Copyright 1999 Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York, NY)
November 23, 1999, Tuesday NASSAU AND SUFFOLK
EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Page A05
LENGTH: 767 words
HEADLINE:
STOPPING STRAIN / OSHA STANDARDS WOULD PUT FOCUS ON ERGONOMICS
BYLINE: By Elaine S. Povich. WASHINGTON BUREAU
DATELINE: Washington
BODY:
Washington-The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration yesterday proposed ground-breaking new rules to curb
repetitive-stress and overexertion injuries that government officials now cite
as the most frequent source of workplace disabilities.
The federal
proposals, which would cover approximately 27 million workers nationwide, were
immediately attacked by the business community as vague, expensive and
unscientific. Labor groups hailed the proposed standards. The U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, the nation's largest business-advocacy group, vowed to fight the
proposed regulations in Congress and in the courts.
OSHA went ahead with the proposed rules despite direct
opposition from Congress, which has battled against such proposals for years but
was unable to pass legislation to halt the rule-making before adjourning for the
year last week. Legislation that awaits the return of Congress in January would
address the issue of ergonomics, the relatively new science of structuring
workplace environments to the physical attributes and limitations of an
individual worker.
The bill, passed by the House in August but left
hanging by the Senate, would have prohibited the new regulations from going
forward until a study now under way by the National Academy of Sciences is
completed. The academy is examining whether certain work activities such as
lifting, stretching or keyboarding cause musculoskeletal disorders like
Repetitive Stress Injury.
The study is expected to be
completed by January, 2001.
Senate Small Business Committee Chairman
Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) said the administration proposal is "so vague that
employers will not be able to tell what they can or should do to protect their
employees." Bond said he is concerned that if the rules are finalized "many
people will lose their jobs and small businesses be forced to close." The
proposals are slated to go into effect sometime next year after a public comment
period is completed at the end of February. They require that employers tailor
their workplaces to fit employee needs, with specialized chairs, keyboards and
assembly line equipment. Officials said 1.8 million workers annually suffer
musculoskeletal injuries.
"It is about helping real people suffering
from real problems," Labor Secretary Alexis Herman said in announcing the
proposed regulations yesterday. "Not minor aches and pains, but serious,
life-altering injuries." "The fact is that work-related musculoskeletal
disorders ... are the most prevalent, most expensive and most preventable
workplace injuries in the country and it is time we do something about it," she
said.
Herman and OSHA officials put the annual cost of
the rules at about $ 4.2 billion a year, taking into account what they said
would be almost $ 1 billion in savings due to fewer injuries and less missed
work.
"Good ergonomics is also good economics," Herman said.
Nonsense, argued the representatives of the Chamber and several business
groups brought together to oppose the rules.
Kevin Burke, vice president
for government relations for Food Distributors International, estimated the new
rules would cost his industry alone $ 26 billion in the first year and $ 6
billion annually thereafter.
"I see where this is going, and it is going
to end up in court," Burke said, saying that the science of ergonomics is not
yet conclusive.
"Even if there is sound scientific evidence, we still
are going to oppose the rules," he added.
Randel Johnson, vice president
for labor policy at the Chamber of Commerce, sought at a news conference to
dispel the notion that the business community is unmindful of scientific
research, saying that OSHA should have at least waited until
the research is complete before issuing proposed rules.
Under the
proposals, a company that already has an ergonomics program in place can
continue its program under OSHA's "grandfather" clause, as long
as the program meets OSHA standards. Companies that do not have
such programs will have to establish them for certain jobs where injuries occur,
or use a "quick fix" approach to eliminate musculoskeletal hazards where
injuries occur.
The rules are meant to address manual handling jobs such
as package sorting, manufacturing jobs like those on an assembly line, and other
lines of work that require repetitive motion.
Under the rules, a worker
reassigned to lighter duty during recovery from an ergonomic injury would be
guaranteed normal pay and benefits. A worker required to take a medical leave
would be guaranteed 90 percent pay and full benefits during recovery.
GRAPHIC: The OSHA regulations are
aimed at protecting workers from repetitive- strain injuries, which officials
said are a threat in a wide range of jobs. 1) AP File Photo - Above, a cashier
runs groceries over a bar code scanner; at right, 2) Newsday File Photo by Ken
Sawchuk - a butcher cuts up a chicken in a Queens market; below, 3) Newsday File
Photo by Don Jacobsen - a worker in Hauppauge assembles stethoscopes. 4) Newsday
Cover Photo Illustration by Michael E. Ach - person on computer keyboard.
LOAD-DATE: November 23, 1999 
