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Ergonomics Committee's Mission Limited to Advice
The key word in OSHA's new National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics is "advisory."
At the panel's inaugural meeting in January, OSHA Administrator John Henshaw made it clear that members could only make recommendations for workplace ergonomics guidelines, outreach and research. Enforcement, or even the mere discussion of regulations, is beyond the committee's scope, he said.
Henshaw asked the committee to work on identifying areas that need more research, but an AFL-CIO industrial hygienist speaking at the meeting said further study isn't the most pressing need.
Bill Kojola said the committee would be most helpful if it identified ways to make effective workplace changes to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. "It is our view that the Advisory Committee should devote little of its time to the identification of gaps in the science of ergonomics and future research needs," he said.
But a business representative suggested that's exactly what the committee should do. Baruch Fellner, an attorney for the National Coalition on Ergonomics, which represents businesses and trade associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the committee should spend the majority of its time distinguishing data based research from success stories. "We believe that the single task of this group is to identify the gaps in research," he said.
Dave LeGrande, CWA's health and safety director, said the business agenda is clear. "It's just another stalling tactic," he said. "Research is very important, no question. But scientists have studied the relationship between poor ergonomics and workers' injuries for more than two decades. They've concluded that there is a very serious problem that can be solved by adjustments to work stations, training and other fixes that, in fact, would save businesses money in the long run because far fewer workers would be hurt."
But he said, "Too many short-sighted companies don't want to make investments up front and are fighting ergonomics protections every step of the way."
CWA was one of the pioneers in the field of ergonomics research and has long pushed for a regulatory standard that would require businesses to make necessary changes to protect workers. A standard that would have started to address the problem was adopted at the end of the Clinton administration, but was quickly killed when President George W. Bush took office.
At the panel's inaugural meeting in January, OSHA Administrator John Henshaw made it clear that members could only make recommendations for workplace ergonomics guidelines, outreach and research. Enforcement, or even the mere discussion of regulations, is beyond the committee's scope, he said.
Henshaw asked the committee to work on identifying areas that need more research, but an AFL-CIO industrial hygienist speaking at the meeting said further study isn't the most pressing need.
Bill Kojola said the committee would be most helpful if it identified ways to make effective workplace changes to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. "It is our view that the Advisory Committee should devote little of its time to the identification of gaps in the science of ergonomics and future research needs," he said.
But a business representative suggested that's exactly what the committee should do. Baruch Fellner, an attorney for the National Coalition on Ergonomics, which represents businesses and trade associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the committee should spend the majority of its time distinguishing data based research from success stories. "We believe that the single task of this group is to identify the gaps in research," he said.
Dave LeGrande, CWA's health and safety director, said the business agenda is clear. "It's just another stalling tactic," he said. "Research is very important, no question. But scientists have studied the relationship between poor ergonomics and workers' injuries for more than two decades. They've concluded that there is a very serious problem that can be solved by adjustments to work stations, training and other fixes that, in fact, would save businesses money in the long run because far fewer workers would be hurt."
But he said, "Too many short-sighted companies don't want to make investments up front and are fighting ergonomics protections every step of the way."
CWA was one of the pioneers in the field of ergonomics research and has long pushed for a regulatory standard that would require businesses to make necessary changes to protect workers. A standard that would have started to address the problem was adopted at the end of the Clinton administration, but was quickly killed when President George W. Bush took office.