Consequences of Poor Workplace Layout and Ambient Conditions: Case Study of an Industrial Injury
Our firm was retained to consult on a lawsuit involving an injury sustained by an employee of a food processing plant. While performing an assigned, yet unfamiliar task, the employee unintentionally stepped into an uncovered sump well containing water in excess of 140° (60°), seriously burning one leg. The sump well had been uncovered for routine maintenance by another employee who neglected to put the lid on the well when he had completed his task. This case went to litigation with the plumbing contractor, general contractor and boiler company as defendants. This paper will provide a human factors/ergonomics analysis of the incident, describing the facility design and maintenance issues, as well as the human and system errors that led to the injury. Also discussed are recommendations based on human factors principles that would have decreased the likelihood of the incident occurring.