Pneumatic Impact Wrenches And Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs)

Pneumatic Impact Wrenches Ergonomics

Pneumatic impact wrenches is an electric powered hand tool that is commonly used in vehicle maintenance facility. This tool is likely to subject the user into a number of ergonomic hazards that include numbness, nerve issues, and musculosketal pain. Other hazards that are related to the pneumatic impact wrench include wrist and hand injuries, probable electrical injuries due to electrocution in case the tool is faulty,  and exposure to dust. Nevertheless, the most serious possible ergonomic hazard is the work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). To protect workers using pneumatic impact wrenches from WMSDs the ergonomics team should ensure that the wrench are ergonomically designed to assist in reducing injuries, fatigue and in enhancing the general tool efficiency. Some of the design aspect to check on includes handle length which should be long enough to enhance proper grip. The hand should not be smooth; it should have some curves or roughness to enhance the grip. The tool diameter should match the users hand size to ensure that one can grip the tool easily and comfortably with one hand. The tool should be light enough to be held by the hand for a length time period (Hytorc, 2017).

Read also Analysis of Musculoskeletal Disorders

In addition to this, the ergonomics team should ensure that the pneumatic impact wrenches are in good working condition at all times to lower exposure time to vibrating surfaces. Workers using this tool should also be offered protective clothing that includes gloves to protect them from hand injuries. The team should also ensure that only workers well trained in handling this tool uses it. This will help in reducing preventable injuries due to improper use of the tool. The team should also define maximum working hours for individuals handling this tool. This will assist in limiting the time one is exposed to vibration per day, reducing health complications that can take place due to prolonged exposure to vibration (Stack, Ostrom& Wilhelmsen, 2016).

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