Ergonomics for Welders by Washington L&I

1. Ergonomics in Welding

2. What You Will Learn:
 How to identify Work-Related Musculoskeletal
Disorders (WMSD’s) in welding jobs
 Propose solutions for hazardous exposures
 Find further information about ergonomics in
welding operations

3. Common Hazards
Common hazards found in welding are:
Inhaling metals fumes
Eye exposure to welding arc light
Foreign objects in eyes
Burns
Noise

4. WMSD Hazards
Welding also includes musculoskeletal disorder
(WMSD) hazards such as:
Awkward body postures
Lifting heavy equipment or materials
Static postures for prolonged periods
Awkward postures of the wrist

5. By Nature of Injury
Sprains account for
more than 1/3 of the
compensable claims
among welders in the
State of Washington.
Some of those could
be caused by
hazardous WMSD
exposures.
WA State-funded compensable
claims 1994-2004
Welders, Cutters, Solderers

6. WA State-funded compensable
claims 1994-2004
Welders, Cutters, Solderers
By Body Part
The back, neck and
shoulder together with
the arm and hand
regions make up more
than one half of the
injuries among welders
in Washington State.
Preventive efforts
should therefore focus
on those body parts
among welders at your
workplace.
Welding is a strenuous occupation involving
work in awkward postures and handling
heavy equipment, usually with a high degree
of sustained stress to arm and shoulders.

7.  Absences due to injury or illness and
the transfer of welders to other tasks
 Overtime for replacement workers.
Welders are skilled employees
 High employee turnover
 Increased training and supervisory
time
 Reduced productivity and quality
Consequences of a poor
working environment

8.  Rigorous manual precision
requirements
– High degree of uniformity
 Awkward and static postures
– Difficult work position
 Heavy lifting, difficult material handling
– Heavy objects, heavy welding equipment
 Repetition
– High work intensity
OFTEN, MORE THAN 1 RISK FACTOR IS PRESENT
WMDS hazards most
common in welding

9. Duration (how long?)
Frequency (how often?)
Intensity (how hard?)
Hazard Elements

10. Working in
front
Working at
ground
level
Working
above the
shoulders
Working at
ground level,
precision work
Working at
ground level,
confined space
Working above
shoulders,
confined space
Common postures
adopted in welding

11. Torso twisting
Awkward postures in weldingSevere torso flexion
Kneeling, squatting
Bent wrists
Neck flexion/extension
Shoulder flexion/abduction (separation)
Awkward Postures

12. To simplify the welding tasks for the welder and
reduce the physical load during the work
Automate physically demanding or repetitive jobs
Expand the work content of welders (provide
flexibility between jobs)
– (Multi-skilled workers who are able to perform
different tasks within a group)
The goal of a healthy work
environment

13.  Often cost, ease of maintenance, space
considerations drive the design of the
workplace
 When hazards can’t be engineered out, using
best practices is a good alternative
 Examples of good design: providing
opportunities for work station adjustments,
providing different types of tools, using good
planning to eliminate unnecessary work
The Real World

14. Ergonomic Solutions for Welding

15. Heavy Lifting
Use:
• Manipulators
• Lighter weight
welding equipment
• Lighter weight cables
with low stiffness
• Cable supporting
balancers
• Overhead hoists
• Lifting and turning
tables

16. Awkward Postures
• Position work between
waist and shoulder
when possible
• Provide lifting tables
• Use motorized
positioning devices
• Use welding guns with
swivels and designed
for use in both hands
• Try work stools

17. Team Lifting
Team lifting helps
reduce heavy,
awkward lifting of
equipment and
materials.
AFTER
From: SIMA San Diego Ergonomics Program
BEFORE

18. Tables
This picture shows
the worker with
considerable bending
over at the waist
AFTER
From: Shipyard Ergonomics, 2003
BEFORE
Because the work is
on a table, the
worker doesn’t have
to bend over as far

19. Pre-Assembly
Pre-assembly and
material handling
equipment helps reduce
unnecessary lifting or
any other kind of
manual material
handling

20. Ergonomic improvements
This rotational clamp
for pipe helps reduce
awkward postures for
the neck, shoulders
and arms.

21. Ergonomic improvements
Use wheeled tables for
welding work and to
transport stock and
jobs.
This reduces lifting
and carrying of heavy
materials.

22. Ergonomic improvements
Welding leads on
pulleys help reduce
heavy and awkward
lifting, and minimize
static postures.

23. Ergonomic improvements
Robotic automation is a
feasible solution to
highly repetitive motion
with the arms and
hands. May also reduce
the exposure to fumes.

24. Not implementing
some or all these
ergonomics guidelines
may result in the
following…
Not implementing
some or all these
ergonomics guidelines
may result in the
following…
Possible Consequences

25. •Occur when the physical
demands of work cause
wear and tear on the body.
•Involve soft tissues such
as muscles, tendons,
ligaments, joints, nerves,
blood vessels.
They are cumulative (occur over
time and not a result of a single incident):
Work-related musculoskeletal
disorders

26. Work-related
musculoskeletal disorders
•Broken bones
•Cuts
•Slips
•Falls
•Trips
•Motor vehicle accidents
•Being struck by or
caught with objects
They are not acute injuries such as:

27.  Back injuries
 Shoulder pain/loss of range of motion
 Tendinitis/Bursitis
 Reduced muscle strength
 Carpal tunnel syndrome
 White finger
 Knee joint diseases
 Back injuries
 Shoulder pain/loss of range of motion
 Tendinitis/Bursitis
 Reduced muscle strength
 Carpal tunnel syndrome
 White finger
 Knee joint diseases
Common disorders among
welders

28. The Ergonomics Cycle
The ergonomics cycle
shows an organized
way to start your
ergonomics effort.
Employee
Involvement
Evaluate
progress
Management
Support
Problem
Identification
Solution
Implementation
Address
Injuries
Training

29. SHARPSafety & Health Assessment &
Research for Prevention
Credits
The technical contents of this
slideshow are based upon the
presentation developed by
Ninica Howard, MS, CPE,
research ergonomist with the
SHARP program at the
Washington state Dept. of Labor
and Industries.

30. More resources
NIOSH’s Ergonomic Interventions in the Building, Repair, and Dismantling of
Ships
SHARP Program
Easy Ergonomics. A practical approach for improving the workplace OR OSHA & CAL
OSHA Services. www.cbs.state.or.us/osha/pdf/pubs/3347.pdf
On WMSD hazardous exposures visit the DOSH webpage at:
www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Topics/Ergonomics
Example Template of an accident prevention program :
www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Basics/Programs/Accident
Ideas to reduce hazardous exposures can be found at the Ergonomics Ideas Bank
You may also write us at:
ergonomics@LNI.WA.GOV

31. Thank you

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