Ergonomics Draft Begins Run Through Federal Review Process

The latest attempt to establish rules to prevent repetitive stress injuries was officially unveiled by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Feb. 19 release of the proposals is the first step in what likely will be a lengthy process of developing an ergonomics regulation. During the coming months, the idea still must win over a skeptical business community, especially trucking.

A draft of the standard was leaked to the news media in January and was quickly denounced by trucking leaders, who said it was very similar to an earlier plan that would have imposed costly measures on businesses with no scientific proof they would reduce injuries.

The first hurdle for the safety agency is putting its proposal through a review to assess its impact on small businesses. Under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement and Fairness Act, a panel of representatives from OSHA, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Management and Budget has 60 days to complete a review once it begins its evaluation. OSHA said it expects the panel to convene in early March.

“Though the SBREFA review is required, the public release is not,” said Charles N. Jeffress, the head of OSHA, in a prepared statement. “We’re making this draft available beyond the SBREFA process because we think it’s important that employers, workers and other interested parties be a part of the process.”

The draft emphasizes the same six elements that OSHA has been advocating since it began pushing for an ergonomics standard in the early 1990s. They are:

Management leadership and employee participation.

LI> Hazard identification.

LI> Job hazard analysis and control.

LI> Training.

LI> Medical management.

LI> Program evaluation.

For the full story, see the March 1 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.