may 2002

The steady decline continues in the number of workers whose on-the-job injuries and illnesses required recuperation away from work beyond the day of the incident, according to statistics released last month by the U. S. Department of Labor. There were 38,500 fewer such cases in 2000 than the year before, and 572,600 fewer than in 1994, the year the agency began compiling such statistics (see chart above). That amounts to a nearly 26 percent decline in such accidents in seven years. The table above shows the 10 occupations with the most lost-time injuries and illnesses. As in the preceding six years, more than 4 out of 10 injuries and illnesses resulting in time away from work in 2000 were sprains or strains, most often involving the back. The number of cases of sprains and strains declined by more than 24 percent from 1994 to 2000, almost the same as the decline for all cases. From 1999 to 2000, the number of lost worktime cases due to fractures and to back pain increased. The increase to back pain cases came after an almost 32 percent decrease from 1994 to 1998.

Bush Administration unveils business-friendly ergonomics program
The U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a new ergonomics program last month that calls for no mandatory steps by industry and instead relies on voluntary actions by companies to protect workers’ health and safety. The new program, which will be directed by a national advisory board, is fundamentally different than the regulation-intensive program attempted two years ago by the Clinton Administration.

OSHA answers frequently asked questions about the new ergonomics questions at its web site. Go to: http://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/FAQs-external.html

The Bush Administration’s voluntary approach to reducing carpal tunnel and other ergonomic injuries was praised by the National Association of Manufacturers and other business groups. “The focus on education and training to prevent ergonomics injuries promises to be more effective than reliance on new regulation and litigation, and far less disruptive of the workplace,” said NAM President Jerry Jasinowski.

“The Labor Department’s determination to advance research into ergonomics and aggressively disseminate information to employers and their employees is the most effective way to reduce injuries related to repetitive motion,” Jasinowski added. “Creation of a national advisory board will assure that this important subject receives the attention it deserves, and that the decline in ergonomics injuries documented in recent years will continue.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce expressed qualified support for the new industry-by-industry guidelines, saying it was concerned about a stepped-up enforcement program. “With researchers on all sides scratching their heads about the causes of these types of injuries, we must take the time to craft rules without sacrificing science,” said Chamber Vice President for Labor Policy Randel Johnson. “It remains to be seen how new and increased enforcement under these guidelines will play out, but overall the Department of Labor has proposed a balanced approach.“

"Our goal is to help workers by reducing ergonomic injuries in the shortest possible time frame," said 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."

Occupational Safety and Health Administrator John Henshaw said his agency will begin work on developing industry and task-specific guidelines to reduce and prevent ergonomic injuries, often called musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), that occur in the workplace. OSHA expects to begin releasing guidelines ready for application in selected industries this year. OSHA will also encourage other businesses and industries to immediately develop additional guidelines of their own.

The first of those industry-specific guidelines will be for the nursing home industry. The draft guidelines are expected to be ready for public comment later this year. They will be published in the Federal Register for review before becoming final.

The Labor Department's ergonomics enforcement plan will crack down on bad actors by coordinating inspections with a legal strategy designed for successful prosecution. The department will place special emphasis on industries with the sorts of serious ergonomics problems that OSHA and Labor Department attorneys have successfully addressed in the past. For the first time, OSHA will have an enforcement plan designed from the start to target prosecutable ergonomic violations. Also for the first time, inspections will be coordinated with a legal strategy developed by DOL attorneys that is based on prior successful ergonomics cases and is designed to maximize successful prosecutions. And, OSHA will have special ergonomics inspection teams that will, from the earliest stages, work closely with DOL attorneys and experts to successfully bring prosecutions under the General Duty clause.

The new ergonomics plan also calls for compliance assistance tools to help workplaces reduce and prevent ergonomic injuries. OSHA will provide specialized training and information on guidelines and the implementation of successful ergonomics programs. It will also administer targeted training grants, develop compliance assistance tools, forge partnerships and create a recognition program to highlight successful ergonomics injury reduction efforts.

The national advisory committee will advise OSHA on research gaps. In concert with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, OSHA will stimulate and encourage needed research in this area.

"Bureau of Labor Statistics' data show that musculoskeletal disorders are already on the decline. This plan is designed to accelerate that decline as quickly as possible," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "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."

Injuries and illnesses related to musculoskeletal disorders have consistently declined over the last 10 years, even though there has not been 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, rates for carpal tunnel injuries with days away from work have gone down by 39 percent from 1992 to 1999. For the same time period, rates for strains and sprains with days away from work have also gone down by 39 percent, and rates for back injuries with days away from work have gone down by 45 percent. In the meatpacking industry, with industry-specific guidelines and focused OSHA enforcement, rates of carpal tunnel injuries with days away from work have gone down 47 percent from 1992 to 1999. Over the same time period, rates of strains and sprains with days away from work have gone down by 61 percent, and rates for back injuries with days away from work have gone down by 64 percent.

Labor Secretary Chao said representatives from the nursing-home industry have agreed to work with OSHA to develop a draft ergonomics program for public comment. "We want to work with the nursing home profession and workers to develop guidelines to reduce the level of injuries and illnesses in this industry.”

OSHA Administrator Henshaw said "I look forward to coordinating with the profession and workers to develop this first set of industry-specific guidelines to prevent ergonomics hazards. With the nursing shortage and other issues confronting this industry, it makes sound business sense for the stakeholders involved to be the first to tackle ergonomic problems in their industry."

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