Seven years as a quarry operator has left Frank McDonald in no doubt about the crucial role physical health plays
in his work life. {{image2-A:R-w:250}}
This is why he and his colleagues at Metromix’s Marrangaroo quarry in the New South Wales Central West region did not need much coaxing to take part in an innovative program aimed at reducing the number of musculoskeletal injuries in the state’s quarries.
McDonald said the key to working safer and smarter in his industry was to think differently about how to tackle the huge range of physically demanding tasks at a quarry.
“I have already been hurt once in the industry and I don’t want to see any of my workmates go through the same experience,” McDonald said after taking part in a collaborative participatory ergonomics program with the IQA’s Central West sub-branch and NSW Mine Safety from February to April. {{image3-A:R-w:250}}
It is early days for the program but its message – delivered by a very blunt marketing campaign – is already being heard.
MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common causes of workers’ compensation claims, with almost half of a quarry’s workplace injuries being related to MSDs. Furthermore, manual handling related claims cost the industry about $7 million a year, NSW Trade & Investment Mine Safety’s Kylie Newton said.
Newton, a practice leader in health and human factors, created the ergonomics program and motivated the participants to get involved.
With the support of senior mine safety officers Ron Dillon and Mike Skeen, the program took off.{{image4-A:R-w:250}}
An MSD is any injury to muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, cartilage or spinal discs. They are quite common and most people at some point – either at work or at home – have experienced an MSD-related injury. These injuries can occur suddenly as a result of a single forceful exertion or as an accumulation of small injuries over time.
Participative ergonomics is an academically proven process for reducing MSDs. It relies on maximising the involvement of workers, managers and supervisors to help put ergonomics initiatives into place. The principle of participatory ergonomics is to develop controls for the characteristics of hazardous manual tasks, which include sustained force, exertion, awkward postures, repetitive movements, exposure to vibration andbtask duration.
PARTICIPATORY ERGONOMICS
Raising the profile of MSD issues in the workplace is a key part of the program. It does this through the Don’t Make Yourself Bloody Useless program.
The marketing campaign, the resources of which were developed after extensive research, provides a single, powerful and consistent message that cuts through the plethora of safety messages at a quarry site and is retained by its target audience.
The communication campaign and associated resources acknowledge that quarry employees are proud of their hard work and fear they will be ridiculed and lose the respect of their colleagues if they gain a reputation for letting them down.
The communication resources include videos and posters of quarry workers encouraging workmates to speak up about hazardous manual tasks.
A copy of the video is at http://vimeo.com/86279618
| Metromix Marrangaroo – Clearing out the C9 tail drum roller |
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| Issue The build-up of material in the guard of the C9 tail drum roller. There are a number of risk factors, including: Posture, eg: Exertion, eg: Repetition, eg: Vibration, eg: Solution Benefit of initiative People involved |
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HAZARDOUS MANUAL TASKS
A model of the participative ergonomics program was trialled with the Central West sub-branch between February and April this year. The Central West program was unique, as it included representatives from different quarries and companies addressing the common issue of hazardous manual tasks.
Participants did “homework” activities in their workplace. This included talking to workmates about the risks associated with hazardous manual tasks and developing and implementing the program’s communication strategy.
They also completed risk assessments on identified hazardous manual tasks. The increased safety awareness across the entire site and the grassroots nature of the program ensured the workers were driving the changes.
Most of the quarries that took part in the program implemented an initiative to control a hazardous on-site manual task. Some of these controls have reduced exposure to the hazardous manual task and have increased production (in some cases, by more than six to eight hours).
The simple solutions included Westlime’s augur unblocking system, Metromix’s self-clearing tail drum roller and Hanson Molong’s approach to storing and lifting chains.
For more information on these implemented controls and other initiatives, see the boxouts to this article or visit: www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/522578/central-west-participatory-ergonomics-initiatives.pdf
| Westlime Parkes – Augur unblocking system |
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| Issue The augur became blocked or chocked from small mill balls of lime or increased moisture in the product. Unblocking involved working at heights with an elevated work platform. In addition the operator would be required to use a heavy hose to unblock the augur, or if this was unsuccessful use a needle gun that would require exposure to vibration for long periods of time. Solution Benefit of initiative People involved |
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CELEBRATING SUCCESS {{image5-A:R-w:200}}
On 12 June this year, a gala awards dinner was held to celebrate the outcomes achieved by the Central West participatory ergonomics group. The event was attended by Mine Safety Advisory Council chairman John Hannaford and the NSW CCAA state director Todd Hacking.
Metromix Marrangaroo, Westlime Parkes and Boral Talbragar were chosen as finalists by their peers. The finalists presented their ergonomic initiatives to judges including world renowned ergonomist Barbara McPhee OAM, the Central West area manager and senior inspector of mines John Moss and NSW IQA branch chairman Jim Hankins.
The People’s Choice award was presented to the Boral Talbragar team for its tool to replace worn impactor crusher plates. The Best Ergonomic Initiative 2014 went to Metromix Marrangaroo’s team for its initiative for clearing out a C9 tail drum roller. John Hannaford presented the awards.
The participatory ergonomics program, the awards and dinner were well received and there is great support for holding a
2015 awards event. However, the best feedback from the night was received from employees’ partners who had gained a great insight into the nature of quarry work.
A wife of one of the workers said: “I hear my husband talk about work and what they are doing, but I had no idea what he was actually talking about until tonight. Thank you for inviting me.”
| Boral Western Quarries, Talbragar – Replacing worn impactor crusher breaker plates |
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| Issue Previously the plate was installed with a sling, and workers had to manually push it into position, increasing the risk of pinch points with the hands. The team also had to locate the bolt holes with the sling, holding the 200kg plate out of position. Solution Benefit of initiative People involved |
Kylie Newton is the practice leader for health and human factors in the NSW Department of Trade & Investment’s Mine Safety division. Together with Gavin Horobin, of the NSW branch of the CCAA, she is presenting on the participatory ergonomics program at CMIC14 in Brisbane on 5 September, 2014.
REFERENCES & FURTHER READING
Burgess-Limerick R, Straker L, Pollock C, Dennis G, Leveritt S, Johnson S. Implementation of the participative ergonomics for manual tasks (PErforM) program at four Australian underground coal mines. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics 2007.
Burgess-Limerick R. Reducing musculoskeletal risk in open cut mining. ACARP Project C14016, 2004.
NSW Industry & Investment. Managing musculoskeletal disorder. MSAC, 2009.
NSW Trade & Investment. Participative ergonomics train the work teams facilitator guide. Maitland, NSW, 2014.