Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from Canal Screen Cleaning
Root Cause Analysis Final Report
Injury Date: 8/22/13
Jobsite of the Injured Worker: Main Canal screen and check structure locations
Nature/Severity: Suspected carpal tunnel syndrome to both wrists
Incident Summary:
The injured employee had been manually removing
aquatic vegetation from screens and check structures
along the main canal. Typically during the month of
August, work load increases along with the increase of
vegetation in the canal. The vegetation is removed
with long handled rakes. Beginning 8/9/13, the
employee noticed discomfort in his wrists and hands
along with numbness in his fingers. He had been
recently cleaning screens at the Shortcut and Tesoro
laterals, Pumping Plant #2, the Large Trash Rack and
Ambrose trash rack. The employee reported wrist pain
on August 22 and went to the clinic on August 23.
The physician strongly suspects carpal tunnel
syndrome and gave the employee wrist braces to wear
day and night.
Contributing Factors: The ergonomic assessment of
screen cleaning activity identified shoulder and back
strain hazards but did not identify the carpal tunnel
syndrome hazard. Automated raking and conveyor
systems are only available at intake facilities and
Pumping Plant #1.
Root Causes: Screens are cleaned manually using
forceful and repetitive motions. At times, wrists may
bend from the “neutral” position during use of the
rake. At times, screen cleaning puts employees in
ergonomically awkward positions.
Removing vegetation at Large Trash Rack
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from Canal Screen Cleaning
Page 2 of 2
Cleaning screen at pumping plant
Cleaning Ambrose Park screen
Shaking man-screen to loosen vegetation
Corrective Action Plan:
Consider modifying facilities such as the screens that
require manual cleaning, to simplify manual cleaning
and minimize forceful and repetitive motions.
Consider rotating screen cleaning tasks within Canal
Maintenance groups during summer months.
Review prior ergonomic assessment recommendations
and conduct a follow up assessment of the screen
cleaning activity as well as any other activities that may
have contributed to the injury and provide
recommendations for controlling the carpal tunnel
syndrome hazard.
Revise the Industrial Ergonomics training course
materials to include carpal tunnel syndrome hazards
during use of the rake.
Person Responsible:
Due Date:
Pete Schoemann
Matthew Novak
12/31/13
Steve Arnold
ASAP
Spiro Zapantis
10/15/13
Spiro Zapantis
10/15/13