Masonry Magazine June 2002 Page. 14
OSHA Ergo
OSHA's Comprehensive
Plan to Reduce
Ergonomic Injuries
By Michael Adelizzi
Executive Director, Mason Contractors Association Of America
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration unveiled a long-awaited, new comprehensive plan to dramatically reduce ergonomic injuries through a combination of guidelines, tough enforcement, workplace outreach, advanced research, and voluntary compliance. In introducing the new standard, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said, "Our goal is to help workers by reducing ergonomic injuries in the shortest possible time frame. This plan is a major improvement over the rejected (old) rule because it will prevent injuries before they occur and reach a larger number of at-risk workers."
The MCAA provided written testimony to Secretary Chao outlining the impact the old ergonomic standard would have on the masonry industry. "We are delighted with the new approach. Unfortunately, the Democrat Leadership in Congress has already drawn the battle lines to go back to the old Clinton version, a 600-page standard that would devastate the masonry industry. They are calling for ergonomics to be a battle cry for the fall midterm elections when the entire U.S. House of Representative and one-third of the Senate is up for reelection" said Paul Odom, MCAA Legislative Chairman. "We are only beginning the long fight over this issue."
In a press release, Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) is quoted as saying, "The Bush Administration took the final step in abolishing a vital ergonomic standard to protect workers from repetitive stress disorders in the workplace. When the Democrats regain control over the House in 2003, one of our first priorities will be to pass legislation to reinstate the importance of worker protection."
According to Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, "The sad fact is that as long as the Republicans control the US. House of Representatives, we will not be able to pass an ergonomics law that provides long-overdue basic workplace protections."
Many Democrats don't appear ready to wait until the fall elections to move to a stronger ergonomics standard. Rumor is that Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) is planning to introduce legislation that would force OSHA to issue tougher regulations and to not exempt construction from those tougher standards.
OSHA's New
Four-Pronged Approach
Effective ergonomics is part of OSHA's overall strategy for reducing workplace injuries and illnesses. Injuries and illnesses related to ergonomics, often called musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), are on the decline in the workplace; OSHA's goal is to accelerate that decline.
Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao made a commitment in April 2001 to develop a comprehensive approach to ergonomics. To fulfill that commitment, OSHA conducted three public forums around the country in July 2001, collecting 368 written comments and hearing 100 speakers; members met with stakeholder groups and individuals to discuss various views on the issue; they analyzed the comments and recommendations; then reviewed relevant and helpful information from other sources, including the past ergonomics docket; they studied the various options; and finally researched various alternative approaches.
Out of that work, OSHA developed a four-pronged comprehensive approach to ergonomics that the agency believes will quickly and effectively address MSDS in the workplace. This approach is based on the principles outlined by the Secretary for an effective approach to ergonomics: preventing injuries; using sound science in formulating a strategy; providing incentives for cooperation between OSHA and employers; maximizing flexibility and avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach; creating a feasible program, especially for small businesses; and ensuring clarity, including short, simple, common-sense solutions.
The four segments of OSHA's strategy for successfully reducing injuries and illnesses from MSDs in the workplace are:
Guidelines
OSHA will develop industry- or task-specific guidelines for a number of industries based on current incidence rates and available information about effective and feasible solutions. This work will take into account guidelines and best practices already developed, including OSHA's own Meatpacking Guidelines, issued in 1990.
OSHA will encourage other industries to develop ergonomic guidelines to meet their own specific needs.
The goal is to encourage industry to implement measures as quickly as possible to reduce work-related MSDS. OSHA expects to start releasing guidelines in selected industries in six months.
Enforcement
OSHA's primary goal is the reduction of injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
Employers must keep their workplaces free from recognized serious hazards under the OSHA Act's General Duty Clause. This includes ergonomic hazards.
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