Case Study – A recipe for success: How an employer is effectively managing the risk of MSIs

Through engaging and communicating with kitchen staff, this employer realized their cooks had concerns regarding the height of some of the kitchen equipment. The kitchen supervisor had established open lines of communication to receive feedback from staff. The supervisor took an active and visible role to understand the risks and reached-out for assistance to conduct an ergonomic evaluation in the kitchen.

The supervisor engaged the cooks to understand  how the blender, steam trays, and the mincer machine were being used and the specific concerns the workers had about using them.

With the assistance of the Ergonomics team at WorkSafeBC, the staff and supervisor identified and assessed risk factors that were causing discomfort, including awkward postures, forceful exertions repetitive movements, forceful pinch grip, and task duration.

The height of the blender on the counter resulted in awkward postures. Workers had to pour soups from cans into the blender with elbows at/above shoulder height. Multiple cans of soup are scraped into the blender up to eight times per meal requiring workers to lift 100-oz liquid bean cans, putting additional static force on shoulder and arm muscles.

The steamer station required workers to grab the lip of the steam tray with their fingertips and lift using a pinch grip causing awkward and forceful movements.

The mincer station required workers to statically hold a tray in place to capture the food being minced. The workers scooped food from a dish repetitively into the mincer machine, forcing awkward and repetitive working postures.

After identifying the workplace sources of risk factors, the facility maintenance personnel was invited to join the conversation to explore what changes might be possible to improve working heights to address the identified risk factors.

Solutions included:

• Lowering the counters
• Moving items infrequently used to provide space for items that are more frequently used
• Purchasing a tool to help lift the trays of steam
• Evaluating and designing a new workstation layout that includes:
• Different shelving units
• Mocking-up a new location at optimal height for using the blender
• Relocating the fridge to improve postures when using the mincer machine
• Relocating items stored under the mincer machine to lower it to an optimal working height
• Purchasing a new, modern mincer with lower attachments
• Supplying a stand or means to support food being minced

Elements of successful preparation

• Employer consulted and engaged staff and external resources to understand and address staff concerns.
• Supervisor arranged a timely follow-up to address concerns.
• Supervisor had established the scope.
• Supervisor understood both the day-to-day aspects of the job as well as specific concerns.
• Photos and measurements and contextual factors were recorded with workers’ input and consent.
• The employer invited the participation of workers, maintenance staff, and WorkSafeBC to develop effective solutions to improve working postures in the kitchen.
• The supervisor was proactive to provide time and resources to address concerns.
• The employer was transparent and responsive throughout the process.
• The supervisor, workers, and maintenance staff were actively engaged in learning.

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Preparing to manage MSI in 3 key steps

• Managing MSI risk
• Step 1 - Commit
• Step 2 - Plan
• Step 3 - Engage
• Case study - A recipe for sucess: How an employer is effectively managing the risk of MSIs

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For resources, please visit worksafebc.com/ergonomics. If you have questions about ergonomics or human factors, or need help managing the risk of MSI in your workplace, please contact us at HumanFactors@worksafebc.com