April 24, 2002—US Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao recently announced that the first industry-specific guidelines to reduce ergonomic-related injuries and illnesses will be developed for the nursing home profession. Representatives from the field have agreed to work with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop a draft for public comment. The draft guidelines are expected to be ready for public comment later this year. They will be published in the Federal Register for review before becoming final.
OSHA announced its comprehensive plan to dramatically reduce ergonomic injuries on April 5, 2002. In addition to industry-and-task-specific guidelines, the plan includes tough enforcement measures, workplace outreach, advanced research, and dedicated efforts to protect Hispanic and other immigrant workers.
