Construction Solutions - Fastening Tools that Reduce Stooping



Solution: Fastening Tools that Reduce Stooping
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	Description:	When working at foor or ground level, construction workers often use screw guns and other fastening tools that require stooping, bending, kneeling, or squatting for long periods of time. Working repeatedly in these positions can result in fatigue, pain, and injury. A handle extension and auto-feed fasteners allows many such tasks to be completed from a standing position. The photo on the left shows the problem, while the photo on the right illustrates the solution. More Detail A stand-up screw gun can be used to secure subfooring, false floors, and decking; to construct concrete forms; and to do other wood-to-wood jobs. You can also use it for drywall and some metal-to-metal work. Screws for these guns come on easy-loading, collated strips that are self-feeding. They load without requiring you to bend down, and the newer models have been improved so they do not jam like older models. Some models have an extension that can be removed, allowing the screw gun to be used by itself for walls. Other models, such as the Senco DuraSpin™, are all one unit. A similar powder-actuated fastening tool with a stand-up extended handle can be used to fasten metal track to concrete decks for interior steel framing, to install plywood onto concrete as a substrate for wood floors, to attach lumber to concrete and masonry, and to make steel-to-steel connections. These provide a fast, efficient fastening method that can be used independent of weather conditions. They use a .27-caliber explosive charge to drive their fasteners. The fasteners are made from hardened steel and have a knurled shaft to anchor them securely in the base material. Pre-drilling holes is not necessary. The driving depth can be adjusted for varying jobsite conditions. Less Detail
	Risks Addressed:	Your lower back and knees are the areas at greatest risk of a muscle or joint injury when you stoop, bend, kneel, or squat for prolonged periods. Your risk is increased if you have to lift, push, or pull while stooping.
	How Risks are Reduced:	Use a stand-up tool with an extension that allows you to stand upright while working. Standing while you work keeps your spine and knees in a neutral position, minimizing strain and muscle fatigue. Many stand-up tools have adjustable lengths to ft workers of different heights. Stand-up screw guns that automatically feed the screws are available. Powder-actuated fastening tools (PATs) can be used with a stand-up handle provided by the manufacturer. Quality of Evidence Safety and health experts believe there is a risk reduction. Biomechanical research shows that high compression forces occur in the spine while stooping, and that sustained or repeated flexion of the spine may decrease the stability of the lower back and increase the risk of fatigue, leaving the back more vulnerable to injury. While there is considerable research shows that working in stooped, kneeling and squatting postures causes low back disorders, the research mostly focuses on those postures in combination with other risk factors such as bending or twisting or heavy loads. The literature combining stooped, squatting or kneeling postures with load handling shows rapid and severe spinal damage. There is much less in the literature regarding the health effects of these postures in an unloaded situation - that is, stooping without lifting. However, safety and health experts believe that it is important to avoid prolonged and repeat forward bending of the back (stooping) even in the absence of the other risk factors for low back disorders.
	Effects on Productivity:	Studies have shown that autofeed stand-up screw guns are about twice as fast at placing screws as traditional screw guns. Quality of Evidence Manufacturers or vendors have reported an increase in productivity. Part of the claimed productivity gain may be due to the auto-feed of fasteners, and part may be due to the erect posture of the workers.
	Return on Investment:	No specific calculation ROI information exists for this particular solution, however, there are some general approaches that might be useful for a “Return On Investment” analysis. For a general discussion of these approaches, visit our “Return on Investment Calculation” page.
	Availability:	Where to Get It Stand-Up Screw Guns Quik Drive™ Auto-Feed Screw Gun, Simpson Manufacturing, Pleasanton, CA, www.quikdrive.com DuraSpin™ Screw System with Extension, Senco, Cincinnati, OH, www.duraspin.com Powder-Actuated Tools with Stand-Up Handles Hilti USA, Tulsa, OK, www.us.hilti.com ITW Ramset® Fastening Systems and ITW Red Head® Concrete Anchoring Systems, Wood Dale, IL, www.ramset-redhead.com Equipment like that described here may be available from local retailers or rental companies. Approximate Cost Stand-up screw guns are $200-400. PAT fastening tools with stand-up handles are $500-700. The PAT handles can also be purchased separately.
	Additional Considerations:	Extended handled tools are very effective for work at floor level, but may introduce awkward postures when used for waist level tasks where a standard tool without an extended handle would be more appropriate.
	Hazards Addressed:	Carpentry Construct formwork for concrete footing and foundations Stooped postures Construct parapet walls and guard rails Stooped postures Erect scaffolding Stooped postures Frame floors, walls, ceiling, stairs and roofs using wood and/or metal studs Stooped postures Install and finish flooring Stooped postures Install doors, windows and associated hardware Stooped postures Move, shape and place drywall Stooped postures Place wood, metal or engineered floor and ceiling beams Stooped postures Electrical Cut, shape and place conduit and wire trays Stooped postures Install and maintain electrical control system Stooped postures Install and maintain motors, pumps, fixtures, lights Stooped postures Install interior wiring systems Stooped postures Pull wire through conduits Stooped postures Splice and connect wiring systems Stooped postures Work with or remove old wiring Stooped postures General Labor Clear, prepare and fence construction sites Stooped postures Concrete and asphalt paving & patching Stooped postures Housekeeping and debris removal or recycling Stooped postures Position and join sewer, water and storm drains Stooped postures Heavy Equipment Operation Maintain heavy equipment Stooped postures Insulation & Lagging Attach insulation with tape, staples, glue, wire and bands Stooped postures Blow and place insulation into walls, ceilings and thermal controlled areas and equipment Stooped postures Install and apply fire stop products Stooped postures Place finished insulation around duct, pipes, tanks, vessels and mechanical equipment Stooped postures Spray and trowel fireproofing onto columns and beams Stooped postures Interiors, Drywall & Glass Frame walls using wood studs, metal studs and door bucks Stooped postures Install and finish wood flooring Stooped postures Install cabinets, countertops, molding and doors Stooped postures Install floor coverings, carpet and tile Stooped postures Install partitions or cubicles Stooped postures Install terrazzo and polished concrete Stooped postures Move and install drywall or panels Stooped postures Place and install fixtures and hardware Stooped postures Tape, mud and sand drywall Stooped postures Masonry, Cement & Plaster Applying coats of plaster or stucco Stooped postures Chipping, scraping and grinding surfaces or joints Stooped postures Cutting bricks, blocks, stone, concrete, tile or terrazzo Stooped postures Drilling holes and installing reinforcing rods and anchors Stooped postures Forming, pouring, laying or applying refractory materials Stooped postures Laying or setting brick, block, stone, tile or marble Stooped postures Operating power vibrator to compact concrete or grout Stooped postures Pouring or transporting cement, mortar, plaster, or grout Stooped postures Spreading, leveling, and smoothing concrete, mortar or terrazzo mixtures Stooped postures Paints & Coatings Abrasive Blasting Stooped postures Apply street markings Stooped postures Hand tool surface preparation Stooped postures Mechanical Surface preparation Stooped postures Paint machinery, piping, signs, etc. Stooped postures Pressure wash and chemical surface prep and stripping Stooped postures Tape and sand wallboard Stooped postures Pipes & Vessels Cut, thread, hammer and bend pipes and vessel tubes Kneeling & Squatting Stooped postures Deburr and grind pipes and vessel tubes Stooped postures Dig, grade, level and cover trenches Stooped postures Install bricks and other refractory materials in fireboxes Stooped postures Install pipe assemblies, fittings, valves, appliances and fixtures Stooped postures Lay and align pipe in trenches Stooped postures Weld, braze, solder, cut, or gouge pipe sections or vessel parts Stooped postures Reinforced Concrete Build forms, lay down decking Stooped postures Cut or bend rebar Stooped postures Finish concrete Stooped postures Mixing concrete Stooped postures Pour, pump, vibrate concrete Stooped postures Remove forms Stooped postures Surface grinding or cutting Stooped postures Tie or cap rebar Stooped postures Unload, store, move, place rebar Stooped postures Residential Construction Install and finish flooring Stooped postures Install cabinets, countertops, moldings Stooped postures Install electrical Stooped postures Install insulation Stooped postures Install roofing shingles or tiles Stooped postures Install wood, metal or engineered floor and ceiling beams Stooped postures Move, install and finish drywall Stooped postures Pour concrete Stooped postures Roofing Install asphalt roofs Stooped postures Install membrane roofs Stooped postures Install roof sheathing Stooped postures Sheet Metal & HVAC Apply caulk, cement and mastic sealants Stooped postures Assemble fittings and fasten seams and joints using hand and power tools Stooped postures Clean, remove and repair existing ductwork/HVAC Stooped postures Install flashing, rain gutters and down spouts Stooped postures Install heating and air conditioning duct hangers & ductwork Stooped postures Layout, shear, drill and punch holes in metal Stooped postures Shape metal material over anvils, blocks or other forms Stooped postures Trim, file, grind, deburr, buff and smooth assembled parts Stooped postures Weld, braze and solder seams and joints Stooped postures Structural Steel Build or erect false work Stooped postures Hoist and move members and components in shop Stooped postures More Links
	Sources:	Albers, James T., and Estill, Cheryl F.. Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Construction Workers. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2007-122. March 2007. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh. To view the Table of Contents for the Simple Solutions Document, please visit: http://www.cpwr.com/simple.html. Please send requests for copies of this document to cdcinfo@cdc.gov, referencing document number 2007-122.