Synopsis:

Spacing 1 gallon pots using a pinch grip.

The University of California is conducting a three year intervention trial in cooperation with commercial nurseries to use engineering controls to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders among workers performing selected highly repetitive lifting an carrying tasks. Previously the UC team identified eighty-five such injuries involving 1246 lost work days among the cooperating pool of 1290 workers for the years 1993 and 1994. The team and cooperators then selected specific high risk jobs for intervention. A set of hand tools for carrying and moving plant containers were developed along with workstation redesign in one job. These engineering controls are now being subjected to a twelve month cooperative intervention trial, after which their effect on incidence of musculoskeletal disorders and related symptoms associated with these jobs will be evaluated.

Results:

John Miles demonstrating one version of a spacing tool.

The Nursery Project has been successful in many ways, especially its productive relationship with the cooperating nurseries. From injury records to interviews, from input to ideas, their participation has been invaluable to the current results that have been and will be published. A major success of this project is the widespread acceptability of a large number of tools and systems developed. In fact, perhaps even greater is the motivation and inspiration of the cooperators to pursue additional improve ments on their own volition.

Shown here are a variety of additional tools and systems developed in this project, most of which are currently undergoing extended trials.

Measuring maximum voluntary grip on tool with Chatillon Dynamometer.

Worker using one version of a five gallon tool.

Another version of a five gallon tool.

AutoCAD renderings of nursery tool designs:

Two-to-five gallon Point-Pick with BackSide-Grip.

Two-to-five gallon Point-Pick with a Curve-Grip that

is interchangeable with a BackSide-Grip.

 Five-gallon C-Clip tool, with forward grip only

due to center-of-gravity effects.

One-gallon 41-Carrier with Curve-Grip. Separate tool can be

manufactured with an Adjusta-Grip (vertically adjustable grip). Tool

can also be made in a 3-can format.

  One-gallon Skip-Spacer tool with an Adjusta-Grip. Separate tool can be manufactured with a

Curve-Grip as shown in the previous image of the 41-Carrier. Tool can also be made in a

30-can format.

Please see Papers & Articles for relevant articles.