The Ultimate Guide to Torque Ergonomics - Blog | Mountz Torque Tips & Solutions

Have you ever seen someone dig a hole the wrong way? It usually involves a lot of grunting and sweating, herky-jerky motions, scraping, banging, and not a lot of dirt getting moved. While it seems like hoeing, picking, and shoveling should be the easiest thing in the world, if you go to try it, you’ll learn that some motions move a lot more dirt with less effort than other motions.

The same is true for nearly any job you can think of. Whether you’re tightening bolts on an assembly line or putting together data line-by-line in a spreadsheet, certain motions and methods of working will be more effective than others. Using the wrong motion, like lifting heavy weights using your lower back extensors and twisting to place them down, can lead to sudden injury. Other motions, like typing with bent wrists, can lead to delayed and accumulated injury.

Preventing workplace injuries and improving workplace efficiency are top priorities for manufacturers. Especially when using heavy tools, like air wrenches and nutrunners, it’s essential for manufacturers to understand and mitigate torque ergonomics.

What is Torque Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the science of matching the capabilities of the human body to certain job functions. It considers the best way to lift boxes, lay pipe, cut trees, work in an office environment, and handle heavy torque tools, as well as many other applications. By studying ergonomics, researchers can identify which motions will lead to injury, either in the moment or over time.

Because workers can be tasked with performing the same repetitive motions in their jobs for years or longer, ergonomics closely studies the effects of labor over time. Often, small amounts of force repeated continuously for long periods can damage or degrade the muscles, joints, and skeletal structure.

In addition to researching the causes of workplace injuries, ergonomics seeks remedies to prevent or mitigate their effects. This includes best practices for motion and posture, and physical remedies, like stretching and taking breaks. It also includes mechanical remedies, such as using rigid arms to hold heavy tools and absorb their reaction force.

Who Researches Ergonomics?

Many interested parties research ergonomics. On a basic, unofficial level, experienced workers research ergonomics by learning to maximize the motions of their craft or trade. Companies, particularly large ones, also research or contribute to the research of ergonomics in order to develop best practices for safe workplaces. Non-profits, academic institutions, and government researchers investigate ergonomics as well, as they want to better understand the human body and improve the physical well-being of workers.

The research generated by government agencies, academic institutions, and other parties is used by companies to develop guidelines and training programs designed to improve worker health. It is also used by companies who manufacture ergonomic devices to enhance worker safety and productivity.

Are Workplace Ergonomics Regulated?

While specific regulations detailing ergonomic systems and solutions for workers are not laid down in the law, workplace safety is regulated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers have a duty to provide a safe workplace for their employees. The relevant clause states:

(a) Each employer —

(1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.

Since serious physical harm can arise from failing to provide ergonomic solutions to employees and since the study of ergonomics has identified many workplace hazards—including torque reaction and repetitive motion—an employer could be held liable for injuries to their employees due to a lack of proper ergonomic safety training or equipment.

What Ergonomic Issues Arise from Applying Torque?

Over time, using tools to apply fasteners can harm a person’s joints, nerves, ligaments, muscles, and bones. Heavy tools, which generate higher amounts of force, are more capable of causing damage in a shorter time frame than light tools. Such heavy tools, particularly pneumatic tools with continuous drives, create inertia when their drive system is engaged to tighten a fastener. When the appropriate torque is reached and the tool cuts off, the operator’s wrists, hands, arms, and frame absorbs the kinetic energy of the tool. If an operator is standing in an ergonomically sound position, they will be able to distribute some of the impact to their core and legs.

Even the use of light tools that generate lighter torque reactions can lead to musculoskeletal injuries over time. The weight of the tool itself can put pressure on an operator’s arm as they raise and lower it, as can the reaction of the tool’s drive. If held improperly, this can apply force to sensitive areas on the operator’s body. Additionally, if workers sit hunched over a workbench all day, they can harm their spine and posture.

What are the Repercussions of Ergonomic Issues?

To start with, the idea behind studying ergonomics is to prevent harm to workers. So, the foremost repercussion of assigning work without mitigating ergonomics issues is causing pain and injury among your employees. This pain and injury, in turn, creates a cascade of effects.

Workers suffering from low-level pain or musculoskeletal injuries will not be able to work as productively as healthy employees. This reduces your operation’s capacity and, correspondingly, profitability. In addition, workers developing ergonomic injuries may require time off and medical attention. This not only decreases capacity but draws from your worker’s compensation fund as well.

Also, healthy, happy workers are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. Motivated workers are more productive and have fewer accidents—not to mention they’re more pleasant to be around. Finally, workers who have sought ergonomics remedies and been denied may seek legal redress against your operation, adding legal costs to your already diminished profitability.

How are Ergonomic Issues Prevented in the Workplace?

Fortunately, most ergonomics issues related to torque tools can be prevented with a minimum of expenditure. Because the biggest risk comes from heavy tools which generate a lot of reaction force, implementing a system to absorb this force can save your workers.

To absorb the impact of heavy tools, companies often use one of several styles of torque reaction arms. These rigid, jointed, or telescoping arms can be attached to a nearby wall or workbench. Not only do they absorb the impact of the tool’s action, but they also take the weight of the tool off your employee’s shoulders. This allows your employees to work faster and more accurately, with less fatigue and a much lower chance of developing torque-related injuries.

For tools which don’t generate as much force but whose use may cause repetitive motion injuries in workers who must raise and lower them hundreds of times a day, companies use tool balancers. These balancers suspend tools on a line above the operator’s workstation, taking the weight of the tool off the operator. Balancers with built-in hose reels are particularly useful for low-torque pneumatic tools, or pulse tools, which use air pressure but generate minimal reaction force.

The aim of studying ergonomics and implementing ergonomically derived solutions is to improve worker health, as well as company productivity. By working smart and working safe, companies can be more productive and last longer. A minor investment in worker welfare can yield major returns in safety, productivity, profitability, and company well-being.