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Croissant curling

This case study shows a worker curling croissants into a crescent and pinching the ends together. Before reading this, it may be useful to read the "try it out" overview[79] if you have not already.

Task description

  • The worker curls croissants into a crescent and pinches the ends together.
  • The worker curls about 50 – 60 croissants per minute.
  • Croissants weigh 60g each. There is no indication of any particular force required.
  • The shift pattern is 07:00 – 15:30 with one 50 minute break at 09:00 and one 30 minute break at 13:30
  • Workers carry out this task daily. They rotate to other similar hand intensive tasks throughout their shift. However, for the purposes of this assessment, assume that workers perform this task for the whole shift.
  • Pinching the work piece causes cramping in the right hand and fingers.
  • This work is carried out in a cold environment.

Croissant curling video - A food production line worker, curling croissants.[80]

Before you begin the assessment, watch the video for a few minutes to become familiar with the task and view the task from different angles.

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 is almost continuous movement of the arms.

A2. Repetition

About 50 - 60 croissants are curled per minute, each one requiring a similar pattern of motion.

B. Force

The croissants are very light, and there is no indication that any force is required.

C1. Head / neck posture

For most workers, their head/neck remains in a fairly neutral posture.


Some workers (at the rear) do have to look downwards and have a bent head/neck for more than half the time. This is likely due to differences in reach distance and the height of the workers. For this reason, Red 2 is scored.

C2. Back posture

For all of the workers featured in the video, their backs are in an almost neutral posture with no significant leaning, twisting or stooping.

C3. Arm posture

To reach across the conveyor, the arms are raised away from the body and the elbows are at about chest height for more than half the time.

C4. Wrist posture

Looking at the first part of the video, the right wrist is bent for more than half the time.


The left wrist is deviated for a part of the time when reaching for the croissant.

C5. Hand / finger grip

The right hands uses a pinch grip for more than half the time to press the croissant. The left hand does not grip the croissant firmly or awkwardly.

D1. Breaks

The longest duration of work without a break occurs between 9.50am and 1.30pm. This is greater than 3 hours and so is scored Red 6.

D2. Work pace

The workers report that they sometimes find it difficult to keep up with the pace of work.

D3. Other factors

The work is carried out in a chilled environment. The worker also reports that pressing the croissant causes cramping in the right hand.


There are two factors present for the right hand , scoring Red 2. There is only the one factor present for the left hand, scoring Amber 1.

Task score

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


For example:

6 + 6 + 0 + 2 + 0 + 4 + 1 + 0 + 6 + 1 + 1 = 27

D4. Duration multiplier

The worker performs the task for about 7 hours per day, so the duration multiplier is 1.

Exposure score

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


For example:

27 x 1 = 27


The exposure score can be interpreted using the table of exposure levels[81].

Possible solutions to consider

Improve posture

Narrowing the conveyor would reduce the reach to the croissants on the centre of the conveyor.

Raising the conveyor could help reduce bent head/neck postures of taller workers. If this considered, raised working platforms for shorter workers would be needed to enable easier reach to the conveyor.

Provide sit-stand workstations where possible to alleviate fatigue in the lower limbs.

Reduce exposure

Task rotation to different tasks would reduce an individual's exposure to the risk factors associated with the repetitive movement.

If the additional tasks do not involve similar repetitive arm movements, task rotation would provide an opportunity for recovery and reduce the amount of time that workers perform the task without a break (reducing the score for this risk factor).

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. Croissant curling video - A food production line worker, curling croissants.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nln3-laOlfo
  81. table of exposure levelshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/uld/art/scoresmean.htm
  82. Download the ART tool https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg438.pdf
  83. Upper limb disorders in the workplacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg60.htm

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Updated: 2023-11-15