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Whisky carton assembly

This case study shows a worker assembling a carton, using a glue gun to attach the base to the carton. Before reading this, it may be useful to read the "try it out" overview[79] if you have not already.

Task description

  • The worker assembles a card carton. The worker picks a flat card, opens it up, places it on a form, and then uses a glue gun to attach the base to the carton.
  • The worker repeats the task about every 10 seconds. The worker sets their own pace of work and reports they do not have difficulty keeping up with the work.
  • The card weighs less than 1 gram and the glue gun weighs 66 grams. There is no indication of any particular force required.
  • The shift pattern is 07:00 – 19:00 with a one hour break at 13:00 and two 30 minute breaks at 09:45 and 16:30.
  • The task is carried out daily.

Scores

Hover over individual rows for an explanation of each risk score.

Whiskey box gluing scores elaborated Arm movements Repetition Force Head / neck posture Back posture Arm posture Wrist posture Hand / finger grip Breaks Work pace Other factors Task score Duration multiplier Exposure score

A1. Arm movements

There are regular arm movements with some pauses.


The right arm has fewer pauses than the left arm so the right arm was given the slightly greater score of Amber 4.

A2. Repetition

The task repeats about every 10 seconds, but there are two or three similar motion patterns during each cycle (eg the right hand reaches to the right both to pick up the cardboard sleeve and the glue gun). For this reason, an Amber 3 is scored.

B. Force

The cardboard sleeves and glue gun are very light, and there is no indication of any particular force required.

C1. Head / neck posture

The worker's head/neck is bent for part of the time when looking down to glue the bottom of the box.

C2. Back posture

The worker's back is in a neutral straight posture with no significant leaning, twisting or stooping.

C3. Arm posture

The right elbow is raised to about chest height for a part of the time, when lifting the card from the box and, at times, when gluing the end of the carton.


The left elbow is raised to chest height for a part of the time when lifting the carton from the form and placing it on to the tray.

C4. Wrist posture

The right wrist is bent and deviated for a part of the time when using the glue gun.


The left wrist is bent back for a part of the time when picking up the assembled carton and placing it on the tray.

C5. Hand / finger grip

The right and left hands use a combination of pinch grip and wide finger grip for a part of the time, when handling the card.

D1. Breaks

The longest duration of work without a break occurs between 10.15 and 13.00. This is greater than 2 hours and so the score is Amber 4.

D2. Work pace

The workers set their own pace of work and report that they do not have difficulty keeping up with the work.

D3. Other factors

The work is carried out in a well lit environment and there are no other factors report ed.

Task score

The task score, calculated for each arm separately, is the sum of the scores of all the risk factors.


For example:

3 + 3 + 0 + 1 + 0 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 + 0 + 0 = 15

D4. Duration multiplier

The task is performed for 10 hours per day and so the duration multiplier is 1.5.

Exposure score

The exposure score, calculated for each arm separately, is found by multiplying the task score by the duration multiplier.


For example:

15 x 1.5 = 22.5


The exposure score can be interpreted using the table of exposure levels[80].

Possible solutions to consider

Automation and mechanisation

It is likely that this task could be automated. However, this may not be a cost-effective solution if there is not a sufficient return on investment.

Reduce exposure

Job rotation or job enlargement could reduce workers' exposure to the risk factors identified in the assessment.

Improve posture

Reduce awkward reaching by bringing work pieces closer with the use of a rack or shelving and reduce awkward wrist and hand postures by improving access to the work pieces. For example, it's estimated that the worker performs 7,200 reaching actions each day just to pick up and put down the glue gun on the table.

Thus even minor improvements to how the glue gun is accessed could have a considerable effect on both work demands and productivity.

Link URLs in this page

  1. MSDshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/msds.htm
  2. Back painhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/backpain/index.htm
  3. Upper limb disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/index.htm
  4. Lower limb disorders https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/lld/index.htm
  5. Display screen equipment (DSE)https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/dse/index.htm
  6. Manual handling at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/manual-handling/index.htm
  7. Overview - MSD toolkithttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/toolkit.htm
  8. Overview - MAC toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/index.htm
  9. Introduction to MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/introduction.htm
  10. Developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/development.htm
  11. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/scoresheet.htm
  12. Overview - Liftinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftintro.htm
  13. Lifting from pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid1.htm
  14. Lifting creels of wire videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/liftvid2.htm
  15. Lifting control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance01a.htm
  16. Overview - Carryinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryintro.htm
  17. Carrying from conveyor videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid1.htm
  18. Carrying task in pastry factory videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/carryvid2.htm
  19. Carrying control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance02a.htm
  20. Overview - Team handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamintro.htm
  21. Team handling pallet videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid1.htm
  22. Team handling container videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/teamvid2.htm
  23. Team handling control measureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/guidance03a.htm
  24. Psychosocial risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/psychosocial.htm
  25. Individual differenceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/individuals.htm
  26. MAC assessment tipshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/tips.htm
  27. MAC FAQhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/faq.htm
  28. Overview - V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/index.htm
  29. Advantages and limitationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/1-advantages-limitations.htm
  30. What you need to knowhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/2-what-you-need-to-know-before.htm
  31. How to use the V-MAChttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/3-how-to-use.htm
  32. Which jobs and workers to assesshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/4-which-jobs-workers-to-assess.htm
  33. Entering datahttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/5-entering-data.htm
  34. What does the V-MAC tell you?https://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/6-what-does-vmac-tell-you.htm
  35. Values in the summary tablehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/7-summary-tables.htm
  36. Recording and usinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/8-recording-and-using.htm
  37. Worked exampleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/9-worked-examples.htm
  38. V-MAC FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/mac/vmac/10-faqs.htm
  39. Overview - ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/index.htm
  40. What is the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/whatis.htm
  41. Overview - Learning to use the ART toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/learning.htm
  42. Preparationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/preparation.htm
  43. Risk factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/riskfactors.htm
  44. Observationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/observation.htm
  45. Overview - Making an assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessment.htm
  46. Task descriptionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/task.htm
  47. Overview - Assessment guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/assessguide.htm
  48. A. Frequency and repetition of movementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/freqrep.htm
  49. B. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/forceassessment.htm
  50. C. Awkward postureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/awkpostures.htm
  51. D. Additional factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/addfactors.htm
  52. Score sheethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/score.htm
  53. A walkthroughhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/walkthrough.htm
  54. Overview - Try it outhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/try.htm
  55. Book bindinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/bookbinding.htm
  56. Jogging sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/jogging.htm
  57. Collating papershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/papers.htm
  58. Whisky carton assemblyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/cartonassembly.htm
  59. Croissant curlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/croissant.htm
  60. Overview - Analysis and actionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/analysis.htm
  61. What the scores meanhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/scoresmean.htm
  62. Analysing task rotationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/rotation.htm
  63. Overview - Taking actionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/action.htm
  64. Repetitionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/repetition.htm
  65. Forcehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/force.htm
  66. Posturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/posture.htm
  67. Durationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/duration.htm
  68. Physical environmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/environment.htm
  69. Psychosocial issueshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/psychosocial.htm
  70. Art Tool Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/resources.htm
  71. Frequently asked questionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/uld/art/faq.htm
  72. Overview - RAPP toolhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/index.htm
  73. Push/pull riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/risks.htm
  74. Push/pull risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/pushpull/assessment.htm
  75. The lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/legislation.htm
  76. Health monitoringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/health-monitoring.htm
  77. Workershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/workers-msds.htm
  78. Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/MSd/resources.htm
  79. read the "try it out" overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/uld/art/try.htm
  80. table of exposure levelshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/uld/art/scoresmean.htm
  81. Download the ART tool https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg438.pdf
  82. Upper limb disorders in the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg60.htm

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Updated: 2021-01-27