April 8, 2002—Last week the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled a new ergonomic plan that is designed to reduce injuries through a combination of industry-targeted guidelines, tough enforcement measures and workplace outreach. The plan does not, however, include many elements of the legislation President Clinton signed two years ago, such as mandatory ergonomically designed equipment and disability compensation for work-related injuries such as carpal-tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. The Clinton plan, which was deemed to expensive for businesses to enforce, was repealed by Congress in March 2001, after President Bush took office.
Long-standing debate between health advocates who believe employers should be required to maintain high ergonomic standards, and pro-business proponents, who favor less government intervention in the workplace, has made this a highly contested issue.
Over the course of the last year, the Department of Labor conducted three public forums around the country and collected testimonies from 100 speakers, including organized labor, workers, medical experts, and businesses.
OSHA will begin developing industry and task-specific guidelines to reduce and prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), that occur in the workplace. OSHA expects to begin releasing guidelines ready for application in selected industries this year. OSHA will also encourage other businesses and industries to develop additional guidelines of their own.
For the first time, OSHA will have an enforcement plan designed to target prosecutable ergonomic violations. The department will place special emphasis on industries with a history of serious ergonomics problems.
For more information, contact OSHA.
