOSH equation and WISHA index methods in industrial workers of Shiraz City. Journal of health sciences and surveillance system, 3(1), 8-12. Kale, P. N., & Vyavahare, R. T. (2016). Ergonomic Analysis Tools: A Review. International Journal of Current Engineering International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, 6(4), 1271-80. bike type kids road/commuter mountain e-bike weight (lb) dimensions (in) qty per season height width depth shipped received 30 22 42 9 2 80 40 29 53 9 6 62 50 33 59 9 5 118 65 34 62 14 1 31 total: 14 291 all numbers based on peak bike season, May-Sept number of employees working per day only shop employees move bikes all built bikes are first stored downstairs 4 shop, 1 floor, 1 manager avg qty moved per day qty per season boxed bike built bike bikes hung built from box up stairs down stairs up stairs down stairs back wheel front wheel 72 7,2 8 1 1 0,5 0,5 56 5,6 6,2 13,6 13,6 6,8 6,8 106 10,6 11,8 19,6 19,6 9,8 9,8 28 2,8 3,1 2 2 1 1 262 26,2 29,1 27,2 27,2 13,6 13,6 Part 1: Ergonomic Analysis of Bangtail Bicycle Overview Bangtail bicycle is a well-established bike and cross-country ski shop in downtown Bozeman that sells and repairs many types of bicycles and skis. I am a bike mechanic and sales associate there so I know the everyday routines of the shop and during my time there, I have noticed many ergonomic issues that they address and a few that could be improved upon. Bangtail is a sort of two and a half story building with a main sales and maintenance floor, a basement showroom and storage, and a half story upstairs office area. New bikes are sold on the main floor, level with main street, and older or sale bikes are sold in the basement showroom where customers can walk down a staircase near the front of the store to look at them. All maintenance is done in the back of the main floor where mechanics can watch the floor and interact with customers while they are building or tuning bikes. All new bikes in boxes, new bikes that have been assembled, customer’s repair bikes, and demo bikes are stored in the basement storage area, connected to the basement showroom through a door and also to the upstairs maintenance area via a second employees only staircase in the back of the store. New bike shipments (often 10 or more at a time on pallets) are unloaded from a truck in the alley behind the shop. These boxed bikes are unloaded and carried inside to the main showroom where they are received, and then they are brought downstairs and stacked for storage. At least one bike in a box arrives almost every day, and a pallet of 10 or more bikes arrives once about every two weeks. Bangtail sells all types of bikes but they are the store in Bozeman where people come to demo and by electric bikes (e-bikes). They sell more e-bikes than any other store in Bozeman, so they have established themselves as the place to go for e-bikes. As a result, Bangtail stocks upwards of 20 e-bikes at one time and demos up to 6. E-bikes are relatively new to the mainstream bicycle market and major brands have only recently started manufacturing them. Because of this, many shops have not made specific ergonomic improvements to accommodate for their unique designs. A normal mountain bike can weigh 20 to 30 lbs, an older one can maybe reach 40 lbs, but e-bikes have batteries and motors, and they can reach up to 60 lbs. Moving bikes around just got a lot more difficult. Moving an assembled bike around is one thing, but moving a bike in a box is another. Packaging on a bike can add as much as 10 lbs to its weight, considering the amount of cardboard and packaging materials. Also, boxes are long and tall, creating awkward lifting situations. A typical mountain bike box is 4 ft long by 3 feet tall by 1 foot wide, and a typical e-bike box can be feet long, 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Bangtail has taken some measures to accommodate e-bikes like a bike stand that can move up and down so that a mechanic does not have to lift it to put it in the stand. They have not implemented a process to move e-bikes, assembled, and in boxes up and down the stairs, or on and off ceiling hooks. This project will ergonomically analyze the movement of assembled and boxed regular bikes and e-bikes up and down stairs and lifting these assembled bikes on to and off of ceiling hooks for storage. Moving assembled bikes An assembled bike is moved up or downstairs by an employee in many different circumstances: • • • • • A customer picks up a finished repair bike A customer drops off a bike to be fixed A customer picks up a special-order new bike A customer wants to test ride a bike from the downstairs showroom An employee returns a test ride bike to the downstairs showroom that a customer did not want • • • • • A customer wants to test ride a bike on the floor in a different size (stored in backstock in the basement) A customer wants to demo a bike for the day A customer returns a demo bike An employee replaces a sold bike on the main floor with another from backstock An employee is rearranging the main floor in preparation for a sale or season change This happens many times a day, estimated around 120, or 20 times per employee during the peak season. It is recommended by the supervisors that bikes are carried or carefully rolled downstairs as to avoid damage or scratches by bouncing them around. When heavy items, even with wheels, are moved slowly down an incline, the employee is combating the force of gravitational acceleration, and must strain him or herself to keep the bike from accelerating too fast down the stairs. Assembled bikes can, however, be held closer to the body with an extended arm while carried. They can also be rolled down the stairs and slowed using the brakes, but this method is more risky and requires more skill and knowledge of the brake modulation. The process is outlined in the following ergonomic checklists. • • • • • • • • • • • Job analysis: moving assembled bikes up and down stairs, high physical workload Organization: single operator, salf-paced, no supervision, natural work and rest periods, often older workers move them while a younger mechanic interacts with a customer. Workspace design: limited space, unnatural position needed to move bikes up and down stairs, floor and stairs are smooth, not helping for grip of the tires. Physical demands: all manual handling, up to heavy force, lifting, twisting, bending, posturing, static and dynamic work, naturally varying pace, cycle time over 30 sec, no job aids. Mental demands: none Human-machine interaction: none Work environment: stairs and smooth floor could be potentially hazardous. Workforce: supervisors are older, most employees are younger, all are physically active. Job stress: none Occupational background: N/A Safety: ask for help if you need it. WISHA Checklist • • Lifting objects weighing more than 55 lbs: 2-3 times per day Lifting objects at arm’s length weighing over 20 lbs: 5-15 times per day Moving boxed bikes A bike in a box is moved up or downstairs in many different circumstances: • • • • An employee moves a box downstairs for storage after it has been received An employee moves a box upstairs to assemble it A customer drops off a bike in a box to be assembled A customer picks up a bike that was boxed to ship or travel Even though a boxed bike is moved around less than an assembled bike, estimated 10-20 times per day per employee, it is more difficult and straining than moving an assembled bike. Bike boxes have six handles, one on each of the skinny ends for dragging and carrying with two people, and two on each of the wide sides for diagonal carrying by one person. On flat surfaces, bikes are dragged, but it is not recommended going up or down stairs. Going down stairs, the slippery surface of the wood stairs combined with the smooth cardboard of the bottom of the box encourages sliding and the employee has to combat the forces of gravitational acceleration. Even though the bike is packaged, it would not be good to drop it, and especially let it slide down the stairs. The diagonal carry is used the most where an employee holds on to two handles adjacent to each other on opposite sides of the box, one in front on the inside and one in back on the outside. This gives the employee the most control of the bike box, but also is the most strenuous. Bike boxes are not recommended to be dragged upstairs because the handle can rip out of the cardboard, just due to the gravitational force pulling the box back down the stairs. Usually, employees use the diagonal carry method to bring bikes upstairs. The following ergonomic checklists outline the process: • • • • • • • • • • • Job analysis: moving boxed bikes up and down stairs, high physical workload Organization: single operator, salf-paced, no supervision, natural work and rest periods, often older workers move them while a younger mechanic interacts with a customer. Workspace design: limited space, unnatural position needed to move bikes up and down stairs, floor and stairs are smooth, not helping for grip of the box. Physical demands: all manual handling, up to heavy force, lifting, twisting, bending, posturing, static and dynamic work, naturally varying pace, cycle time over 30 sec, no job aids. Mental demands: none Human-machine interaction: none Work environment: stairs and smooth floor could be potentially hazardous. Workforce: supervisors are older, most employees are younger, all are physically active. Job stress: none Occupational background: N/A Safety: ask for help if you need it. WISHA Checklist • • Lifting objects weighing more than 55 lbs: 2-3 times per day Lifting objects at arm’s length weighing over 20 lbs: 5-15 times per day Hanging bikes Many assembled bikes are stored on hooks attached to the ceiling in the basement. These include backstock, demos and customer repair bikes. A bike is either hooked or unhooked in the following situations: • • • • • • • A customer drops off a repair bike A customer picks up a completed repair bike An employee starts work on a repair bike An employee finishes work on a repair bike An employee starts or finishes work on a warranty bike A customer picks up a demo bike A customer returns a demo bike • • • • • A customer wants to test ride a floor bike in a different size (stored in backstock in basement) An employee returns a backstock bike that a customer did not buy An employee stores a newly assembled backstock bike An employee replaces a sold bike with a backstock bike An employee is rearranging in preparation for a sale or change of season Since the business space on main street is so limited, bikes must be hung from the ceiling alternating by their front and back wheel. In the peak season, it is estimated that there are a total of 80 hanging bikes, 30 customer’s repair bikes and 40 backstock bikes, and 10 demos in the basement storage area. These are moved around on a daily basis, about 10-20 times per employee per day. Hanging and removing a bike by its front wheel is much easier than by its rear wheel because the employee can use his or her knee to support the saddle of the bike while he or she pulls the bike off the hook using his or her hands. When hanging or removing a bike from its rear wheel, the seat tube us often grabbed and lifted while the employee’s other hand controls the handlebars until the bike is on the ground or in the hook. This is the most difficult process of the three because of the unnatural body positions. It is especially difficult when a 50 lb e-bike has to be hung by its rear wheel. Ergonomic checklists follow: • • • • • • • • • • • Job analysis: moving assembled bikes on to or off of hooks on the ceiling with the front or rear wheel Organization: single operator, salf-paced, no supervision, natural work and rest periods, often older workers move them while a younger mechanic interacts with a customer. Workspace design: limited space, unnatural position needed to hang or remove bikes, very cramped in the basement with bikes next to and behind employee, handlebars stick out and must be moved to make rom for another bike between them. Physical demands: all manual handling, up to heavy force, lifting, twisting, bending, posturing, static and dynamic work, naturally varying pace, cycle time over 30 sec, no job aids. Mental demands: none Human-machine interaction: none Work environment: Trying to lift heavy bikes, often by the rear wheel to hooks on the ceiling while moving other hanging bikes out of the way can be hazardous. Workforce: supervisors are older, most employees are younger, all are physically active. Job stress: none Occupational background: N/A Safety: ask for help if you need it. WISHA Checklist • • Lifting objects weighing more than 55 lbs: 2-3 times per day Lifting objects at shoulder length or above head weighing over 20 lbs: 5-15 times per day
Purchase answer to see full attachment