Program must encourage reporting of problems
Program must encourage reporting of problems
Under the ergonomics proposal from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington, DC, about 1.6 million employers would need to implement a basic ergonomics program that includes the following:
• assigning someone to be responsible for ergonomics;
• providing information to employees on the risk of injuries, signs and symptoms to watch for, and the importance of reporting problems early;
• setting up a system for employees to report signs and symptoms.
Full programs would be required only if one or more work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) actually occurred.
The proposal’s "Quick Fix" alternative to setting up a full ergonomics program works this way: Correct a hazard within 90 days, check to see that the fix works, and no further action is necessary. In addition, a "grandfather" clause gives credit to firms, which already have effective ergonomics programs in place and are working to correct hazards.
The OSHA proposal identifies six elements for a full ergonomics program:
• management leadership and employee participation;
• hazard information and reporting;
• job hazard analysis and control;
• training;
• MSD management;
• program evaluation.
OSHA intends that ergonomics programs be job-based, i.e., cover just the specific job where the risk of developing an MSD exists and jobs like it that expose other workers to the same hazard. Ergonomics programs need not cover all the jobs at the workplace.
The proposal would require that workers who experience covered MSDs receive a prompt response, evaluation of their injury, and follow-up by a health care professional, if necessary. Workers who need time off the job to recover from the injury could receive 90% of pay and 100% of benefits to limit economic loss as a result of their injuries. Workers on light duty would receive full pay and benefits.
This provision is designed to encourage early reporting to catch problems before they result in injuries. Strong evidence shows that employees are reluctant to report symptoms if doing so might cause them to take time off from work, reducing their paycheck.
Most employers in general industry will incur minimal costs. Employers who need to correct problems will spend an average of $150 per year per workstation fixed. The total cost to employers would equal $4.2 billion each year.
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