Ergonomics Rules Go Voluntary

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Workplace ergonomics policies have become voluntary, and while some parties are displeased, they also welcome good news: Reports of injuries are declining, and firms are recognizing the value of keeping employees healthy.

The policy change by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, announced in April, calls for new ergonomic guidelines and suggestions for policy instead of mandatory compliance. Development of those guidelines, which often relate to PC equipment and furniture, is ongoing, and OSHA will accept suggestions for the voluntary standards.

"This is a proposal based on the success of what is already working in businesses," says Sue Hensley, a spokesperson for the Department of Labor, which oversees OSHA. The aim is to reduce work-related injuries, which, in fact, have been decreasing since 1992, Hensley says.

Also, companies have a built-in incentive to maintain employees' health so they don't need time off from their jobs because of injuries, Hensley adds.

Safe Workplaces

OSHA's plan has two main points. The first is to develop a series of task-specific guidelines for different work environments, particularly for industries with high rates of injury. The second is to craft an increased enforcement plan, which will create ergonomic inspection teams to crack down on companies that do not provide a healthy workplace.

The safety program includes establishing a national advisory committee for ergonomics. It also calls for further research on musculoskeletal disorders such as back, neck, and shoulder strains. OSHA is also promoting programs that will provide ergonomics training and materials in Spanish and other languages, Hensley says.

The revisions have been in the works since March 2001, when Congress repealed OSHA's previous ergonomics ruling, created under the Clinton administration. The business community criticized that set of compliance standards as a "very heavy-handed, onerous approach that would have tried to impose a one-size-fits-all solution," Hensley says.

Hensley says that because the Clinton administration's strict ergonomics standard was "soundly defeated" in Congress, OSHA is taking a more logical approach to ensuring workplace safety.

Workers Skeptical

However, critics say voluntary guidelines are insufficient to protect workers from ergonomic ills.

Among those critical of OSHA's decision is the American Nurses Association. Its president, Mary E. Foley, says OSHA's strategy is "totally inadequate." Foley insists that nurses in particular need federal mandates for ergonomics because repetitive motion strains from patient care are a leading cause of musculoskeletal disorders.

Also dissatisfied with the change of policy is the AFL-CIO. President John Sweeney calls the plan "unenforceable" and says the Bush administration is catering to corporate interests by making the plan voluntary.

However, OSHA's approach is drawing praise from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, a lobbying group for small companies. A representative calls the ruling a "helping hand" in contrast to the "menacing fist" of ergonomics regulation under former president Clinton.

"Small businesses are already among the safest places to work," says Dan Danner, NFIB senior vice president. "The way to make them even safer is to work with small-business owners in a helpful way, rather than playing an adversarial, threatening role."

Rush to Judgment?

Alan Hedge, a Cornell University professor and director of ergonomics teaching and research programs, says parties opposed to OSHA's announcement "must have called a psychic hotline."

"There is no written plan yet," Hedge says. "The fact that people are criticizing it already is quite amazing. What you've got here is a statement of philosophy and intent. There really isn't anything in hard copy yet."

Hedge also points out that, historically, voluntary guidelines like the ones OSHA proposes become de facto standards. In building codes, for example, many specifications from ventilation to lighting are voluntary standards, Hedge says. Yet it would be next to impossible to find a building that did not comply with those standards.

Also, strict policies sometimes hamper development of new technology that could solve ergonomic problems in particular, Hedge suggests. He cites ergonomic keyboards as a common example.

He points to a product created by Fingerworks called TouchStream, which combines the keyboard and mouse in a touch-sensitive pad that uses "gesture recognition" software.

"Regulations tend to stifle innovation," Hedge says. "If you were required to have 'this equipment' or 'that equipment,' it would be harder for products like [TouchStream] to enter the market."