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Search Terms: repetitive stress injuries, OSHA

Document 44 of 105.

April 3, 2000, Monday

SECTION: BUSINESS;Pg. C-1

LENGTH: 1394 words

HEADLINE: A matter of fit; Workplace ergonomics are tailored to the worker

BYLINE: Susan G. Strother; THE ORLANDO SENTINEL

BODY:
Terri Willoughby was doing something she had done hundreds of times before.

With pliers in one hand and a wire in the other, she was clamping a piece of metal to a phone line when -- wham! A pain shot through her wrist and arm, terminating in a dull throb in her neck.

She had had discomfort before, such as tingling and numbness in her fingers. Gripping large things, such as pickle jars and coffee cans, was difficult, too.

This was different, though. She went to a doctor and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, a swelling of tendons in her arm. The cause? The things she did at work each day: squeezing pliers, turning a screwdriver and holding a drill.

Every year, according to the federal government, 1.8 million people like Willoughby suffer because of the tasks they perform on the job. One-third of them miss time from work.

"They told me eventually I could have lost use of that arm," says Willoughby, a service technician at BellSouth in Orlando. She eventually had surgery. "It can be that serious."

Not surprisingly, she favors regulations that would force employers to address ergonomic concerns and reduce the physical stresses of many jobs.

In November, more than 1,000 pages of proposed rules were released by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the agency's first attempt to deal with ergonomics, an area that has drawn increasing attention during the past 15 years.

Ergonomics is the idea of fitting the workplace to the worker. The latest rules are some of the most sweeping developed by OSHA, because virtually every industry is covered.

Musculoskeletal disorders, which include carpal tunnel, tendinitis, sciatica and lower back pain, account for one-third of all the occupational injuries that result in lost time each year. Many are from repeated stress: the hammering, typing or lifting that people do each day. OSHA says hard science, including a study by the National Academy of Sciences, has shown a link between these injuries and the workplace.

California has had an ergonomics safety law on the books since July 1997. The law, which was six years in development, became the first in the nation and requires employers in the state to address repetitive-stress injuries when two or more people doing the same job come down with similar injuries.

California employers also are required to track workplace injuries, train employees how to avoid them and administer changes to prevent repetitive-stress injuries.

If the federal proposals emerge intact from the lengthy hearing process, the new rules would take effect in 2001.

Employers would foot the bill. If an insurance agent's wrist pain was caused by computer use, his company would have to make changes for him, providing wrist supports, a new keyboard or a different chair.

Debate around the proposed regulations has shaped up predictably: Labor unions embrace the measures while business groups oppose them. "It would be nice if we could all walk around in suits of armor, but that's really not practical, is it?" says one manufacturers' representative.

According to OSHA, few small businesses have addressed the issue. Not surprisingly, it is small and midsize employers who express the greatest fear that the regulations go too far.

They are concerned about the costs associated with the rules. OSHA estimates that employers could correct problems for an average of $150 for each work station. Yet those repairs could mount. Businesses also fear the mountains of paperwork the regulations might require.

Some take exception with the view that ergonomics is legitimate science. They want to see OSHA wait on any regulatory proposal until a second ergonomic study is completed by the National Academy of Sciences.

"Injuries that are usually charged to the employer often come from the way people sleep or something they do around the house," says George Daniels, owner of Daniels Manufacturing. The firm produces tools for the aircraft industry.

Many business owners wonder how an employer or doctor can determine whether an employee's wrist pain is caused by his computer keyboard -- or a weekend tennis match. And, who knows whether that back strain is the result of moving boxes at work or moving a sofa the previous evening at home.

Manufacturers are considered high-risk employers and would have a heavier burden under the proposed regulations. They would have to develop a formal ergonomics program, complete with employee training and a system for logging complaints, even before the first injury is recorded.

"This is totally unproductive and will take hours to do," says Daniels, who employs more than 100 people at his pland in Orlando. "This is OSHA running amok."

And while it's not unusual for small businesses to object to federal regulations, they have an ally within government on this particular topic. The U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy reviews regulatory proposals to determine their effect on small businesses.

It has concluded the OSHA rules will put an unfair burden on small employers. OSHA's estimate of costs to employers and the paperwork burden appear too low, says Claudia Rayford, a senior adviser for the Office of Advocacy.

OSHA revised some numbers upward recently, saying total costs, nationwide, would be in excess of $4 billion rather than $3 billion.

It also implemented a so-called quick-fix option that would allow companies to correct a problem -- say, installing a microscope-lens extender to avoid neck strain -- without implementing a full-plant analysis and an elaborate program.

Still, Rayford says her office is concerned. Quick fixes aren't as simple as they might sound. In the microscope example, businesses would have to purchase lens extenders for everyone working on microscopes -- not just the person who incurred an injury.

The rules also would require employers to give employees time off, with 90 percent of pay and full benefits, while recovering from an ergonomic injury.

That is a more generous allowance than most workers' compensation claims would cover. Some employers fear workers would fake injuries just to get the time off or be reassigned to less difficult jobs for the same pay.

Unlike many OSHA regulations, which affect one or two industries, these would cover all businesses with the exception of construction, agriculture and maritime industries.

"It could affect everyone from the hot dog stand employee to those working in an assembly plant," Rayford says.

Of course, many think that, if a company makes changes, it ultimately will benefit from more productive employees who take fewer sick days and have fewer health-insurance claims. Conceivably, workers' comp claims and premiums might decrease if people's jobs caused less physical stress.

Still, business owners that already have made improvements fear they may be forced to do more.

Al Stimac owns Metal Essence in Longwood, Fla., which produces air-conditioning components for automotive and other industries. About seven months ago, he listened when employees complained that their arms ached from having to repeatedly tighten and loosen vises.

Stimac installed six air guns on his shop floor so operators could limit their physical exertion. The cost was about $3,000.

But now, Stimac says, vibration from the air guns might eventually cause discomfort and tire employees. He already was thinking about taking additional steps for workers, but OSHA might force him to do so sooner than he would like. "Where do you draw the line?" he asked.

Since the proposed regulations were released in November, OSHA has begun what it calls a comment period, during which business owners and individuals can share their feelings about the rules and suggest changes.

It will then have three sets of hearings -- in Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Chicago -- to gather information before the final rule is set no earlier than 2001. The issue likely will be debated in Congress, which could also delay implementation of any regulations.

Either way, Willoughby, the BellSouth technician who had carpal tunnel some years back, says she is not alone. Many of her colleagues experience pain on the job -- much of it from repetitive stress. "I believe most of the workers I work with have problems," she says.

GRAPHIC: 4 PICS; 1,2,3,4. ORLANDO SENTINEL PHOTOS; 1. Making changes: Al Stimac, owner of Metal Essence, meets with engineer Jerry Rice (left) in the company shop. Stimac has taken action to address the ergonomic needs of his employees. 2. Ergonomic outlays: Machinist Victor E. Martinez uses an air gun at Metal Essence, a company in Florida that spent $3,000 on the devices after workers complained of aching arms. 3. Not convinced: "Injuries that are usually charged to the employer often come from the way people sleep or something they do around the house," says George Daniels, owner of Daniels Manufacturing, which produces tools for the aircraft industry. (C-2) 4. Helping hand: Scott LeDuc teaches AT&T workers how to properly position computers, monitors and phone to minimize the risk of injuries. (C-4)

LOAD-DATE: April 5, 2000

Document 44 of 105.


Search Terms: repetitive stress injuries, OSHA
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