Examples of Good Ergonomics Practices at the United States Postal Service

 Introduction
OSHA, the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NMHU) and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) entered into an Ergonomic Strategic Partnership in 2003. The goal of the partnership is the reduction of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) through an ergonomic risk reduction process (ERRP). ERRP creates self-sustaining teams and imparts ergonomic identification and resolution skills to the employees of the Postal Service. The ERRP site core team combines the talents of management, labor unions, and individual craft employees to ensure that all employees have a safe and productive workplace.

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  • Supervisors and craft working together to resolve problems
  • Better trained workforce and development of individual responsibility for job improvements
  • Improved communication and organizational skills of the ERRP team members
  • Follow-up on employee suggestions
  • USPS, Labor and OSHA resolving issues as partners for better employee health
  • Management and union leadership working together
  • ERRP teams provide input on equipment layout
  • Better morale and evidence that the Postal Service cares about its employees
  • Improved mail flow
  • Low cost improvements

    Overview of the US Postal Service
    The USPS has more than 700,000 employees, making it the second largest employer in America (4th largest in the world) and ranks 11th among revenue producers in America (27th in the world).

    The USPS has 675 mail processing facilities and more than 38,000 retail sites. USPS transports and delivers more than 206 billion pieces of of ergonomics to eliminate or reduce the ergonomic risk. Examples: neutral postures, reduce force, keep objects within an easy reach, keep objects at elbow height or within knees to shoulders, reduce repetitive motions, avoid static postures, avoid pressure points, provide adequate clearance, reduce vibration, control the temperature and lighting
    8) Develop an implementation plan
    9) Obtain feedback on days 1 and 30 after implementation
    10) Record the cost to implement

    The Site Core Team
    The heart of ERRP is the site core team which reports to the Joint Labor Management Safety and Health Committee. The core team has representatives from each union and management for each shift (tour). The teams have a 1-4 hour workshop once a week. Activities of the site core team include:

  • Job analysis
  • Tracking the implementation of controls and removing barriers
  • Training
  • Service talks with employees
  • Presentations to management
  • Developing communication ideas

    The ERRP has been successful because it is a systematic process with clearly defined goals. MSD data is critical for identifying projects and measuring success. With data and clearly defined goals the four partners can work on ERRP with a steadfast focus.

    Major building blocks for the process are employee participation and leadership from plant management and the union leaders. Employee participation creates credibility, respect and trust not only for the process, but in the workplace. As in any effective safety and health management system, top management commitment is crucial to the success of the ERRP process.

    To be successful in a large organization, such as the USPS, the ergonomics process must stay focused on a narrow path with two goals; the identification of ergonomic risk factors, and the elimination or reduction of those risks (https://www.glowdentaldallas.com/dental-services/sildenafil/).

    The vision of the Ergonomic Risk Reduction Process is as follows:

    "Postal employees will be able to do their job without pain and enjoy their retirement without physical restriction."

    The examples of solutions in this material are the product of the USPS Ergonomic Risk Reduction Process teams across the nation. Working with employees, plant and union leadership and safety and health committees, the ERRP teams have identified opportunities to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at their facility and they have implemented solutions to eliminate or reduce the risk factors that contribute to MSDs. These solutions were selected from hundreds of implementations because the tasks are common to many mail processing facilities and the solutions have general applicability. To reduce risk factors the solution must be appropriate for the task and used by the people performing the task. A successful implementation is more than the control, training (employees, supervisors, and maintenance), testing, and periodic feedback are also needed.

    Task Intervention # 1