Protecting
Workers from Ergonomic Injuries
OSHA's comprehensive plan features targeted guidelines
and tough enforcement.
OSHA's recently unveiled ergonomics plan offers a comprehensive, practical
approach to reducing ergonomic injuries that, according to OSHA Administrator
John L. Henshaw, "we can put to work now-and that will reduce
injuries now." The plan combines industry-specific guidelines,
tough enforcement measures, outreach, research…
"Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are serious injuries, and we
are committed to reducing the pain and suffering that occur from workplace
injuries," says Henshaw. "This comprehensive plan is the
best approach to achieve immediate results."
"Our goal is to help workers by reducing ergonomic injuries in
the shortest possible time frame," agrees Labor Secretary Elaine
L. Chao. "This plan is a major improvement over the rejected
old rule because it will prevent ergonomics injuries before they occur
and reach a much larger number of at-risk workers."
The
new plan reflects input from a wide range of stakeholders, including
organized labor, workers, medical experts, and businesses. Over the
last year, the Department of Labor conducted three major public forums
around the country and met with scores of stakeholders, collecting
hundreds of sets of written comments and taking testimony from 100
speakers. OSHA analyzed and evaluated the comments and recommendations,
studied the options, and researched the alternatives.
Guidelines
…OSHA will target industries and tasks where Henshaw says "we
can have the quickest and most effective results." The agency
will begin its efforts by focusing on industries and tasks associated
with ergonomic injuries and for which successful strategies are known.
"Real-life solutions come from real-life experience," notes
Henshaw.
This approach, he believes, will offer employers and workers the flexibility
they need to tailor recommendations and best practices to their workplaces.
"We know that one size does not fit all, and this provides the
flexibility needed to reduce injuries," Henshaw says.
Enforcement
The Department of Labor will develop an ergonomics enforcement plan
coordinating inspections with a legal strategy designed for successful
prosecution. The department will place special emphasis on industries
with serious ergonomic injuries. OSHA and DOL attorneys will build
on experience where they have had success under the Occupational Safety
and Health Act's General Duty Clause.
Outreach
and Assistance
OSHA plans to offer assistance to workers and businesses, particularly
small businesses, to help them address ergonomics in the workplace.
The agency will offer advice and training on industry- and task-specific
guidelines it develops and help on how to develop an effective ergonomics
program.
In
addition, OSHA will provide a wealth of materials on its website,
support development of ergonomic training materials and training sessions,
and make ergonomics training available though the 12 Education Centers
around the country….
OSHA
also plans to develop new recognition programs to highlight the achievements
of worksites with exemplary or novel approaches to ergonomics.
Building
on Proven Success:
Decline in Ergonomic-Related Injuries
Involving Days Away from Work, 1992-1999
Year |
Number
of Injuries |
1992 |
784,100 |
1993 |
762,700 |
1994 |
755,600 |
1995 |
695,800 |
1996 |
647,400 |
1997 |
628,400 |
1998 |
592,500 |
1999 |
582,300 |
Finally,
the agency will provide its compliance officers with training on ergonomic
hazards and abatement methods. It will designate 10 regional ergonomics
coordinators who will be involved in enforcement, outreach, and assistance.
Research
The new plan includes an important research component because, Henshaw
says, "We want to use the best available science in all that
we do." He says information from the National Academy of Sciences
and from OSHA's ergonomics forums made it clear that many gaps remain.
OSHA will establish a national advisory committee, representing a
broad range of experts, to advise the agency on gaps in ergonomics
and effective prevention techniques. In concert with the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the committee will help
OSHA serve as a catalyst to expand current research on the subject.
Henshaw says the new plan is designed to accelerate an encouraging
workplace trend as quickly as possible. "Bureau of Labor Statistics'
data show that musculoskeletal disorders are already on the decline,"
he says. "Thousands of employers are already working to reduce
ergonomic risks without government mandates. We want to work with
them to continuously improve workplace safety and health. We will
go after the bad actors who refuse to take care of their workers."
The
new plan was announced barely a year after Congress rejected the previous
administration's ergonomics rule. That rule was denounced broadly
as being excessively burdensome and complicated. For more information
visit OSHA's website at www.osha.gov.
OSHA's Plan
Industry- and task-specific guidelines
Enforcement
Outreach and assistance
Research
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an "ergonomic injury"?
Ergonomic injuries often are described by the term "musculoskeletal
disorders" or "MSDs." This refers to injuries and illnesses
that affect the musculoskeletal system; there is no single diagnosis
for MSDs.
Input
from recent ergonomics forums demonstrated the wide variety of opinions
on how OSHA should define an ergonomic injury and that the definition
depends on the context. As OSHA develops guidance material for specific
industries, the agency may narrow the definition as appropriate to
address the specific workplace hazards covered. OSHA will work closely
with stakeholders to develop definitions for MSDs as part of its overall
effort to develop guidance materials.
Are
all MSDs work-related?
No. MSDs can and do develop outside the workplace. Determining whether
any particular MSD is work related may require taking a careful history
of the patient and the illness, conducting a thorough medical examination,
and characterizing factors on and off the job that may have caused
or contributed to the MSD.
How
do you expect OSHA's guidelines to reduce injuries and illnesses related
to MSDs?
Injuries and illnesses related to MSDs have declined consistently
during the last 10 years, even without a standard addressing them.
Guidelines such as OSHA's Meatpacking Guidelines and voluntary industry
efforts have been successful in reducing the injury and illness rates
for these disorders. For example, on a national basis, lost-workday
rates for carpal tunnel injuries declined 39 percent from 1992 to
1999. Similarly, rates for strains and sprains with days away from
work also have declined by 39 percent, and rates for back injuries
have dropped 45 percent.
In
the meat packing industry, with industry-specific guidelines and focused
OSHA enforcement, rates of carpal tunnel injuries with days away from
work have dropped 47 percent from 1992 to 1999. At the same time,
rates of strains and sprains with days away from work have gone down
61 percent, and rates for back injuries have decreased by 64 percent.
OSHA expects that industry- or task-specific guidelines will reduce
injuries and illnesses further.
What
is a guideline and how does it differ from a standard?
A guideline is a tool to help employers recognize and control hazards.
It is voluntary. Failure to implement a guideline is not itself a
violation of the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act. Guidelines that OSHA develops will help employers identify
ergonomic hazards in their workplaces and implement feasible measures
to control them.
Guidelines
are more flexible than standards. They can be developed quickly and
can be changed easily as new information becomes available with scientific
advances. Guidelines make it easier for employers to adopt innovative
programs to suit their workplaces, rather than inflexible, one-size-fits-all
solutions to issues that may be unique to the industry or facility.
What
if I am an employer in an industry for which OSHA does not develop
industry-specific guidelines?
Even if there are no guidelines specific to your industry, as an employer
you still have an obligation to keep your workplace free from recognized
serious hazards, including ergonomic hazards. OSHA will cite for ergonomic
hazards under the General Duty Clause or issue ergonomic hazard letters
where appropriate as part of its overall enforcement program. OSHA
encourages employers to implement effective programs or other measures
to reduce ergonomic hazards and associated MSDs. A great deal of information
is currently available from OSHA, NIOSH, and various industry and
labor organizations on how to establish an effective ergonomics program,
and OSHA urges employers to use these resources.
What will the OSHA enforcement program entail?
OSHA will conduct inspections for ergonomic hazards and issue citations
under the General Duty Clause and issue ergonomic hazard alert letters.
The agency will conduct follow-up inspections or investigations within
12 months of certain employers who receive ergonomic hazard alert
letters.
OSHA has been assessing MSD related issues in complaints, referrals,
and targeted inspections. The agency will continue to evaluate the
findings of its inspections and issue General Duty Clause citations
or hazard alert letters for ergonomics hazards as necessary. OSHA
will do the same when responding to worker complaints.
Occupational
Safety & Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210
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