CIEE Ergonomic Intervention & Solutions 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A cost-benefit analysis of an ergonomic intervention should include which indirect cost category?
- Purchase price of new equipment
- OSHA penalty amounts
- Reduced productivity and retraining costs following injuries (Correct answer)
- Depreciation of replaced equipment only
Correct answer: Reduced productivity and retraining costs following injuries
Indirect costs such as lost productivity, replacement worker training, and administrative time often exceed direct medical costs and must be included for accurate ROI analysis.
Question 2: Which lighting intervention most directly reduces visual fatigue for fine inspection tasks?
- Increasing overall ambient light to maximum lux
- Providing adjustable task lighting directed at the inspection surface (Correct answer)
- Installing blue-spectrum overhead fluorescents
- Reducing workstation light to minimize glare
Correct answer: Providing adjustable task lighting directed at the inspection surface
Adjustable task lighting delivers high-intensity illumination exactly where needed without increasing ambient glare, supporting visual acuity for detail work.
Question 3: A production supervisor suggests reducing MSD risk by giving workers more autonomy over their pace. This intervention is classified as:
- Engineering control
- Substitution
- Administrative control (Correct answer)
- Elimination
Correct answer: Administrative control
Changing work organization, schedules, or pace authority without altering the physical environment is an administrative control.
Question 4: Which ergonomic intervention is most appropriate for reducing pinch-grip force during parts assembly?
- Issuing thinner work gloves
- Redesigning the fixture to allow a power grip instead of a pinch grip (Correct answer)
- Rotating workers every 90 minutes
- Adding grip-strengthening exercises to the wellness program
Correct answer: Redesigning the fixture to allow a power grip instead of a pinch grip
Redesigning fixtures to accommodate a power grip distributes force across the full hand, dramatically reducing pinch-force demands at the source.
Question 5: When implementing a new ergonomic tool in a facility, pilot testing with a small user group prior to full rollout is valuable because:
- It reduces procurement costs by ordering fewer units
- It identifies unforeseen usability issues and gathers worker feedback before wide deployment (Correct answer)
- It satisfies OSHA mandatory pre-approval requirements
- It allows management to observe worker productivity trends
Correct answer: It identifies unforeseen usability issues and gathers worker feedback before wide deployment
Pilot testing reveals unexpected fit, function, or acceptance problems in real conditions, allowing refinements before costly full-scale implementation.
Question 6: Footrests are recommended for seated workers primarily when:
- The worker uses a standing-only workstation
- Feet do not reach the floor after the seat height is adjusted for proper armrest position (Correct answer)
- Workers complain of knee pain after extended walking
- The workstation has a fixed-height keyboard tray
Correct answer: Feet do not reach the floor after the seat height is adjusted for proper armrest position
A footrest supports the feet when the seat must be raised to align elbows with the work surface, preventing dangling legs that create pressure under the thighs.
Question 7: An ergonomic evaluation reveals that noise levels cause workers to increase grip force on tools to better 'feel' feedback. The recommended primary intervention is:
- Provide vibrotactile feedback gloves
- Reduce ambient noise through engineering controls (barriers, absorption panels) (Correct answer)
- Train workers to ignore noise and trust visual feedback
- Issue hearing protection and accept the increased grip force
Correct answer: Reduce ambient noise through engineering controls (barriers, absorption panels)
Reducing noise through engineering controls eliminates the root cause of the compensatory grip increase; addressing the noise is both an ergonomic and occupational health solution.
CIEE Ergonomic Intervention & Solutions 5
A cost-benefit analysis of an ergonomic intervention should include which indirect cost category?