Patsy T. Mink: “the ergonomics rule adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ten years after first being…”

“the ergonomics rule adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ten years after first being proposed by then-Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole will protect 102 million American workers from injuries in the workplace. The ergonomics rule is designed to protect workers from musculoskeletal disorders caused by highly repetitive, heavy and forceful work. The injuries that result account for nearly a third of all serious job-related injuries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1999 more than 600,000 workers suffered serious workplace injuries caused by repetitive motion and overexertion. These injuries cost employers and employees $45 to 54 billion annually in compensation costs, lost wages and lost productivity. The National Academy of Sciences, in a January, 2001 report mandated by Congress, found that in 1999 musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 130 million encounters with physicians, hospitals, emergency rooms and outpatient facilities. The study concluded that there is a relationship between back disorders and manual material handling, heavy physical work, frequent bending and twisting and whole body vibration. Repetition, force and vibration are related to hand and arm injuries. The NAS concluded that "the weight of the evidence justifies the introduction of appropriate and selected interventions to reduce the rise of musculoskeletal disorders of the lower back and upper extremities.”