The Re-Employment of Workers with CTD in a Metal-Mechanical Industry

Abstract

This paper has the aim of showing the procedures to change the work place of workers with musculo-skeletal disorders of the upper limbs in a company from the metal mechanical area. From 18 workers who presented lesions, 12 returned to their work places in compatible activities observing the OCRA risk index criteria (action frequency, posture, force, pause and risk additional factors). To define the new position for the worker with CTD, the work place must correspond to the labor capacity of this worker. They can choose from work places which will obey the medical and ergonomical assessment criteria. The performance of the activities of these workers will be periodically followed according to the Embraco ergonomical process. First of all, a meeting was set up with the workers with CTD and with the other workers in the department where they will develop their activities, everybody has to be aware of the process of changing work places. Supervisors and ergonomics team also take part in the meeting. In this meeting they receive information about the employee's labor condition so that everybody helps with operational difficulties and stimulating a quick reintegration. 15 days after the activities have been started, the worker is interviewed about the new work place and he (she) does an auto-assessment about the new activities which he (she) is doing, using a perceptive subjective scale with points from 1 to 10. The second assessment is done after six months. During this period the worker is followed fortnightly visiting his/her work place and he is invited to go to the health and working environment department, when it is necessary. The first results were positive. We got a significant improvement in the pathological situation of the workers with CTD, allowing the gradual return to their normal activities.