OSHA Rulemaking
Avoiding and Addressing Work-Related Illness
Improper ergonomic design of jobs is one of the leading causes of work-related illness, accounting for perhaps a third of employers’ costs under State workers’ compensation laws, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Due to the wide variety of circumstances, however, any comprehensive standard would probably have to be complex and costly, while scientific understanding of the problem is not complete. On November 14, 2000, OSHA promulgated an ergonomics standard. It would require employers to set up control programs for job categories where "work-related musculoskeletal disorders" are reported. These programs would include job hazard analysis and control,…
