Pending Ergonomic Regulations Shed Light on a Costly Problem
Across the country, the threat of newly pending OSHA regulations has the business community up in arms. “This is a blank check for federal regulators,” says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Ninety-nine and nine-tenths percent of the employers we deal with are opposed to it.” In Washington, a bipartisan group of 21 House members are offering legislation to block the OSHA regulation until at least 2001, causing Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo, to declare, “This is about jobs!”
What has OSHA done to cause such an uproar? They are finishing a controversial ergonomics regulation package designed to reduce workplace injuries caused by repetitive physical motions from heavy lifting to carrying a heavy piece of equipment.