Airport Workplace Ergonomics Awareness Training Program · under very small forces. l4 Posture:...

AirportWorkplace

ErgonomicsAwareness

TrainingProgram

AirportWorkplace

ErgonomicsAwareness

TrainingProgram

COMMUNICATIONSWORKERSOF AMERICA

Airport Workplace Ergonomics Awareness

Training Program

Communications Workers of America

This manual was prepared under grantnumber 46C1-HT08 from the OccupationalSafety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Within the manual,grant-developed materials are noted. Pointsof view or opinions stated in this documentdo not necessarily reflect the views of theU.S. Department of Labor, nor does men-tion of trade names, commercial products,or organizations imply endorsement by theUnited States Government.

CWA Safety and Health Department 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Training Program

CHAPTER 1Airport Workplace Ergonomics Awareness Training Program.....................................................1

CHAPTER 2Human Anatomy and Physiology ....................................................................................................3

CHAPTER 3Airport Workplace Vision Problems: An Introduction ..................................................................9

Fact Sheet: Lighting .......................................................................................................................10Fact Sheet: Glare .............................................................................................................................11Fact Sheet: Computer Monitor .....................................................................................................12Corrective Action Checklist: Visual Problems ...........................................................................13Job Hazard Analysis—Airport Workplace Visual Problems ...................................................15Take Home Questions: Vision and Visual Health Problems with Explanation ....................16

CHAPTER 4Airport Workplace Musculoskeletal Health Problems: An Introduction.................................19

Corrective Actions: Musculoskeletal Health Problems ............................................................21Fact Sheet: Keyboard/Mouse Design .........................................................................................29Fact Sheet: Chair/Stool .................................................................................................................30Fact Sheet: Workstation .................................................................................................................32Computer and Workstation Design Variables ...........................................................................34Job Hazard Analysis—Airport Workplace Musculoskeletal Health Problems.....................35Take Home Questions: Musculoskeletal Health Problems with Explanation .....................37

CHAPTER 5Occupational Stress and the Airport Workplace ...........................................................................43

APPENDICES1-Day Airport Workplace Ergonomics Training Evaluation ..........................................................47

i

Grant-Developed Materials

The following materials contained in the Awareness Program were developed under theCWA OSHA Grant:

1. CWA Airport Workplace Ergonomics Awareness Program

2 . Human Anatomy and Physiology

3 . Common Cumulative Trauma Disord e r s

4 . C WAAirport Workplace Ergonomics Tr a i n i n gFact Sheet: Airport Workplace Vision Problems: An IntroductionFact Sheet: LightingFact Sheet: GlareFact Sheet: Computer Monitor

5 . C o r rective Action Checklist: Visual Pro b l e m s

6 . Job Hazard Analysis—Airport Workplace Visual Pro b l e m s

7. CWA Airport Workplace Ergonomics Training—Take Home Questions on Vision and Visual Health Problems with Explanation

8. CWA Airport Workplace Ergonomics Training—Airport Musculoskeletal Health Problems: An Introduction

9 . C o r rective Actions: Musculoskeletal Health Pro b l e m s

10. CWA Airport Workplace Ergonomics Training—Fact Sheet: Keyboard/Mouse DesignFact Sheet: Chair/StoolFact Sheet: Workstation

11. Job Hazard Analysis—Airport Workplace Musculoskeletal Health Problems

12. CWA Airport Workplace Ergonomics Training—Take Home Questions on Musculoskeletal Health Problems with Explanation

13. Occupational Stress & the Airport Workplace

14. 1-Day Airport Workplace Ergonomics Training Evaluation

AIRPORT WORKPLACE ERGONOMICS AWARENESS PROGRAM

ii

CHAPTER ONE


Training Program

1 • CWA

Changing technology and work org a n i-zation have affected CWA m e m b e r s

g re a t l y. In some instances, these workchanges have improved member workingconditions, but in others, they have createdseveral occupational safety and health haz-a rds. One product of new technology—thecomputer—has, in part, resulted in in-creased worker productivity and efficiency,but often with a corresponding develop-ment of occupational safety and healthproblems.

CWA and its members have been in thef o re f ront of experiencing and investigatingthe increased implementation and use ofcomputers. Since the latter 1970s, the num-ber of members utilizing computers to per-form their jobs has increased from a fewthousand to more than 450,000. During thattime, the Union’s Occupational Safety andHealth Department has been actively in-volved in developing computer workplaceeducational materials, conducting trainingsessions, drafting collective bargaining lan-guage, and conducting and sponsoring sur-veys and scientific research.

The experience of CWA, supported byscientific re s e a rch such as that conductedamong the Union’s airlines members byCWA’s Occupational Safety and Health De-partment and the Department of IndustrialEngineering, University of Wisconsin, has

demonstrated that there are specific healthsymptoms and illnesses associated with theuse of computers. These may be catego-rized as visual, musculoskeletal, and stress.

In addition, the Union’s OccupationalSafety and Health Department has investi-gated ergonomic issues within re p re s e n t e dairline, manufacturing, telecommunicationscraft, printing and publishing, media andbroadcasting, health care, and public sectorwork locations. In each of these investiga-tions, the Department has established linksbetween inadequate ergonomics or poorlydesigned working conditions and the oc-currence of member musculoskeletal symp-toms, injuries, and illnesses. Several ofthese activities have also established re l a-tionships with the occurrence of both mus-culoskeletal and stress health problems.

What Is Ergonomics?E rgonomics is the relationship betweenhuman beings and the work process ande n v i ronment. Simply put, erg o n o m i c smeans fitting the workplace to the physical,psychological, and psychosocial character-istics of workers rather than having em-ployees adapt to meet the design of work-place tools, equipment, and tasks.Ergonomics is a systematic approach to cre-ating tools and equipment, work enviro n-


ments, and work organizations that aresafe, comfortable, and productive. Failureto develop, introduce, and adhere to er-gonomics principles often results in work-ers suffering cumulative trauma or re p e t i-tive motion musculoskeletal healthsymptoms and disorders.

The CWA Airport Workplace Ergonom-ics Aw a reness Training Program has beendeveloped to assist the Union’s leaders andmembers in the:

n Identification and resolution of airportworkplace ergonomic factors as well asrelated health hazards and memberhealth problems, and

n Prevention of member airport workplacecumulative trauma or repetitive motionmusculoskeletal health symptoms anddisorders.

Identifying health hazards and pro b-lems is the first step towards resolving air-port workplace ergonomic problems. A i r-port workplace ergonomic health hazard smay be categorized as:n Visual,n Musculoskeletal, andn Stress.

By reviewing the “2001 CWA US A i r-ways Airport Workplace Ergonomics Sur-v e y,” we will be able to identify thesehealth hazards, related airport workplacee rgonomic risk factors, and put forwardc o r rective measures that may be taken toeliminate/minimize the occurrence ofmember musculoskeletal or repetitive mo-tion illnesses and injuries. In addition, wewill focus upon work organization factorsand related occupational stress healthp roblems. This process will review datacollected from members in five job classifi-cations:

n Club Agents

n Lost Baggage Agents

n Passenger Gate Agents

n Special Assistance Representatives

n Ticket Counter Agents

After this we will discuss what is theworkers’ and Union’s role in the identifica-tion, resolution, and prevention of airportworkplace cumulative trauma or re p e t i t i v emotion health symptoms and illnesses.

2 • CWA

CHAPTER TWO

Human Anatomy and Physiology

3 • CWA

In this chapter we’ll review parts of themusculoskeletal system of the body and

how they relate to ergonomics. Even a basicunderstanding of this system will help youunderstand the causes, signs and symp-toms, and risk factors associated with thedevelopment of a number of importantrepetitive motion illnesses. We’ll concen-trate our review on the upper part of thehuman body (also referred to as the uppere x t remities) which includes the vertebralcolumn (the spine), the neck and shoulders,the arms, and the hands. These body seg-ments were selected since they are wheremost of the work-related disorders and in-juries associated with poor ergonomics arelikely to show up.

The Musculoskeletal SystemThe skeletal system (see figure on page 4)p rovides support and stability for the body,p rotects the organs of the body, allowsmovement and provides leverage for theb o d y, and produces blood cells and store scalcium. The skeletal muscles are re s p o n s i-ble for the body’s movement and posture .

Muscular Activity: Dynamic andStatic WorkAll work can be broken down into dynamicor static work; all jobs have both static and

dynamic work elements. Static work in-volves holding a fixed posture for a lengthyperiod of time, like sitting or standing still.Static work can eventually lead to inflamedtendons or joints, lower back pain, as wellas tendinitis, arthritis, and other muscu-loskeletal disorders.

Dynamic work involves body move-ment, holding and releasing tools, or mate-rial handling. Dynamic work may be linkedto a variety of cumulative trauma disordersif it involves forceful, awkward, and repeti-tive movements without proper rest be-tween them.

Cumulative Trauma DisordersCumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) goby a variety of diff e rent names, such asrepetitive strain illnesses (RSIs) or repetitivemotion illnesses (RMIs). Whatever term weuse, CTDs are injuries associated with thegradual and repeated exposure to work-place risk factors that affect parts of themusculoskeletal, card i o v a s c u l a r, and/ornervous systems. What makes CTDs differ-ent from other illnesses and injuries, suchas lacerations, bruises, and broken bones, isthat CTDs don’t usually occur after a singlee x p o s u re (trauma) to a risk factor like anunguarded saw blade, a slippery floor, or aflying object. CTDs develop after exposure


4 • CWA

Skeletal System

CraniumFacial bone

MaxillaMandible

Cervical vertebrae

SKULL

PECTORALGIRDLE

ClavicleScapula

HumerusRib

SternumCostal cartilage

Thoracic vertebrae

Lumbar vertebraeRadiusUlna

Sacrum

IliumPubic arch

IschiumPELVICGIRDLE

FemurPatella

FibulaTibia

Phalanges or digits

Tarsals

Metatarsals

Carpals

MetacarpalsPhalangesor digits

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

to repeated traumas. Unfortunately for work-ers, there is no way to say exactly how longor how much exposure is re q u i red beforethese CTDs occur. The symptoms developgradually over time spans that may varyfrom weeks to years.

The more common CTDs are strains,tendinitis, synovitis, tenosynovitis, bursitis,ganglionic cysts, or carpal tunnel syn-d rome. Details on each type of CTD andtheir causes are provided in this chapter.

Risk factors that are directly related tothe development of work-related CTDs include:

l4 Repetition: Short work cycles and a highnumber of repetitions lead to incre a s e dmuscular demand which can signifi-cantly increase the risk of a CTD, evenunder very small forces.

l4 Posture: Fixed or constrained posture sa re considered an important factor con-tributing to the development of CTDs.Jobs which re q u i re repeated stre t c h i n g ,reaching, extreme flexion of the elbow,reaching down and behind the body, ande x t reme rotation of the lower arm arealso related to CTDs. These types of pos-t u res and movements are frequently re-q u i red in many jobs in airport work lo-cations.

l4 Force: F o rce is another important riskf a c t o r. Job tasks requiring considerablef o rce and static work (prolonged grip-ping of a hand or power tool) re q u i relonger and more frequent rest periods torecover from muscle fatigue. Insufficientrecovery time may lead to repetitive mo-tion illness.

l4 Contact stressors: Resting forearms orwrists on edges of work surfaces, tables,or equipment can cause stress for ten-dons and nerves.

l4 Work organization/job design: Work or-ganization/job design risk factors arealso important. Risk factors includingwork pace, workload, job security, andlack of control over work can contributeto the development of repetitive motionhealth symptoms and disorders. Healthsymptoms and disorders such as anx-iousness, irritability, high blood pre s-s u re, ulcers, and headaches can becaused by poor work org a n i z a t i o n / j o bdesign.

T h e re are also a number of non-workrelated risk factors, such as congenital (in-herited) conditions, pre g n a n c y, obesity,medication, diseases, overall fitness levels,and others.

Having reviewed the primary risk fac-tors associated with the development of cu-mulative trauma disorders, let’s now lookat key parts of the musculoskeletal systemand the types of CTDs associated withthem.

Back ProblemsBack disorders may result from several dif-f e rent sources, including congenital condi-tions, accidents, disease, and work-re l a t e dactivities. Overexertion of the vertebral col-umn may lead to strains and sprains. But re-peated traumas to the vertebral column maycause damage to the intervertebral disks,and in more extreme cases, damage to thevertebrae themselves.

While many cases of low back pain willresolve themselves on their own, a consid-erable number of cases will not fully healand cause long-term discomfort, pain, andinability to carry on many work activities.There is no quick fix or even total cure formost back problems. To identify motionsand/or tasks that can cause back problems,e rgonomic job analysis should be con-

CWA • 5


ducted. Ergonomic job analysis and work-station redesign are techniques for evaluat-ing the sitting, reaching, stretching, lifting,pushing, pulling, and carrying done byworkers.

W h e re possible, pushing, re a c h i n g ,s t retching, and pulling should be mini-mized. Sitting for lengthy periods of timein static, constrained postures should beminimized. Also, lifting should be mini-mized as much as possible, particularly lift-ing that involves twisting at the same time.I d e a l l y, lifting should be done between theknuckles (when they are resting in a neu-tral position at the side of the torso) andthe shoulders.

A Pain in the NeckThe neck is frequently involved in work-related discomfort and pain. Pro l o n g e dbending of the muscles of the neck is proba-bly the most common cause of discomfort.In addition, psychological stress, whichusually increases the muscular tensionthroughout the body, is particularly criticalto the muscles of the neck.

Shoulder ProblemsWo r k - related shoulder disorders are oftenassociated with job tasks that re q u i restretching, reaching, and where the elbow iskept in an elevated position. If your job re-quires you to keep your hands above yourshoulder for significant periods day in andday out, you might develop a conditionknown as “frozen shoulder.”

Repeated motion of the arm away fromthe body can lead to a common shoulderd i s o rder known as rotator cuff tendinitis.Baseball pitchers are prone to this condi-tion, which is characterized by a persistentand dull pain in the shoulder region anddiscomfort in the arms.

Cumulative trauma disorders of the

hands and arms can be broken down intod i s o rders of the tendons, nerves, and neu-rovascular (nerves and blood vessels) system.

l4 Tendon disorders: Tendinitis is a form oftendon inflammation resulting from fre-quent tensioning or overuse. The onlyway to prevent this inflammation is toprovide time for rest and recovery

l4 Nerve disorders: Nerve disorders are as-sociated with repeated exposure to con-tact stressors, such as sharp edges oftools or work surfaces, or even of otheradjacent bones, ligaments, or tendons.Perhaps the best known CTD nerve dis-o rder is carpal tunnel syndrome. C a r p a ltunnel syndrome victims may experi-ence great pain and may be unable tograsp objects. Many of these symptomswill first occur away from work, often inbed.

l4 Neurovascular disorders: One of themost common neurovascular disord e r sis cervical brachial syndrome. Compressionof blood vessels results from activitiesthat pull the shoulders back and downand work that re q u i res constant over-head motions. This condition pro d u c e snumbness in the fingers and a weaken-ing of the pulse.

Diagnosis and Treatment of CTDsAs with most illnesses, early detectiong reatly improves the chances of successfultreatment. The first line of defense in earlydetection is knowing the code, which inthis case means the warning signs.

The following are warning signs forcarpal tunnel syndrome:n Do your hands or arms tingle or “burn”?n Do your hands feel numb?n Do you feel the need to massage your

hands, neck, or arm to try to work out the

6 • CWA

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

tightness and pain?n A re you awakened at night with pain in

your hands?

If you answered “Yes” to any of theabove questions, you should seek medicaladvice. The table on page 8 contains warn-ing signs for other CTDs. You are really thefirst line of defense, because only you cantell if any of these signs are showing up. Ifthey are, you need to consult a doctor.

The treatment of CTDs will vary by in-

dividual; the process may be lengthy, and itmay re q u i re restrictions in your work andnon-work activities. It may also involvesome modification in your work station,tools, or work methods. Generally, thet reatment strategy utilizes a conservativea p p roach, which may rely on one or moreof four treatments: (1) motion restriction o fthe affected limb using braces or splints; ( 2 ) application of heat or cold to relieve painand help the recovery process; (3) use ofanti-inflammatory medicine and pain-killers;and (4) specific physical exercises, massage,and stre t c h i n g.

CWA • 7

D a t a - e n t ry workers, jour-nalists, cashiers, butchers,musicians, bricklayers,meat packers, assemblyline workers, telecommuni-cations workers, a i r l i n e sa i r p o rt and re s e rv a t i o n scenter workers.

Assembly-line workers,meat packers, electricians,plumbers, airlines airportand re s e rvations centerw o r k e r s .

Construction workers,painters, letter carriers,auto mechanics workingunderneath cars, a i r l i n e sa i r p o rt and re s e rv a t i o n scenter workers.

Typists, packers, small-partassemblers, conveyor-belt offbearers, airlines airportand re s e rvations centerw o r k e r s .

Riveters, surgeons, lumberworkers, heavy manufac-turing assemblers, a i r l i n e sa i r p o rt and re s e rv a t i o n scenter workers.

Frequent travelers whocarry their own bags, over-head assembly workers,auto mechanics, finishers,data entry workers, a i r l i n e sa i r p o rt and re s e rv a t i o n scenter workers.

Riveters, surgeons, lumberworkers, heavy manufac-turing assemblers, a i r l i n e sa i r p o rt and re s e rv a t i o n scenter workers.


8 • CWA

Carpal tunnel syndrome: Feelslike tingling in the fingertips, oftenfollowed by numbness and pain inthe hands; can include vise-likepressure on wrists; pressure cansend shocks of pain throughoutthe forearm and upper arm.

Tendonitis of the wrist: Feels likepain in the wrist, especially on theouter edges of the hand rather thanthrough the center of the hand.

Tendonitis of the shoulder or rota-tor cuff syndrome: Feels like dull,persistent ache in the shoulder region; sometimes can be pain inthe arms.

Neck-tension syndrome: Feelslike dull pain in neck and uppershoulders; can include moderate tosevere stiffness.

De Quervain’s syndrome: Feelslike pain especially on the side ofthe wrist and the base of thethumb.

Thoracic outlet syndrome: Feelslike carpal tunnel syndrome (seeabove) and it is sometimes mis-taken for it. It involves the shoul-der and upper arm instead of thewrist.

Tenosynovitis: Feels like dull persistent pain in the hands andshoulders.

Repetitive motion of the wrist, espe-cially fully extending the hand towardthe forearm (flexion) or away from the forearm (extension); repeatedlybending the wrist to either side; pinch-gripping a tool or device.

Forceful bending of the wrist forwardor backward; forceful bending of thewrist away from the outer arm (so thatthe thumb points upward).

Working with the elbows elevated withhand above the shoulder; regularlycarrying loads on the shoulder; throw-ing objects.

Maintaining the same posture for longperiods of time; carrying loads, eitheron the shoulder or in the hand.

Repeated wrist motions; forcefully extending the hand backward or to theside, or rapidly rotating the hand.

Working for long periods in a posturethat restricts upper body movement;continuously reaching overhead; carry-ing loads in the hand or “lugging”loads around using a shoulder strap.

Repeated wrist motions; forcefully extending the hand backward or to the side or rapidly rotating the hand.

COMMON CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDERS

What Is It? How’s It Caused? Who Gets It?

Visual health problems of workers in anairport workplace include:

n visual fatigue,n headaches,n eyestrain, andn sore eyes.

Visual fatigue is caused by the eyesbeing overused without a break from view-ing or by environmental conditions such asg l a re from the viewing surfaces that causethe eyes to focus too hard. Overuse in read-ing can produce temporary “myopia” ornearsightedness.

H e a d a c h e s can occur from constantviewing without a break. Sore eyes and eye-strain are symptoms of overusing the eyesand exposure to reflections and glare.

T h e re is no evidence that these visualhealth problems are permanent. The Na-tional Academy of Sciences has describedthese visual health problems as “discom-fort.” Fortunately, these visual health prob-lems are usually temporary. Often they dis-

appear after you leave work and have achance to rest. However, the temporaryhealth effects associated with visual dis-comfort may have a negative effect on pro-ductivity (e.g., increased absenteeism aswell as decreased levels of productivity andquality of work). Visual health problems arem o re likely to occur in office jobs than inmost other kinds of work, except industrialquality inspectors.

Risk Factorsn illumination (too much light or too little

light),n g l a re from windows, computer scre e n s ,

and other shiny surfaces,n the computer monitor (screen flickering

and jitter, difficult to read screen charac-ters, and poor contrast between thescreen characters and background), and

n working too long without a break.

Each of these risk factors will be cov-ered in more detail in several fact sheets.

9 • CWA

CHAPTER THREE

Airport Workplace Vision Problems:An Introduction

10 • CWA


FACT SHEET

Lighting

Lighting or illumination has three keyp roperties that we are concerned with

in airport work locations: illumination, lu-minance, and reflectance. They mightsound alike, and indeed they are re l a t e d ,but they are also different.

Illumination is the amount of light thatfalls on a given surface.

Luminance or brightness is the amountof light reflected from a given surface area.

Reflectance is the ratio of luminance toillumination for a given surface area.

Airport workplaces should be de-signed or remodeled with non-gloss,matte, or earth tone finishes on ceilings,walls, and floor coverings. For example,dark green or brown colors are pre f e r re dover light gre e n .

How Much Illumination Do I Need? A 2001 survey of CWA members working atairport work locations found that 52% ofparticipating workers reported the work-place lighting or illumination in their worka rea seemed too bright or caused glare ,

making screen characters difficult to re a d .The illumination re q u i red for a task is de-termined by the visual requirements of thetask and the visual capabilities of the con-cerned employees. The illumination inworkplaces in which only computer moni-tors are used should be lower than in work-places in which hard copy is used. For ex-ample, you probably want less light whenyou want to watch TV and more light wheny o u ’ re trying to read a book or a newspa-per. Thus, lower levels of illumination willp rovide better computer (as well as TV)s c reen image quality and reduce scre e nglare.

The lighting level in your work are ashould also be set up according to the vi-sual demands of the tasks performed. Con-flicts can arise when different employees inthe same office who have differing job taskrequirements or differing visual capabilitiesperform both computer and hard copywork. As a compromise, room lighting canbe set at lower or intermediate levels andadditional task lighting can be provided ateach workstation as needed. Such addi-tional lighting must be carefully shieldedand properly placed to avoid glare and re-flections on the computer screens and adja-cent working surfaces. Given the above fac-tors, workplace illumination levels shouldrange from 300-700 lux. The level of work-place illumination can be determined ormeasured by using a light meter.

CWA • 11

VISION PROBLEMS

FACT SHEET

Glare

Excessive luminance (brightness) mayproduce glare. Glare from light sources

(bulbs, luminaires, lighting bays, and out-door sources, e.g. sunlight) is called d i re c tg l a re, while glare reflected from surfaces istermed reflected glare. Direct glare can be re-duced by shielding the light sources withshades, curtains, baffles, or louvers, or bythe use of recessed or indirect lighting.Going back to our television example, inour TV room we wouldn’t want to turn onlamps without the glare protection pro-vided by lampshades; there f o re, we uselampshades to cover or shield bare lightbulbs that, in turn, protect the eyes from thedirect glare caused from the bare light bulband, at the same time, provide adequate il-lumination.

As for reflected glare, the eyes will adaptto and function more effectively when theluminance in the work environment doesnot vary too much from task to task. Thegreater the difference in luminance betweenyour screen, work surface, and hard copy,the more frequently and significantly youreyes have to adjust. This of course can leadto visual fatigue.

The general rule for controlling re-flected glare is to use floor, ceiling, wall,and window coverings that absorb reflected

g l a re. Ceilings should be designed to ab-sorb illumination. In addition, the re-flectance of walls should be between 40-60p e rcent, and work surfaces should fall inthe range of 25-45 percent. Floors should re-flect the least amount of light.

F i n a l l y, the computer screen may alsoreflect glare and other bright objects, which,in turn, reduces your ability to read thes c reen characters and can often lead to per-formance errors. While it is pre f e r red to con-t rol the problem at the source, i.e., by shield-ing windows and overhead lighting, manytimes screen reflections and glare can be re-duced by installing a glare - reduction filter.*

n Direct Glare: G l a re from light sourc e s(bulbs, luminaires, lighting bays, and out-door light sources, e.g., sunlight).

n Methods to Reduce Direct Glare: S h a d e s ,curtains, luminaire covers, or recessed ori n d i rect lighting.

n Reflected Glare: G l a re from surfaces in-cluding the computer monitor and thework surface. The greater the diff e re n c ein luminance between the computers c reen, work surface, and hard copy, them o re frequently and significantly youreyes have to adjust. This, of course, canlead to visual fatigue.

n Methods to Reduce Reflected Glare: Useof floor, ceiling, wall, and window cover-ings that absorb reflected glare as well asan anti-glare filter for the computer moni-tor.

— — — — — — — — -* There are drawbacks to some filters. You may have to try several diff e rent glare filters to find the right balance be-tween glare reduction and character visibility.

12 • CWA


FACT SHEET

ComputerMonitor

Data from the “2001 CWA US A i r w a y sAirport Workplace Ergonomics Sur-

vey” indicated that 69% of respondents re-ported that they were not provided with acomputer monitor that allowed them to ad-just the screen angle, compared to a 1998C WA telecommunications industry studythat found 11% of directory assistance oper-ators reported not being provided with an-gularly-adjustable monitors.

Angular adjustability of the computermonitor provides an easy method for re-ducing screen glare. Reorientation of themonitor screen around its vertical and hori-zontal axis can help reposition the screen toreduce screen reflections and glare. Reflec-tions can be reduced by simply tilting thedisplay slightly back or down, or, depend-ing upon the angle of the glare source, tothe left or right. Screen reflections dependnot only upon screen tilt, but also upon theoperator’s viewing angle of the screen. Typ-i c a l l y, visual angles should be within therange of 10-20 degrees downward.

Due to the design of passenger gateand ticket counter workstations, workersemployed as Passenger Gate and Ti c k e tCounter Agents have little ability to makenecessary angular adjustment of the com-puter monitor.

As with the risk factors associated withcomputer use and visual problems, the

c o r rective actions are also interre l a t e d — i fyou attempt to minimize or eliminate onerisk factor, you often wind up reducing theother risk factors.

Let’s start by dividing the problem intot h ree separate parts. Let’s begin with thes o u rce of the problem, followed by thepathway the source travels towards the re-ceiver, and the receiver, i.e., the worker.

We can then think about the pro b l e m sof lighting, glare, and reflection in terms ofthe source—where the light comes from; thepathway—how it bounces off the floor, ceil-ings, walls, or work surfaces; and how it isreceived by the worker where it can, if sig-nificant exposure occurs, lead to the visualhealth problems of fatigue, headaches, eye-strain, and eye soreness.

C o n t rolling lighting problems at thes o u rce is pre f e r red because it usually con-t rols or eliminates the risk factors or er-gonomics problem(s) for all or most of thea ffected workers. The next most pre f e r re dapproach is achieved by controlling or elim-

CWA • 13

inating the ergonomics problem(s) alongthe pathway, and, finally, the least preferredapproach is to control the problem at the re-ceiver.

Let’s begin by reviewing how it is possi-ble to control lighting at the source.

1. Control lighting problems at thesource:

n Control light from windows: R e g u-late the amount of light in the worka rea by partially or totally closing oropening drapes, shades, and/orblinds over windows, especially dur-ing sunny conditions.

n Control light from the luminaires(lighting fixtures): If there are no win-dows, or if windows are not thes o u rce of reflected light (glare), youshould look to the overhead lumi-n a i res (lighting bays) as the glaresource.

l4 Place the computer screen parallel towindows and luminaires.

l4 Place computer screens between lumi-naires, not underneath them.

l4 Use screen hoods to block excess lightfrom overhead lighting sources.

l4 If possible, try re c e s s i n g light fixture s .I n d i rect lighting is a form of this.

l4 Use light focusing d i f f u s e r s . They di-rect most of the light directly down-wards, rather than bouncing it off thewalls and floors.

Source

Receiver

Pathway

VISION PROBLEMS

CORRECTIVE ACTION CHECKLIST

Visual Problems

14 • CWA


2. Control glare along the pathway(floors, walls, and work sur-faces):n Reduce the amount of light reflected

from floors, walls, windows, andwork surfaces. G e n e r a l l y, this meansthat glare - reducing and light-absorb-ing colors and finishes should be used.N o n - g l a re matte and earth tone fin-ishes are pre f e r red; whereas, highgloss or semi-gloss finishes are notrecommended.

l4 The amount of light reflected fro mthe floor should not exceed 30%.

l4 The amount of light reflected fro mthe walls should not exceed 40-60%.

l4 The amount of light reflected bywork surfaces should not exceed 25-45%.

The above items are important consid-erations when remodeling the workplaceand when selecting or designing new officeequipment or work areas.

3. Control visual problems at thereceiver:l4 Add an anti-glare filter on the com-

puter screen.

l4 Tilt the screen up or down (verticaladjustment) or right or left (horizon-tal adjustment) to minimize glare.

l4 Add more frequent (micro-) breaks.

CWA • 15

VISION PROBLEMS

JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS—AIRPORT WORKPLACE

Visual Problems

Visual fatigue

Headaches

Sore, strained eyes

Glare and reflections,(overuse: your eyeshave to “work toohard”).

Excessive lighting.

Inadequate/infrequentrest breaks.

Constant viewing with close attention to detail.

Inadequate/infrequentrest breaks.

Glare, reflections frommonitor, monitorswith characters thatare difficult to read.

Reduce glare and reflections by reducing outsidelight, controlling overhead lighting, installing light-absorbing floor, wall, window, and work surface coat-ings, and installing anti-glare filters or changing angleof monitors;

Conduct lighting survey, reduce excess light, increaseuse of task lighting if necessary;

More frequent “micro”-breaks.

Regularly check quality of characters on-screen; adjust and maintain computer as needed;

Take more frequent “micro”-breaks;

Use document holders.

Regularly check quality of characters on-screen; adjust and maintain computer as needed;

Use anti-glare filters or change angle of viewing monitor;

Glare control (see above).

Problem/Hazard Risk Factor Corrective Action (see “Checklist”)

16 • CWA


TAKE HOME QUESTIONS

Vision and Visual HealthProblems with Explanation

1. Manufacturer and model number (of your computer monitor).What we are looking for is the manufacturer of the computer monitor. If you use morethan one monitor (because you work at different workstations) try to find the name ofthe manufacturer for the monitor you most often use.

The manufacturer’s name and model number will be on a plate installed on the backof the monitor, so you will have to turn the monitor around or go behind the monitor.You will also find the manufacturer’s name and model number here. If you cannot findthe model number, just write down the manufacture r’s name (However, do not writedown the serial number).

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Is an anti-glare filter installed on the screen?Anti-glare filters are usually pretty easy to spot. They are usu-

ally attached by Ve l c ro, tape, or plastic mounting devices to theoutside plastic frame of the computer screen. They can be plastic,Polaroid® glass, or wire mesh. If this applies to your screen, check“Yes”; if not, check “No.”

3. If an anti-glare filter is used, are the screen charactersclearly defined?If you answered “Yes” to “2,” then answer the question. If any ofthe screen characters are blurred or difficult to read when the filteris on, please indicate “No”; if they are all clearly defined and easyto read, then check “Yes.”

The purpose of this questionnaire is tohelp you become more aware of airport

working conditions. We appreciate yourhelp in completing this survey and gettinganother co-worker to complete it as well.

We’d now like to go over the lighting

questions in this “take home” survey soyou’ll understand what we are asking forand why.

Each of the questions is in bold-facetype; the explanation of each question fol-lows.

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

CWA • 17

VISION PROBLEMS

4. If an anti-glare filter is not used, are there any unusualor hard-to-read screen characters?If you answered “No” to “2,” are there any screen characters thatare distorted or hard to read? If not, then check “No”; if there are,then check “Yes.”

5. Is the screen brightness adjustable?Somewhere on the front, left, or right side of the monitor should bea control that adjusts the brightness of the screen characters. If youcannot find one, check “No.” If you can find one, turn it clockwiseand counter-clockwise. Does it make the characters brighter ordarker? If it doesn’t, check “No”; if it does, check “Yes.”

6. Is the screen contrast adjustable?You should also be able to locate a c o n t r a s t knob which, whenturned clockwise or counter-clockwise, adjusts the brightness ordarkness of the screen background. If you do not have such a controlon the left-hand, right-hand or front of the screen, check “No.” Ifturning this knob has no effect, then also check “No.” But if turningthe knob clockwise and counter-clockwise does change the bright-ness of the screen background, check “Yes.”

7. Are the adjustment controls for screen and characterbrightness and contrast on the front of the terminal?If the adjustment controls for screen and character brightness andcontrast are on the front of the monitor, check “Yes.” If you couldn’tfind any, or if they are on the side of the monitor, check “No.”

8. Are there visible screen reflections or glare?When sitting/standing in front of the monitor in your normalworking position, can you see any reflections of other workers,workstations, or light sources on the screen? If you can see screenreflections or glare, check “Yes.” If you can’t see either reflections orglare, then check “No.”

9. Are there distortions at the edges of the screen?If screen characters, instructions, or other letters or numbers on theedge of the screen are distorted—fuzzy, double-outlined, or mis-shaped, answer “Yes” to this question. If they are not, answer“No.”

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

18 • CWA


10. Are there variations in brightness of the screen?Answer “Yes” to this question if one or more areas of the screen ap-pear to be brighter than others. Answer “No” if all areas of thescreen are of equal brightness.

11. Is it possible to adjust the computer screen in a verticaldirection?Can you actually move or tilt your computer screen up and down?Usually, this means that your screen is mounted on a base that al-lows vertical movement. If the only way to tilt your screen up ordown is by putting a book, wedge, or some papers underneath it,answer “No” to this question.

12. Is it possible to adjust the computer screen in a horizontal direction?Can you move your screen (monitor) right or left? Answer “Yes” ifyou can push the screen right or left to give you a good viewingangle, i.e., without having to physically move the monitor to theright or left. If you have to actually move the monitor to adjust thescreen, then answer “No” to this question.

If after answering these questions you are able to identify problem areas, or have any ques-tions or concerns of your own, please contact or yourLocal President.

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

CHAPTER FOUR

Airport Wo r k p l a c eMusculoskeletal Health

P ro b l e m s : An Intro d u c t i o n

19 • CWA

Many short-term or temporary muscu-loskeletal health symptoms or distur-

bances are associated with working in air-ports; but, in addition, there are severalpermanent musculoskeletal disorders. Thetemporary health symptoms include mus-cular fatigue, aches and pains in musclesand joints, and temporary weakness anddysfunction of muscles.

There are also several severe or perma-nent musculoskeletal disorders that havebeen reported by airport workers. Informa-tion obtained from the “2001 CWA US Air-ways Airport Workplace Ergonomics Sur-vey” indicated that respondents re p o r t e dthe following conditions:

n Neck and shoulder pain (58%)n Back pain (49%)n Shoulder soreness (48%)n Leg pain (45%)n Neck pain radiating through the shoul-

ders, arms, and hands (37%)n Stiff or sore wrists (23%)n Loss of feeling in the fingers and hands

(19%) n Loss of strength in the hands and arms

(15%).

M o re significantly, surveyed airportworkers reported the following medically-diagnosed conditions:

n Lower back disorder (30%)

n Neck/shoulder/upper back disord e r(28%)

n Tendinitis in the arms (13%)

n Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (7%)

n Cysts on the hands/wrists (6%).

Based on these data, it is clear that air-port work, despite its clean and safe ap-pearance, has serious musculoskeletalhealth hazards. In the airport, the position-ing of body parts often reflects the poor de-sign of work, the lack of flexibility in theworkstation and/or the technology used.The greater the lack of fit between the workand the worker, the greater the muscu-loskeletal hazard and risk of developingmusculoskeletal health problems. A c c o rd-ing to scientific and medical literature, seri-ous musculoskeletal health problems areoften associated with jobs that require con-strained working positions or postures, pro-longed static postures, and excessive orrepetitive manual handling of heavy loads.

In a static seated or standing position,the worker is subject to continuous stre s son almost all postural muscles. Theamount of stress is dependent upon theposition of various parts of the body. Forexample, holding the head to the side,d o w n w a rd, or upward for prolonged peri-ods of time may lead to neck and shoulder

20 • CWA


complaints. Other neck, shoulder, andupper back complaints may result fro ma w k w a rd static positioning of the arms.For example, continuous or repeated ele-vation of the arms will promote/add toneck and shoulder strain.

S i m i l a r l y, repeated manual handling ofheavy loads such as lifting, pulling, push-ing, or carrying passenger luggage maycause an overexertion injury of the uppere x t remities and torso. Over the long term,such wear and tear may result in the grad-ual deterioration of joint tissues and, possi-bly, permanent disability.

In general, the primary risk factors as-sociated with ergonomic injuries/illnessesamong airport workers include overe x e r-tion, poor body posture, stress, and inade-quate rest breaks, particularly when com-bined with highly repetitive work activitiesand prolonged static muscle loading. Con-tinuous static loading of the muscles, e.g.,p rolonged standing or sitting, re d u c e s

blood circulation and increases the risk ofcumulative trauma disorders. Sometimes,e n v i ronmental conditions such as glare onworking surfaces or ventilation blowing ona worker produces poor postures that, inturn, can increase the risk of musculoskele-tal disorders.

In addition to poorly designed workingconditions, there are personal medical con-ditions and characteristics that may in-c rease the risk of developing cumulativetrauma disorders for some individuals.These include:n Circulatory problemsn Diabetesn Obesityn Arthritisn Acute injuries to the bones, muscles, ten-

dons, ligaments, and jointsn Menopause and its treatment n Pregnancy.

MUSCULOSKELETAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

We will now turn our attention to howyou can reduce or eliminate the risk

of musculoskeletal health problems or cu-mulative trauma disorders among airportworkers. To accomplish this, we will exam-ine the five airport worker jobs included inthe “2001 CWA US Airways Airport Work-place Ergonomics Survey”: Club A g e n t s ,Lost Baggage Agents, Passenger GateAgents, Special Assistance Representatives,and Ticket Counter Agents.

Club AgentsThe primary responsibilities of Club Agentsa re to issue tickets and seat assignments/b o a rding passes, check and make re s e r v a-tions, and provide other assistance to cus-tomers. These activities are conducted froma seated workstation and involve the use ofa computer and related equipment.

Specific musculoskeletal risk factors as-sociated with this job include static pos-t u res, i.e., sitting for long periods of time,wrist extension, contact stressors (especiallywhen using a computer), and inadequatelighting.

Selected Club Agents responses fro mthe Union’s airport workplace erg o n o m i c ssurvey indicated several ergonomic pro b-lem areas related to work and workstationdesign. For example,

n 100% of responding Club Agents indicatedthat they were not provided with a docu-ment holder or a telephone headset re s t ;

n 93% said that they could not adjust theheight of their work surface;

n 93% reported that they were not providedwith a footrest;

n 88% indicated that they could not adjust thes c reen angle of their computer monitor;

n A significantly high number of re s p o n-dents indicated that there were work-place illumination problems. For exam-ple, almost 70% of respondents said thatt h e re was too much glare in their work-places, 48% reported their work area wastoo dark and 26% indicated that theirwork area was too bright;

n 62% indicated that they were not pro-vided with a wrist rest; and

n 27% of responding Club Agents said thatthey used mouse equipment; however,only 57% of these workers reported thatthe mouse was located at the same heightas and next to the keyboard.

n Although 92% of respondents indicatedthey were provided with an adjustablechair, the data does not provide informa-tion regarding the degree and/or ease ofadjustability.

In turn, this lack of adherence to com-puter workplace ergonomic guidelines hasled to a catastrophic occurrence of cumula-tive trauma health symptoms and disor-ders. For example, Regarding health symptoms…

n 50% of the responding Club Agents indi-cated that they experienced neck andshoulder pain “often” or “always”;

n 39% reported that they experienced neckpain radiating through their shoulders,

CWA • 21

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS:

Musculoskeletal HealthProblems


arms, and hands as well as shoulder sore-ness “often” or “always”;

n 31% said that they experienced back pain“often” or “always”; and

n 19% reported that they experienced stiffor sore wrists as well as leg pain “often”or “always.”

Regarding disorders…

n 19% of the responding Club Agents indi-cated that they had medically-diagnosedneck/shoulder/upper back disorder;

n 15% said that they had medically-diag-nosed tendinitis in their arm(s) and lowerback disorder;

n 12% reported having medically-diag-nosed carpal tunnel syndrome; and

n 7% indicated that they had medically-diagnosed cysts on their hands and/orwrists.

CORRECTIVE MEASURES that may be taken toi m p rove Club Agents’ workstation designinclude:

n P roviding adjustable computer monitorheight and screen angle;

n P roviding independently adjustable key-board/mouse work surface height;

n P roviding properly designed wrist re s t s ;and

n P roviding fully and easily adjustablechairs.

In addition, to alleviate workplace illumi-nation issues, lighting surveys should be con-ducted to determine the amount of illumina-tion and, in turn, workplace illuminationlevels should be adjusted between 300-700l u x .

Lost Baggage AgentsThe primary responsibilities of Lost Bag-gage Agents are to handle customer in-

quiries re g a rding lost baggage includingcustomer intake, completion of forms, useof the computer for tracking and re c o rd-keeping, and physically storing and retriev-ing lost baggage. These tasks are conductedin the lost baggage work area, which usu-ally consists of a standing computer work-station and storage area adjacent to the bag-gage claim area.

Specific musculoskeletal risk factors as-sociated with the job include pro l o n g e dstatic standing positions; neck and uppertorso flexion in static postures; wrist exten-sion contact stressors while keying/usingthe computer; inadequate lighting; and lift-ing, pulling, pushing, and carrying heavyunstable luggage.

Responses from Lost Baggage A g e n t sidentified a number of ergonomic designand health problems. For example,

Regarding work associated with the lift-ing /moving of baggage…

n 98% of responding Lost Baggage A g e n t sindicated that they performed manualhandling, i.e., lifting and moving, ofheavy weights. In addition, 63% of the re-spondents said that they were not pro-vided with assist equipment to lift/movebaggage.

n 88% reported that their work involved ex-cessive lifting of baggage to and fro mconveyor equipment;

n 72% said that their work involved exces-sive bending motions;

n 68% reported that their work involved ex-cessive twisting motions; and

n 65% indicated that their work involvedexcessive reaching motions.

Regarding workstation design issues…

n 63% of responding Lost Baggage A g e n t ssaid that they work in a standing positionfor lengthy periods of time (i.e., morethan four hours);

22 • CWA


n 90% indicated that they were not pro-vided with a height adjustable work sur-face;

n 62% reported that they were not providedwith an adjustable chair;

n 62% said that the computer screen ormonitor angle was not adjustable;

n 79% indicated that a wrist rest was notprovided;

n 52% reported that there was inadequatework space to perform their work;

n 88% said that they were not pro v i d e dwith a document holder; and;

n 43% indicated that there was too muchglare at their workstation.

In turn, this lack of adherence to ergonomic guidelines has resulted in the oc-currence of catastrophic numbers of cumu-lative trauma health symptoms and disor-ders. For example,

Regarding health symptoms…

n 46% of responding Lost Baggage A g e n t sreported that they had experienced backpain “often” or “always”;

n 46% said that they experienced neck andshoulder pain “often” or “always”;

n 38% indicated that they experiencedshoulder soreness “often” or “always”;

n 31% reported that they experienced neckpain radiating through their shoulders,arms, and hands “often” or “always”;

n 30% said that they experienced leg pain“often” or “always”; and

n 24% indicated they experienced stiff orsore wrists “often” or “always.”

In addition, Lost Baggage Agents re-ported experiencing symptoms of sinus irri-tation/congestion (57%), sneezing (38%),and fatigue and drowsiness (28%) “often”or “always.” These health issues would ap-

pear to be related to inadequate ventilationand poor indoor air quality.

Regarding musculoskeletal disorders…

n 26% of the respondents reported that theyhad medically-diagnosed lower back dis-order;

n 24% said that they had medically-diagnosed neck/shoulder/upper backdisorder;

n 18% indicated that they had medically-di-agnosed tendinitis in their arms; and

n 7% reported that they had medically-diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome.

CORRECTIVE MEASURES that may be taken toimprove Lost Baggage Agent working con-ditions include:

For workstation design…

n P roviding properly designed chairs/stools;

n Providing wrist rests;

n P roviding height and angularly ad-justable computer monitors;

n Providing independently adjustable worksurface heights for the computer monitorand keyboard/mouse equipment;

n Providing improved, well designed floormats (minimum 1 inch thick non-slip ma-terial with a beveled edge to prevent trip-ping);

n P roviding properly designed foot re s t s(4–6 inches high);

n Providing proper workplace illuminationlevels (300-700 lux); and

n Providing more frequent rest breaks.

For overexertion risks…

n P roviding properly designed baggagecarts;

n Establishing two-person lifting pro c e-dures for heavy and bulky baggage; and

CWA • 23


n Redesigning storage racks so that theheaviest baggage may be stored betweenknee and shoulder height.

Passenger Gate AgentsThe primary responsibilities of PassengerGate Agents are to check travel documents,issue and change seat assignments andb o a rding passes, make/change re s e r v a-tions, and handle customer inquiries. Thesetasks, conducted at a standing workstationin the gate area, include a computer and re-lated equipment.

Specific musculoskeletal risk factors as-sociated with this occupation include pro-longed and static standing postures, neckand upper torso flexion while in a staticstanding posture, wrist extension and con-tact stressors while keying, and inadequatelighting or illumination.

Responses from Passenger Gate Agentsidentified a number of ergonomic designand health problems. For example,

Regarding workstation design…

n 92% reported that they work in a stand-ing position for lengthy periods of time(i.e., more than four hours);

n 96% said that they were not provided ad-justable chairs/stools;

n 94% indicated that they were not pro-vided with a footrest; and

n 34% reported that floor mats were inade-quate or not properly designed.

In addition, n 77% said that their work re q u i red lift-

ing/moving heavy baggage;n 70% indicated that their work re q u i re d

excessive twisting motions;n 68% reported that their work required ex-

cessive bending motions;n 67% said that their work re q u i red exces-

sive reaching motions; andn 63% indicated that their work re q u i re d

lifting baggage to a conveyor belt.

With respect to work surface design…

n 66% of responding Passenger GateAgents reported that the height of thework surface was not adjustable; and

n 57% said that there was inadequate work-space to perform their work.

Regarding computer use…n 95% said they were neither provided with

a telephone headset rest nor a documentholder;

n 93% reported that they were not providedwith a wrist rest; and

n 69% indicated that the monitor scre e nangle was not adjustable.

Workplace environmental factors werealso identified as problematic. For example,

n A majority of responding Passenger GateAgents indicated that workplace temper-a t u re extremes were common, with 56%reporting that the workplace was too hotand 51% indicating that the workplacewas too cold.

n In addition, 48% said that there was toomuch glare in the workplace.

The failure of US Airways to provide er-gonomic working conditions has produceda catastrophic number of musculoskeletalhealth problems among Passenger GateAgents. For example,

Regarding health symptoms…

n 58% of the respondents reported that theyexperienced neck and shoulder pain“often” or “always”;

n 50% reported that they experienced backpain “often” or “always”;

n 48% said that they experienced leg pain“often” or “always”;

24 • CWA


n 46% indicated that they experiencedshoulder soreness “often” or “always”;and

n 36% reported that they experienced neckpain radiating though the shoulders,arms, and hands “often” or “always.”

Related to inadequate ventilation or in-door air quality…

n 49% of responding Passenger GateAgents said that they experienced fatigueand drowsiness “often” or “always”;

n 48% indicated that they experiencedsinus irritation “often” or “always”; and

n 36% reported that they experiencedsneezing “often” or “always.”

Regarding cumulative trauma disorders…

n 31% of respondents said that they hadmedically-diagnosed lower back disor-der;

n 27% indicated that they had medically-di-agnosed neck/shoulder/upper back dis-order;

n 12% reported that they had medically-diagnosed tendinitis in their arms; and

n 6% said that they had medically-diag-nosed carpal tunnel syndrome.

CO R R E C T I V E ME A S U R E S for identified defi-ciencies include:

For standing workstations…

n Provision of ergonomic chairs/stools;

n Provision of properly designed floor mats(minimum 1 inch thick non-slip materialwith beveled edges to prevent tripping);

n Footrests (4–6 inches high); and

n More frequent rest breaks.

Specific to the computer and relatedequipment…

n P rovision of a height and angularly ad-justable computer monitor;

n P rovision of independently adjustablework surfaces for the computer monitorand keyboard/mouse equipment; and

n Provision of wrist rests.

In addition, workplace lighting or illu-mination levels should be adjusted between300-700 lux.

Special Assistance RepresentativesThe primary responsibilities of Special A s-sistance Representatives include pickingup, transporting, and dropping off passen-gers via electric carts, as well as transferringpassengers to and from wheelchairs insideand outside aircraft. These tasks are per-formed throughout the customer areas ofthe airport and on aircraft.

It should be noted that US A i r w a y sadopted the Customer Commitment Policy#7 (effective 12/15/99) that commits theairline to “assisting customers with specialneeds, including passengers with disabili-ties… .” This commitment includes provid-ing “extensive procedures to ensure that theneeds of customers with disabilities aremet,” including assistance with board i n gand deplaning and transportation of wheel-chairs and similar devices.

“Appendix V: Passengers with SpecialNeeds” explains in more detail US Airwaysprocedures for serving passengers with dis-abilities. Personal Care Attendants are re-q u i red for customers with a mobility re-quirement so severe that a person would beunable to assist in his or her evacuation ofthe aircraft. Moreover, US Airways commitsto have company personnel assist passen-gers with mobility challenges in getting toand from gates.

Responses from Special Assistance Rep-resentatives identified a number of er-gonomic design and health problems. Forexample,

CWA • 25


Regarding musculoskeletal and ergo-nomic design issues or risk factors…n 80% of responding Special A s s i s t a n c e

R e p resentatives reported performingmanual handling of heavy weights;

n 87% said that they performed excessivebending motions;

n 82% indicated that they performed exces-sive twisting motions;

n 77% reported that they performed exces-sive reaching motions; and

n 46% said that they lift baggage to con-veyor belts.

In addition, specific to workplace environ-mental factors, respondents indicated thatthe workplace was too hot (75%) or too cold(36%). Further, n 62% of the Special Assistance Representa-

tives reported that they experienced sinusirritation/congestion “often” or “al-ways”;

n 50% said that they experienced sneezing“often” or “always”; and

n 38% indicated that they experienced fa-tigue or drowsiness “often” or “always.”

Regarding cumulative trauma healthsymptoms and disorders…n 39% of responding Special A s s i s t a n c e

Representatives said that they had a med-ically-diagnosed lower back disorder;

n 33% indicated that they had a medically-diagnosed neck/shoulder/upper backdisorder;

n 13% reported that they had medically-diagnosed tendinitis in their arms; and

n 6% said that they had medically-diag-nosed carpal tunnel syndrome.

CO R R E C T I V E ME A S U R E S for the design ofSpecial Assistance Representative workareas include:

n P rovide properly designed customertransfer devices as well as training re-garding their effective use;

n Assign two people for difficult customertransfer situations; and

n Consider modifications of aircraft seats toassist customer transfers.

Ticket Counter AgentsThe primary responsibilities of Ti c k e tCounter Agents are to process customers,including verifying or making reservations,issuing tickets/boarding passes, makingseat assignments, responding to customerinquiries, and tagging, handling, and trans-ferring luggage (up to 70 pounds per itemor piece). These tasks are performed at astanding workstation in the ticketing are aand involve the use of a computer and re-lated equipment.

Responses from Ticket Counter A g e n t sidentified several ergonomic design andhealth problems. For example,

Regarding workstation ergonomic designissues…

n 91% of responding Ticket Counter Agentsreported that they work in a standing po-sition for lengthy periods of time (i.e.,more than four hours);

n 97% said that they were not pro v i d e dwith a telephone handset rest;

n 95% indicated that they were not pro-vided with an ergonomic, adjustablechair;

n 93% reported that they were not provideda footrest;

n 93% said that they were not provided adocument holder;

n 92% indicated that they were not pro-vided a wrist rest;

n 71% reported that they were not provided

26 • CWA


with a computer monitor that allowedangular adjustability;

n 69% said that they were not provided witha height adjustable work surface; and

n 66% indicated that they were not pro-vided with either adequate workspace toperform their work or properly designedfloor mats.

In addition, findings related to the man-ual handling of baggage suggested seriousergonomic deficiencies. For example,

n 93% of respondents said that they had tolift/move heavy weights, i.e., baggage;

n 90% indicated that they were re q u i red tolift baggage onto conveyor belt equipment;

n 82% reported that their job required themto perform excessive twisting motions;

n 81% said that their job re q u i red them toperform excessive bending motions; and

n 78% indicated that their job re q u i re dthem to perform excessive reaching mo-tions.

n In addition, only 44% of re s p o n d i n gTicket Counter Agents reported that theywere provided with lift-assist equipment.

When reviewing collected informationre g a rding workplace environmental fac-tors, a number of design problems wereidentified. For example,

n 57% of respondents reported that theretheir was too much glare in the work-place;

n 49% said that the workplace environmentwas too hot; and

n 47% indicated that the workplace was toocold.

In turn, environmental design deficien-cies most likely led to the occurrence of thefollowing indoor air quality health symp-toms:

n 53% of responding Ticket Counter Agents

reported that they experienced sneezing“often” or “always”;

n 49% said that they experienced fatigueand drowsiness “often” or “always”; and;

n 39% indicated that they experiencedsinus irritation/congestion “often” or “al-ways.”

Regarding the occurrence of cumulativetrauma health symptoms and disorders…

n 60% of the Ticket Counter Agents re-ported that they experienced neck andshoulder pain “often” or “always”;

n 53% said that they experienced shouldersoreness “often” or “always”;

n 51% indicated that they experienced backpain “often” or “always”;

n 46% reported that they experienced legpain “often” or “always”;

n 39% said that they experienced neck painradiating through their shoulders, arms,and hands “often” or “always”; and

n 25% indicated that they experienced stiffor sore wrists “often” or “always.”

Ergonomic deficiencies led to a cata-s t rophic occurrence of musculoskeletal or cu-mulative trauma disorders among re s p o n d-ing Ticket Counter Agents. For example,

n 32% reported that they had medically-di-agnosed neck/shoulder/upper back dis-order;

n 30% said that they had medically-diag-nosed lower back disorder;

n 14% indicated that they had medically-di-agnosed tendinitis in their arms;

n 9% reported that they had medically-di-agnosed cysts on their hands and/orwrists; and;

n 7% said that they had medically-diag-nosed carpal tunnel syndrome

CORRECTIVE MEASURES for the design of the

CWA • 27


Ticket Counter Agent work area include:

Workstation:

n The provision of chairs/stools to allowfor varying postures;

n P roviding properly designed floor mats(minimum one inch thick non-slip mate-rial with beveled edges so as to pre v e n ttripping);

n P roviding properly designed footre s t s ,wrist rests, and document holders;

n The provision of height and angular ad-justable computer monitors;

n P roviding independently adjustable key-board/mouse work surfaces; and

n The provision of more frequent re s tbreaks.

Baggage handling tasks:

n The use of special tags/labels to identifyextremely heavy bags (over 51 pounds) aswell as a requirement providing that twopeople lift such baggage;

n Elevating or raising the baggage scale toapproximately knee height;

n Redesigning the baggage conveyorequipment to allow agents the ability toslide baggage directly from the scale tothe conveyor belt (At present, this re-designed equipment has been introducedby other airlines companies in severalU.S. airports).

In addition, it is recommended that,with the involvement of CWA personnel, USAirways conduct job analysis including de-sign issues such as the workstation and lift-ing tasks as well as illumination/lighting.

The key behind any corrective actionaimed at eliminating or minimizing muscu-loskeletal problems is proper workplace de-sign that focuses upon the key design ele-ments of airport workplace occupations. Aselaborated upon in the above job-by-jobcoverage or analysis, due to variations inthe re q u i red tasks, these elements can bedetermined after reviewing the erg o n o m i cneeds of each of the involved airport work-place jobs as well as the physical and psy-chological needs of the workers involved inperforming the required tasks.

After identifying the equipment (e.g.,chairs/stools, workstations and re l a t e dequipment, conveyor belt equipment, light-ing fixtures and glare reduction devices,wheel chairs and/or other assist equip-ment) that needs to be replaced, CWA lead-ers should negotiate with the employer forthe purchase and provision of erg o n o m i cequipment.

28 • CWA

CWA • 29


The keyboard and the mouse are thestandard devices used to input data into

the computer terminal, though touch pan-els, light pens, keypads, and tablets are be-coming more commonplace. Although thek e y b o a rd/mouse don’t present a seriousrisk factor; the way they are used by the com-puter operator in relation to her/his postureand the other physical components of thecomputer workstation (e.g., the chair, moni-t o r, and work surface) can increase or de-c rease the risk of repetitive motion ill-nesses.

K e y b o a rds/mouse equipment should bedetachable and moveable from the com-puter monitor, so they can be positioned tobest suit the posture and work re q u i re m e n t sof each individual worker. The angle of thek e y b o a rd should be relatively flat and ad-justable as well, particularly when the key-b o a rd is used by diff e rent workers. Yo ushould try to adjust the angle of your key-b o a rd to keep your wrist as flat (a neutralposition) as possible. Sometimes you can dothis by moving the keyboard farther awayf rom you. But not all keyboards are easilyadjusted. Some may have only one or twosettings; others may provide no adjustabilityat all. More o v e r, the available workspace forpositioning the keyboard may be limited orrestricted. There f o re, a separate, adjustablek e y b o a rd surface is pre f e r red.

When a mouse is provided, it should bedetachable from the computer monitor, bedesigned to fit comfortably into the hand,

and positioned with the click buttons levelwith the keyboard. The mouse should be atthe same height and angle as the keyboardand situated next to the keyboard. Also, thework surface upon which the mouse isplaced should be large enough to allow forthe proper and intended operation.

When the mouse is used, it should beheld loosely with the wrist in a neutral po-sition and operated by moving the entirearm and shoulder and using a light touchwhen clicking the mouse buttons.

Wrist rests are another way to helpmaintain a neutral wrist posture and toavoid resting your wrists on a sharp object(that can affect the blood supply and nervesgoing into your hand). It is only naturalthat you will want to rest your elbows,arms, and/or wrists on something solid torelieve the fatigue of holding your lowerarms outstretched for long periods of time.But you need to be careful what you re s tyour wrists on. Wrist rests should be at leasttwo inches wide and should be placed overthe edges of work surfaces, such as the edgeof the keyboarding surface or worktable. Inaddition, they should provide firm, yetcushioned, support. I d e a l l y, wrist restsshould not be used while operating thekeyboard/mouse, but rather while resting.

In some cases, palm rests are used.Palm rests are designed to provide supportfor your palm by providing a resting placefor your palm that thereby relieves some ofthe fatigue in your arms.

FACT SHEET

Keyboard/Mouse Design

30 • CWA


FACT SHEET

Chair/Stool

The “2001 CWA US Airways A i r p o r tWorkplace Ergonomics Survey” found

that only 8% of airport workers were pro-vided a chair/stool that allowed for heightadjustability of the seat pan. When lookingat all of the jobs that were included in thes u r v e y, the presence of adjustable chairs/stools was reported as follows:

n Club Agents—93%

n Lost Baggage Agents—28%

n Passenger Gate Agents—4%

n Special Assistance Representatives—23%

n Ticket Counter Agents—5%

As can be seen, chairs or stools arer a rely provided to Passenger Gate A g e n t sand Ticket Counter Agents. As a re s u l t ,workers in these occupations reported thehighest rates of leg and back pain healthsymptoms. In contrast, most Club A g e n t sw e re provided with adjustable chairs and,in turn, reported the lowest rates of leg andback pain health complaints.

A chair/stool is a critical component ofan ergonomically correct stationary (com-puter) workstation. Besides being able toadjust the height of the seat pan and theangle of the seat pan to a forward or back-ward tilt, you need to be able to adjust thebackrest to provide proper back support. Inorder for you to comfortably view the mon-i t o r, you should also be able to move thechair/stool closer to or farther away fro mthe work, yet maintain your wrists in a neu-tral posture.

Making these adjustments will allowyou to find a “comfort zone.” In this com-fort zone, your feet are firmly supported by

the floor or a proper footrest, your wristsa re as flat (a neutral position) as possible,and you have proper support and an ade-quate amount of “wiggle room” from thechair/stool. Assuming you have a well-de-signed chair/stool, you can usually find the“comfort zone” by raising or lowering thechair/stool, adjusting the seat pan angle,and/or pushing the chair/stool closer to oraway from the work. If you are sitting tool o w, you will probably have to bend yourwrists up (wrist extension) to use the key-b o a rd; if you are sitting too high, you willhave to flex your wrists (down). But by ad-justing the chair/stool height, as well as theheight of the keyboarding surface, you canfind the right combination that allows youto keep your wrists in a neutral posture.

While you are trying to find your “com-fort zone,” don’t overlook the other impor-tant features of the chair/stool. A properlydesigned chair/stool allows you to main-tain proper posture as well as vary yourposture to minimize fatigue. For example, achair/stool that provides swivel action en-courages this. Also, a chair/stool that al-lows you to adjust the angle of the backrestallows you to vary your posture.

The seat “pan” supports the weight ofthe buttocks. It should be wide enough topermit operators to make slight side-to-sideshifts in posture. The minimum re c o m-mended seat pan width is 18 inches. Theseat pan depth (from front to back) shouldbe between 15-17 inches. If it is deeper thanthis, some operators will not be able to sitall the way back in their chairs/stools andtake advantage of the back support thechair/stool provides. The seat pan shouldbe tiltable forward and backward. The frontedge of the chair/stool should be wellrounded downward to reduce pre s s u re onthe underside of the thighs (that can affectblood flow to the legs and feet). The seatneeds to be padded to the proper firmness

CWA • 31

actually restrict arm movement, interferewith keyboard operation, cause a pinchingof the fingers between the armrest andtable, restrict chair/stool movement such asunder the work table, lead to irritation ofthe arm or elbows, and cause workers toadopt awkward postures. On the otherhand, well-designed padded armrests canp rovide support for resting the arms, thuspreventing or reducing fatigue.

While operating the computer, youshould be provided with a properly de-signed footrest. The footrest should beheight and angular adjustable and have anon-skid surface that is large enough toprevent your feet from slipping off the sur-face. The footrest should be angled slightly(between 5 to 15 degrees). In addition, thef o o t rest should be portable, yet heavy ands e c u re enough to prevent it from slidingacross the floor.


that ensures an even distribution of pre s-sure on the thighs and buttocks. A properlypadded seat should compress about one-half to one-inch when a person sits on it.

The tension and tilt angle of the back-rest should be adjustable. Inclination/decli-nation of the chair/stool backrest is impor-tant and necessary for workers to be able tolean forward or backward in a comfortablem a n n e r, while maintaining a correct re l a-tionship between the seat pan angle and theb a c k rest angle, i.e., the amount of inclina-tion/declination. The advantage of havingan independent backrest tilt angle adjust-ment is that the backrest tilt will have littleor no effect on the front seat height. Thisadjustment also allows workers to moreeasily shift postures and find their “comfortzone.”

Another important chair/stool featureis armrests. Some chair/stool armrests can

32 • CWA


Airport workstations should vary asmuch as the task responsibilities of air-

port workers. In general, workstationsshould be adjustable to allow diff e re n tusers to adjust or customize them to meettheir individual needs. When performingwork, static sitting and/or standing pos-t u res should be avoided. This can be ac-complished by designing workstations insuch a manner that allows work to be per-formed in varied postures. For example,Ticket Counter and Passenger Gate work-stations should be designed to allow bothvaried sitting and standing postures.

T h e re are four basic elements to an ef-fective strategy to reducing musculoskeletalp roblems as well as the risk of developingrepetitive motion illnesses. They include:

n The work surface. It should be height ad-justable and be large enough/pro v i d eenough workspace to allow the perform-ance of the re q u i red tasks. Where a com-puter is used, special consideration must begiven to the design and operation of thek e y b o a rd/mouse equipment—its locationand angle, proper wrist support, and wristalignment; the computer monitor—the de-gree of adjustability to avoid glare and poorbody postures; and auxiliary equipment(e.g., printers, document holders, and tele-phones) should be positioned to avoid awk-ward reaches or postures.

n The chair/stool. This equipment mustprovide proper postural support and allowfor adequate adjustability enabling eachworker to find her/his “comfort zone.”

n The workstation. The workstation must

provide adequate adjustability in order thateach worker may find her/his “comfortzone” as well as provide an adequately-sized workspace/area to arrange or organ-ize the work in such a way as to maintainproper postures and reduce fatigue.

n The rest break schedule. Short bre a k s(micro-breaks, e.g. at least 30 to 60 secondsevery 20 to 30 minutes) should be designedinto the work schedule to relieve physicaland mental fatigue.

Data from the “2001 CWA US A i r w a y sAirport Workplace Ergonomics Survey”identified the following workstation designissues:

n 55% of airport workers who completedand returned the survey reported thatthey did not have an adequate amount ofworkspace to perform their work;

n 61% said that they could not adjust theheight of their workstation;

n 92% indicated that they were not pro-vided with a chair equipped with ad-justable seat pan height; and

n Almost 90% reported that they took onerest break each during the first half andsecond half of their work shifts. Such restbreaks, as negotiated in the collective bar-gaining agreement between CWA and USAirways, averaged slightly more than 14minutes. There f o re, these breaks shouldbe distinguished from the micro - b re a k srecommended above.

The size or area of the work surface isdependent on the nature of the re q u i re dtasks as well as the equipment, documents,

FACT SHEET

Workstation

CWA • 33


and technology that are used to performthis work. However, regardless of the tasksthat you perform, you need enough work-ing area. Workstations with computers re-quire enough space to:

n Allow you to move the screen forward orbackward, up, or down;

n Move/adjust the keyboard/mouse; and

n Permit source documents to be pro p e r l ypositioned.

Standing Workstations Many airlines Ticket Counter and Passen-ger Gate workstations are designed solelyfor standing. At a minimum, standingworkstations should be equipped with awell-designed chair/stool that allows in-volved workers to find their “comfortzone” and provides adequate support forvariations in postures, a floor mat (having aminimum thickness of one inch andbeveled edges to avoid tripping hazard s ) ,and a footrest. For computer work, ad-justable, multi-surface workstations shouldbe provided to enable workers to develop ap roper posture by allowing independentadjustment of the keyboard/mouse andm o n i t o r / s c reen to establish proper keyingand viewing heights for each individualand task. Regarding adjustable worksta-tions, ease of adjustment and training aboutadjustability are critical; otherwise, workerswill not make the adjustments to find their“comfort zone.”

Seated Workstations The tabletop under which the operator

puts her/his legs should be as thin as possi-ble to provide clearance for thighs andknees. The under-table space should pro-vide unobstructed room for the feet andlegs so that the workers can easily shifttheir posture. The recommended minimum

width for leg clearance is 241⁄2 inches. Theminimum depth under the work surfacefrom the edge of the work surface, i.e., clos-est to the worker, should be 15 inches atknee level, and 24 inches at toe level. Thesedistances are measured from the leadingedge of the front of the working surface andshould be regarded as minimum distances.P roper workstation design must considerthe variability of individual body sizes and,thus, to allow for maximum operator ad-justment or movement, should exceed therecommended minimum clearances.

Specifications for the height of the worksurface vary based upon whether thetable/work surface is adjustable or a fixedheight, and whether there is a single (or aremultiple) work surface(s). The pro p e rheight for a non-adjustable working surfaceis about 28 inches, measured from the floorto the top of the work surface. For single-adjustable work surfaces, the appro p r i a t eheight adjustment should be between 28-32inches.

For multiple adjustable work surfaces,the appropriate height for the keyboard /mouse should be between 231⁄2- 281⁄2 inchesand between 28-32 inches for the monitor( m e a s u red from the bottom of the monitorto the floor). It is important to note that youshould always be viewing the monitor in aslightly downwards direction, i.e., 10-20 de-grees downward.


34 • CWA

Computer and WorkstationDesign Variables

CWA • 35


JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS—AIRPORT WORKPLACE

Musculoskeletal HealthProblems

Tendinitis,tenosynovitis,carpal tunnelsyndrome.

Musclesoreness,cramping, and fatigue,particularly in shoulders,neck, andback.

Wrist flexionor extension,repetitive keying.

Improper posture andstatic loadingcaused inlarge part bychairs, key-boards/mouseequipment,and work sur-faces whichare not adjustable tothe properheight andconfiguration.

(cont. p. 36)

Make sure the keyboard is detachable from the monitor and can bemoved around to give you the most comfortable posture for thework you’re doing.

The keyboard should be relatively flat in relation to the working sur-face, and the angle should not be more than 15 degrees off horizontal.

The mouse should be designed to fit the operator’s hand, have asloping or slanted surface, and have a drag-lock surface. The place-ment of the mouse should be within easy reach of the operator, lo-cated at the same height and angle as the keyboard and situatednext to the keyboard.

Wrist rests (minimum of two inches wide) to support your wristsshould be provided. The wrist rests should provide cushioned sup-port and be rounded on the front edge, which is the edge facing you.

Keep your wrists in as neutral a posture as possible. Arm and wristrests may help you do this.

Adjustable height: The height of the seat pan should be adjustable toa range from 16 to 20 inches from the floor. Use this feature to raiseor lower the chair so that the angle between your upper and lowerleg is roughly perpendicular (about 90 degrees).

Seat pan: The minimum width should be 18 inches, and the depth(span across the seat pan) should be between 15-17 inches. Theseat pan should be tiltable forward and backward and have arounded front edge (the edge closest to your knees) and shouldprovide enough padding so that the padding is one-half to one inchhigh while you’re seated.

Back rest: The back rest should be tiltable, so you can recline back-ward or forward with adequate support, as well as height-adjustable.Lumbar (lower-back) support should be provided.

Casters: The chair should be moveable, supported by at least five casters.

Problem/Hazard Risk Factor Corrective Action

36 • CWA


Musclesoreness,cramping, and fatigue,particularly in shoulders,neck, andback.

Shoulder, armand low backpain/injury.

Improper posture andstatic loadingcaused inlarge partby chairs, keyboards/mouse equip-ment, andwork surfaceswhich are not adjustable tothe properheight andconfiguration.

Improper pos-ture andrepetitive lift-ing and/orcarrying heavyobjects.

Armrests: As long as they don’t interfere with movement and thework, cushioned armrests may be helpful to support your elbowsand upper and lower arms, and maintain a neutral wrist posture.

Footrest: A footrest should be provided for operators who cannotsecurely place their feet on the floor while seated. The footrestshould be adjustable both in height and angle, and have a non-skidsurface where the feet actually rest.

Adequate workspace: You need enough tabletop space to be able to move and properly position your keyboard, mouse, monitor, doc-ument holder, and hard copy materials.Adjustable height work surface(s): A second surface just for the keyboard/mouse is recommended. The height range for the dedi-cated keyboard/mouse surface is 231⁄2-281⁄2 inches off the floor. Therecommended height for the base of the monitor from the floor is28-32 inches. If there is not a separate surface for the keyboard/mouse, and the work surface cannot be raised or lowered, the rec-ommended height, measured from the top of the table to the floor, is28 inches.

Adequate knee and leg space under the work surface: The minimumrecommended width under the work surface is 241⁄2 inches. The min-imum recommended depth at the knees is 15 inches. The minimumrecommended depth at the feet is 24 inches.

Document holder: When you work with hard copy, an adjustable(angle and height) document holder should be provided.Micro-breaks: More frequent but shorter breaks in addition to theregular scheduled breaks every two hours.

Conveyor Equipment: Should be designed with electronic feeder/con-veyor equipment or manual rollers to allow workers to avoid liftingand carrying heavy luggage/baggage. All workstations should beequipped with luggage/baggage scales. Where this is not possible,height-adjustable carts should be provided and workers should beable to ask for and receive assistance from a co-worker, thus allowingworkers to avoid lifting and carrying heavy luggage/baggage.

Luggage/baggage storage areas should be designed to minimize mus-culoskeletal risks (e.g., the heaviest items stored at levels that areabove knee and below shoulder heights).

The employer should provide training regarding the proper use of lift-ing devices.When necessary, the employer should allow workers to request and beprovided assistance when lifting heavy objects.

Employer passenger relations policies regarding the lifting/transferringof passengers to/from assist equipment and the airplane should be ad-hered to.

Problem/Hazard Risk Factor Corrective Action

(continued from page 35)

CWA • 37


TAKE HOME QUESTIONS

Musculoskeletal HealthProblems with Explanation

The purpose of this questionnaire is tohelp you become more aware of air-

port working conditions. We appre c i a t eyour help in completing this survey, and

getting another co-worker to complete itas well. Each of the questions is in bold-face type; the explanation of each questionf o l l o w s .

1. KEYBOARD

a. Manufacturer and model number: U s u a l l y, this can be found by turning your keyboard upside down. Write down themanufacturer and model number, but not the serial number.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

b. Is the keyboard moveable in relation to the screen?If the keyboard is attached to the monitor by a cord, then it ismoveable, so check “Yes.” If not, check “No.”

c. Is the keyboard angularly adjustable?Can you change the angle of the keyboard, i.e., can you raise theback of the keyboard (that part closest to the monitor) so theangle gets steeper or shallower? If you can, check “Yes.”

d. Is there space between the edge of the table and thekeyboard to rest your palms? Self-explanatory.

2. MOUSE EQUIPMENT

a. Does the mouse fit comfortably in the palm of yourhand? Self-explanatory.

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

38 • CWA


b. Is the mouse located next to and at the same heightand angle as the keyboard? Self-explanatory.

c. Are you able to use the mouse without developingfinger/hand discomfort? Self-explanatory.

3. CHAIR/STOOLa. Manufacturer and model number:

This information can be obtained by turning the chair/stool upside down and lookingfor a plate stapled or attached to the seat pan. Write down the manufacturer andmodel number, not the serial number.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

b. Are armrests provided? Self-explanatory.

c. Do the armrests interfere with movement?A re the armrests too close to your body or placed in a locationthat restricts your movement in the chair?

d. Is the seat pan height and angularly adjustable ?Can you raise and lower the height of the seat pan; can you ad-just the angle of the seat pan forward and backward?

e. Does the seat pan have a rounded front edge?Does the front edge of the chair (which rests against the back ofyour legs) have a rounded edge (check “Yes”) or a sharp edge(check “No”)?

f. Does the seat surface have enough padding?Do you think there is enough padding on the chair to sit comfortably throughout the work day?

g. Is the backrest height and angularly adjustable?Can you raise and lower the height of the backrest; can you re-cline backward or incline forward with adequate support?

h. Does the chair provide lumbar (lower-back) support?Self-explanatory.

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

CWA • 39


i. Does the chair/stool have a five-leg base?A re there five legs or casters (check “Yes”) or are there fewer(check “No”)?

4. WORKSTATION DESIGN

a. Is the work surface or table height adjustable?Can you raise or lower the height of the work surface or table?

b. Is/are there a separate keyboard/mouse surface(s)?

c. Can the keyboard/mouse surface(s) be moved awayfrom or towards the user?

d. Is there a separate surface for the monitor (display)?

e. Is the area under the work surface free of obstruc-tions that might interfere with varying your posture?Is the location where you place your legs and feet free of obsta-cles, allowing you to shift positions in your chair/stool?

f. Is there space upon the work surface to rest your armswhile you’re not keying?

g. Does the work surface have well-rounded edges andcorners?Are there sharp edges and corners that you can bump against?

5. DOCUMENT HOLDERS, FOOTRESTS, AND WRIST RESTS

a. Are document holders provided for use of hard copy?Does your workstation have a document holder that you can placeh a rd copy upon? If so, check “Yes.” If not, check “No.”

b. Is the document holder height adjustable?Can you raise/lower the document holder to provide a morecomfortable viewing angle? If you can, check “Yes.” If not, check“No.”

c. Is the document holder distance-adjustable?Can you move it closer to or farther away from you?

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

40 • CWA


d. Is the document holder angularly adjustable?Can you change the angle of the document holder?

e. Is there adequate space to properly locate the docu-ment holder? Do you have room on your work surface to put the documentholder in a position that provides the best view of the hard copy?

f. Is a padded wrist rest provided?Don’t confuse this with a p a l m rest. A wrist rest is usually located at the edge of the work surface that the keyboard/mousei s / a re located on. Ideally, the wrist rest should support yourwrists while resting. However, if you use a wrist rest while key-ing, it should allow you to keep your wrists in as neutral a posi-tion as possible. If your employer does not provide you with awrist rest, check “No.” If one is provided, check “Yes.” If a wristrest is not provided, skip the next two questions (g and h).

g. Is the wrist rest wide enough (2 inch minimum)?To be effective, the wrist rest should be at least two inches wide.If the wrist rest is not, check “No.”

h. Does the wrist rest have a rounded front edge?The front edge of the wrist rest (which faces you), should berounded so that you do not rest your wrists on a sharp edge. Ifthe front edge is rounded, check “Yes.”

i. Is a footrest provided?If you do not have a footrest, you should skip questions j, k, l andm, but make sure you answer the last question about cushions orpads. If you do have a footrest, check “Yes,” no matter whetheryou or your employer provided it.

j. Is the footrest home-made?Did you make the footrest yourself, even if it is something youfound in the airport, like a box or several reams of paper? If youdid, then check “Yes.” If you do not know who made it, or if theemployer provided it, check “No.”

k. Does the footrest have a non-skid surface?Does the section of the footrest where you place your feet have anon-skid surface (so your feet won’t slip off the surface)? If itdoes, check “Yes,” if not, check “No.”

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No


CWA • 41

l. Is the footrest height adjustable?Can you raise or lower the footrest without having to put a wedgeor something underneath it? If you can, check “Yes”; if it can’t ad-just in height, check “No.”

m. Can the angle of the footrest be adjusted?Can you change the angle of the footrest, i.e., can you adjust theangle of the surface towards or away from you?

n. Do you use a cushion or a pad in your chair?Do you use or have to bring your own chair cushion or pad tomake the chair comfortable? If so, check “Yes”; if not, check “No.”

6. SCALES, CONVEYORS, AND STORAGE EQUIPMENT

a. Are scales for weighing luggage/baggage available ateach workstation?If not, is a scale within close proximity/distance to your work-station?

b. In cases where you have to move/carry luggage/bag-gage to a scale, are carts or other necessary equip-ment available to transport the luggage/baggage tothe scale?

c. Is the height of the cart or other equipment levelwith or the same as the luggage/baggage scale?If not, can the height of the cart or other equipment be adjustedto be level with the scale?

d. Do you have to lift luggage/baggage that exceeds 51pounds on a continuous basis, i.e., throughout yourwork shift? If so, are you able to ask for and receive assistance from a co-worker to lift and carry the luggage/baggage to the scale and/orluggage/baggage conveyor belt or other equipment?

e. Is conveyor equipment designed in such a mannerthat allows you to not have to lift and carry the lug-gage/baggage to the conveyor belt, i.e., by means ofelectronically activated conveyor equipment orrollers located at or adjacent to the workstation?

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No


f. Do you have to continuously lift and remove lug-gage/baggage to/from storage shelves?If so, for luggage/baggage that exceeds 51 pounds, are you ableto ask for and receive assistance from a co-worker to lift, move,and/or carry the luggage/baggage?

Are storage shelves designed in such a manner that allows you tonot have to lift, move, and/or carry luggage/baggage belowyour knees?

Above your shoulders?

g. Does the employer provide initial and refresher train-ing regarding proper lifting techniques?

7. CUSTOMER ASSIST EQUIPMENT

a. Are ergonomic or adjustable wheel chairs or assistequipment available to easily transport customersto/from the airplane? In instances when you have to assist customers to/from an air-plane seat, are you provided assist equipment that allows you toperform this task without suffering musculoskeletal discomfortor injury?

Also, when performing such customer assistance, are you able torequest and receive assistance from a co-worker?

b. Does the employer provide initial and refreshertraining regarding proper lifting techniques as wellas the use of assist equipment?

Should you have any questions or concerns after completing the questionnaire, please

contact or your Local President.

42 • CWA

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

l Yes l No

CHAPTER FIVE

Occupational Stressand the Airport Workplace

43 • CWA

Occupational stress is one of the majorhealth hazards of the modern work-

place (in which CWA members are em-ployed). It accounts for much of the physi-cal illness, substance abuse, and familyp roblems experienced by millions of blueand white-collar workers. Also, occupa-tional stress and stressful working condi-tions have been linked to low productivity,absenteeism, and increased rates of acci-dents on and off the job. The traditional re-sponse of management has been to “blamethe victim,” defining stress as an “individ-ual” or “personal” problem that workersbring from home to work. In contrast to thisa p p roach that blames people for their in-ability to fit into an inhumane work envi-ronment, it is important to analyze thestructure of job requirements and social re-lationships at work as the primary sourc e sof stress.

Job stress is a significant health and pro-ductivity issue for airport workers. The“2001 CWA US Airways Airport WorkplaceErgonomics Survey” included several ques-tions re g a rding stre s s - related health symp-toms. Overall, here is what the survey re-sults told us:

n 37% of respondents experienced irritabil-ity symptoms “often” or “always”;

n 35% of respondents said that they haddifficulty sleeping “often” or “always”;

n 41% of respondents reported that they ex-perienced symptoms of fatigue “often” or“always”;

n 21% of respondents indicated that theyexperienced symptoms of depre s s i o n“often” or “always”; and

n 27% said that they experienced symp-toms of anxiety “often” or “always.”

While the specific sources and the re-sulting health effects of stress vary amongpeople, the nature of the stress response isalways the same. The body has a normalmechanism for dealing with stressful situa-tions known as the “fight or flight” re-sponse. As soon as the brain senses danger,it send messages (electrical, chemical, andhormonal) that stimulate the extra energ yneeded to fight the danger or run awayfrom it. The “fight or flight” response is ex-tremely functional when we confront short-term specific dangers. When the danger orthe challenge subsides or is dealt with, thebody returns to a state of equilibrium.

To understand why exposure to stre s s ,especially prolonged stress, can cause illhealth, it is helpful to know what changestake place in the body during the “fight orflight” response. The heart starts beatingfaster in order to get more blood to themuscles; adrenaline and other hormonesa re released to provide more energy; addi-tional stomach acids are secreted; and respi-

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ration increases. To g e t h e r, all of thesechanges prepare the body for action. How-e v e r, when these bodily processes are con-stantly functioning our bodies are workingovertime. Under these circumstances, thee n t i re system weakens and the weakestspots or parts of the body are the first toshow signs or symptoms of stress andstrain. If the burden or stressor continuesfor long periods of time without adequateopportunities for rest or relaxation, the en-tire body may begin to break down.

N u m e rous investigations have shownthat job contro l and job demand a re dire c t l yrelated to the cause of occupational stre s s .Job control determines how much or howlittle control a worker has over her/his job;whereas job demand determines how muchor how few production or pro d u c t i v i t ypressures there are on the worker as well asthe quality of the physical work enviro n-ment. The more control a worker has overher/his job, the greater the likelihood thatshe/he will not suffer occupational stress.

Another important factor in the causa-tion of job stress is social support. By this,we mean a work environment where work-ers interact and communicate with andp rovide social support to one another. Italso implies a management style that issupportive of workers in performing theirwork safely, comfortably, and eff i c i e n t l y.Such management support includes pro-viding necessary physical, psychological,and social working conditions that allowworkers to function pro d u c t i v e l y. For ex-ample, workers who feel their employmentor job is threatened, or whose supervisorsberate them, or who feel they have no ef-fective recourse when abused by cus-tomers, are at increased risk of developings t re s s - related health problems. Thus, occu-pational or job stress is a threat to thehealth and well-being of individual work-ers and the organization of work.

Responses to Occupational StressC WA National and Local leaders have re-sponded to these demands and begun todevelop successful approaches to challenges t ressful working conditions. Some of thespecific strategies that have been used tofight occupational stress are:

n Educating the membership— C o n d u c t-ing classes or seminars on stress.

n Collective bargaining demands— N e g o-tiating over clauses such as notice abouti n t roduction of new technologies, stre s sdays off, additional breaks or micro -breaks, and more flexible attendance poli-cies that reduce the impact of job stre s son workers.

n Legislative and political action— I n t ro-ducing CWA - s p o n s o red legislation oncomputers and demands for incre a s e ds t a ffing levels in public sector work-places.

n Stress surveys—Documenting the linkbetween working conditions and nega-tive health effects.

Some examples of job control and job demandstressors include:

Job Control

n lack of control overyour work

n lack of recognitionfor work done

n job insecurity

n fear of layoffs

n harassment

n physical or psychological isolation frompeers

Job Demand

n contracting outwork

n fragmentation/jobde-classification

n poor ventilation andheating

n poor lighting

n forced overtime

n poor computer workstation

n monitoring (e.g.AWT standards)

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OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND THE AIRPORT WORKPLACE

n Medical screenings—Conducting union-s p o n s o red screenings for vision or hear-ing problems (generally can be arrangedwith local occupational health clinics ordoctors).

n Wo r k e r s ’ c o m p e n s a t i o n—Filing forworkers’ compensation benefits on behalfof workers.

While CWA recognizes that occupa-tional stress is a major problem in today’s“high tech” society, with the use of existings t ru c t u res, such as health and safety com-mittees, to address the issue of job stre s s ,local unions can begin to adopt cre a t i v estrategies to improve working conditions.The activities undertaken by these commit-tees have included some of the following:

n Conducting regular walk-around inspec-tions.

n Investigating incidents which might havebeen related to stress.

n Reviewing health, absenteeism, and otheravailable records.

n Training other committee members andstewards to recognize stressful situationsand workers suffering from stress.

n Reviewing and recommending changesin work practices and procedures for po-tential as stressors.

n Participating in training programs on jobstress and job design.

n Documenting activities and events re-lated to potential stressful situations.

n Educating the membership through theformation of discussion groups, via pub-lished news articles on job stress in unionpublications, and developing stre s s - re-lated materials for distribution to mem-bers and new employees during orienta-tion sessions.

n Conducting on-and off-the-job re l a x a t i o nand physical conditioning programs.

Local leader use of the suggested strate-gies to identify and minimize/eliminate jobs t ressors will help improve members’health and well-being. In addition, absen-teeism and lost-work time will significantlydecrease and productivity will increase, animportant concern to management.


1-Day Airport Workplace Ergonomics Training Evaluation

Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Local # _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Class Location _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Occupation _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1. Please describe briefly how this training class has been of benefit to you. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Please list the benefits you feel your members will derive from the informa-tion you will be sharing. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. How will this training assist you in improving the conditions within yourwork area? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4. Was the training material clear and easy to understand? If not, please explain. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5. Were there any topics omitted from this course that you feel should beadded? If so, please list them. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

6. In what way(s) can your local, district and/or national bargaining unit of-fice and the CWA Occupational Safety and Health Department in Washing-ton support you in your efforts? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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Airport Workplace Ergonomics Awareness Training Program · under very small forces. l4 Posture:...

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