Ergo awareness helps Constellation Energy reduce MSDs

Abstract from CTD News: April 2008, Vol. 17 No. 4

When many employers hear the term “ergonomics,” computer keyboards, adjustable workstations, and other office-related tools are usually the first things to come to mind. That was the case for Constellation Energy, one of the nation’s largest wholesale power sellers, when the company decided to address the issue at its generating facilities.

“For most of our people, their understanding of ergonomics was very simple,” said Lou Rotella, director of safety and health for Constellation’s Generation Group. “They thought it only dealt with the office environment and computer workstations.” Rotella said perceptions began to change when the company brought in consultants from Ergonomic Technologies Corporation.

“We had some training sessions where we went out into the plants and saw how ergonomic principles really applied to our workers,” he said. “We began to look at jobs differently.” After launching an ergonomics committee, Rotella began tackling problem jobs throughout the company’s fossil and nuclear power generating facilities. Although management was initially concerned about the expense of implementing an ergonomics initiative, Rotella said those fears were quickly calmed when the company learned how effective simple, low-cost solutions could be. For example, one of the most successful changes involved providing new equipment for Constellation’s nuclear security workers. “These workers were required to carry around a lot of paraphernalia on their person, such as a weapon, respirator and other devices,” he said. “They were carrying this equipment on a belt around the waist, which was placing a lot of excessive weight and stress on their backs. We provided them with a vest instead, which enabled them to distribute the weight of the objects on their bodies.” Rotella said the company allowed the guards to test the vests and participate in the selection process. Once the vest had been approved, Constellation rolled out the program at three nuclear plants. The company discovered several other simple solutions. At one of Constellation’s fossil plants, an employee who operated a front end loader had complained of arm and wrist strain. The company discovered that the pain was a result of a joystick that had a high level of resistance, which caused the employee to exert a significant level of force to operate the equipment. The company solved that problem by contacting the manufacturer of the machine and replacing the mechanism with a joystick that required less force to operate. “I think the biggest learning experience for us all was that these corrective items were not costly, but simple fixes,” he said. “All of a sudden we began to understand how ergonomics applied to our workplace, to those individuals working out in the field, and it was a major awakening.”

Conduct an initial audit

To determine if your new ergonomics initiative is working, it is important to initiate an audit trail. The process can be as simple as taking several of the incidents you may see listed on a company’s annual summary of occupational injuries and illnesses, and tracking back through applicable company reports or programs.

Constellation has seen success from its ergonomics and health and safety initiatives, Rotella said. Last year, the company slashed its Occupational Safety and Health Administration recordable injuries to 10, across a fleet of more than 2,500 employees.

Use solutions to bolster program

Rotella attributed the success of the program to several factors, including strong commitment from Constellation’s management and an increasing awareness by employees of the relationship between the human body and the work environment. Rotella said the important lessons he has learned since the program’s inceptions, is that it is crucial to:

• Make communication a priority. “Communication was a critical aspect of the program,” Rotella said. “A big part to creating awareness is making sure that everyone knows what is going on, and that they feel like they are part of the program.” Rotella said the company worked closely with Constellation’s communications department to create articles on ergonomics and safety for its corporate magazine that is distributed among all employees.

• Work closely with management. “Work with your management team and make sure they understand what is going on,” he said. “Keep them up to date on your program and appraised of the program’s successes. There is often the impression that management doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a program, but that is part of the education. They must understand that oftentimes a lot of money doesn’t need to be spent if the program is implemented properly. Also, more productivity will be generated.”

• Learn how to apply your successes elsewhere. “When lessons are learned, it is important to look at how you apply them,” Rotella said. “The realization with our ergo assessment program was that we could apply it to other departments, so that it is not just an isolated case. Always be looking for where you can apply your successful initiatives.”