Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-83-205-1702, United Uniform Company of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee.
Authors
Crandall-MS; Singal-M; Habes-DJ
Source
NIOSH 1986 Jun; :1-21
Abstract
An employee representative at the United Uniform Manufacturing Company of Memphis (SIC-2328), Memphis, Tennessee requested an evaluation related to cumulative trauma disorders including aching, numbness, clumsiness, and swelling of the wrist and hands. Of about 125 workers at the facility, 85 to 90 were sewing machine operators engaged in the manufacture of work uniforms. The various jobs performed were divided into high, medium, and low risk jobs for this type of symptom to develop. In a questionnaire completed by 64 employees, neck, shoulder, and arm pain were commonly reported by sewers, but the medium/high risk group did not have significantly higher prevalences than either the low risk group or the unevaluated group. For only two of the nine specific hand/wrist symptoms did the medium/high risk group have a prevalence numerically greater than the low risk group, but in neither case was the difference statistically significant. Ergonomically there were only three jobs evaluated as high risk for development of carpal tunnel syndrome, but these jobs were not proven to be hazardous in this study. The authors conclude that the epidemiologic and ergonomic data do not indicate a health hazard at this facility. No differences in risk were documented between jobs with different risk levels. Recommendations are offered concerning the physical comfort of the workers through improved equipment design or work flow process.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; Region-4; HETA-83-205-1702; Hazard-Unconfirmed; Sewing-machine-operators; Clothing; Textiles-industry; Muscular-disorders; Musculoskeletal-system
Document Type
Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance; Field Studies
NTIS Accession No.
PB87-106498
Identifying No.
HETA-83-205-1702
Priority Area
Musculoskeletal-system
Source Name
Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cincinnati, Ohio, Report No. HETA-83-205-1702, 21 pages, 14 references
