Collating papers
This case study shows a worker collating pages together into a document, which will eventually be bound together. Before reading this, it may be useful to read the "try it out" overview if you have not already.
Task description
- The worker collates pages together into a document, which will eventually be bound together.
- There are 14 pages in each document and about 5 documents are made per minute.
- There is no indication of any particular force.
- The work shift is from 07:45am to 4:30pm with a 15 minute break at 09:45 and a 30 minute break at 12:15. There are no other formal breaks
- The worker sets her own pace and does not find it difficult to keep up with the work.
- For the purposes of this assessment, assume there is no task rotation.
Collating papers video - A worker collating paper pages of a document.
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.
A1. Arm movements
There is almost continuous arm movement.
A2. Repetition
There are 14 similar motion patterns within a cycle time of about 12 seconds, so this factor is scored Red 6.
B. Force
There is no indication of any particular force involved in this task.
C1. Head / neck posture
The worker's head/neck is bent for more than half the time when looking down at the papers.
C2. Back posture
The worker's back is twisted for more than half the time when walking in either direction.
C3. Arm posture
The hands are at about waist height and the elbows are close to the body.
C4. Wrist posture
The left wrist extends back for part of the time when picking papers.
The right wrist is flexed forward for a part of the time when holding the papers.
C5. Hand / finger grip
The right hand holds the papers in a pinch grip for more than half the time.
The left hand does not grip awkwardly.
D1. Breaks
The longest duration of work without a break occurs between 12.45 and 4.30pm. This is greater than 3 hours duration, so this factor is scored Red 6.
D2. Work pace
The worker sets their own pace and reports that it is not difficult to keep up with the work.
D3. Other factors
The work is carried out in a well lit environment, and there are no other factors reported.
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 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 0 + 6 + 0 + 0 = 23
D4. Duration multiplier
The worker performs the task for 8 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:
23 x 1 = 23
The exposure score can be interpreted using the table of exposure levels.
Possible solutions to consider
Automation and mechanisation
The high rate of repetition is one of the key risk factors with this task. If this were a daily activity or a long production run an automatic collator could be used to do this task and leave the workers to do other better jobs.
Reduce exposure
Job rotation would reduce an individual's exposure to the risk factors mentioned in the risk assessment.
Adding extra activities to the job (job enlargement) could provide more variety in posture and speed of work. If these activities are different enough, they could reduce the scores assigned to several factors such as arm movements, repetition, and breaks. Regular breaks from this task would be essential if this task were performed all day.