Ergonomics Rule Awaits Post-Election Congress

Congress will reconvene Nov. 14 to decide the fate of the controversial workplace safety rules that are part of the $355 billion Department of Labor appropriations bill.

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By then, the next president will have been elected, and it could be left up to him to determine whether the ergonomic rules go into effect next year or get shelved.

The Clinton administration has pressed for ergonomics rules to protect workers from lifting and movement hazards on the job, such as repetitive stress injuries. DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued its proposal in November 1999, which is being championed by labor and opposed by employers right up to the eve of the election.

Republicans are banking on Texas Gov. George W. Bush to win the presidency and come to the rescue of American businesses, including trucking employers, by killing the rules. The price tag for implementation is as high as $100 billion annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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