March 8, 2002—Washington Governor Gary Locke on March 5, 2002, directed the state Department of Labor and Industries to implement the state’s ergonomics rule but asked that enforcement actions be delayed until July 2004. L&I adopted an ergonomics rule in May 2000 to reduce pain, disability, and cost of 50,000 preventable work-related musculoskeletal injuries every year. In order to make sure the state’s pioneering rule was ready to be implemented, Locke requested that L&I establish a Blue Ribbon Panel on Ergonomics to assess whether the following criteria have been met prior to the rule’s first effective date of July 1, 2002:
- Demonstration projects have been successful
- Effective educational materials are widely available
- The requirements are understandable
- The enforcement policies and procedures are fair and consistent.
After a comprehensive review, the Panel determined that all four criteria have been met. However, the Panel also made five recommendations to improve the effective and fair implementation of the rule. Locke assured state legislative leaders that the Department will promptly implement each of the Panel’s recommendations.
