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Federal ergonomics regs good for business, says Sargent prof

By David J. Craig

More than a century after American factory owners began cutting costs by having their employees adopt the methodical physical motions prescribed by management consultant Frederick Taylor, the federal government finally is making industry responsible for informing workers about the health risks of performing repetitive tasks.

On January 16, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enacted standards that require companies to educate employees about ergonomically correct work habits and to compensate workers for time lost to debilitating musculoskeletal injuries such as tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and nerve damage incurred in the workplace. Some 1.8 million American workers suffer such injuries each year, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

	Karen Jacobs Photo by BU Photo Services

Karen Jacobs, a clinical associate professor of occupational therapy at Sargent College and president of AOTA, was instrumental in lobbying Congress for the controversial new regulations, and in fact, gave the closing testimony in their favor at an OSHA hearing in Washington, D.C., last May.

"The adoption of the new standards is a profound development," says Jacobs, who has been doing ergonomics work for more than 15 years. "Ergonomics is a public health issue that has wide ramifications for almost all workers. The main intent of the standards is to prevent injuries, and if businesses work with their employees to properly implement them, we'll see a happier and healthier work environment."

The new OSHA standards, the result of nearly a decade of research and study on workplace injuries, require companies in most industries to educate workers about ergonomics, to implement a system for reporting signs of musculoskeletal injuries (that also can include low back pain, muscle strains, and injuries to tendons, joints, and spinal discs), and to regularly train employees who perform high-risk jobs about safe work practices. Companies have three years to implement an education and reporting system.

In addition, the employer of an individual who sustains a debilitating musculoskeletal injury at work now must supplement the workers' compensation, private insurance, or wages from another job so the employee receives at least 90 percent of his or her original wages for up to six months.

"The standards will have the greatest impact in industries in which ergonomics-related problems are most severe, and the solutions are well understood," says Jacobs, "such as in manufacturing and handling jobs." Previously, OSHA had ergonomics regulations only for the meat-packing industry.

Because of changes made to the regulations since OSHA first proposed them in 1997 -- industry had fought hard to soften the standards -- they do not apply to construction workers, and companies that are judged to effectively prevent musculoskeletal injuries already do not have to comply with many aspects of the new regulations.

OSHA estimates that implementing the new standards will cost U.S. industries $4.5 billion each year but will save an annual $9.1 billion by preventing three million work-related injuries over the next 10 years.

Industry estimates for adhering to the standards are dramatically higher, however, and the battle to make ergonomics a major safety concern in the American workplace is far from over. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit against OSHA to stop the regulations.

In addition, Jacobs says that many observers believe the incoming George W. Bush administration will cut OSHA's funding next year, making it difficult to enforce the new regulations.

"We in the occupational health community are concerned," she says. "We have to remain vigilant. AOTA will continue to lobby and be supportive of our members doing outreach.

"I think employers are being shortsighted by opposing it, because we should see a decrease in absenteeism and injuries in the workplace, workers' morale will increase, and the quality of work should improve," she continues. "Ergonomics itself is a good business approach. One worry among employers is that their workers will take advantage of the regulations. But people said that about the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, and those fears didn't come to fruition."

Jacobs, who often works with BU's Office of Environmental Health and Safety to evaluate the work habits of University employees, says that those who work at a computer can avoid many injuries by maintaining a comfortable, upright posture, keeping wrists straight and relaxed, and stretching periodically.

To have an ergonomist evaluate your workstation, contact BU's Office of Environmental Health and Safety at 353-4094 or visit www.bu.edu/ehsmc/programs/envhealth/ergo.htm. Last July, Jacobs, two colleagues from BU, and a computer scientist launched Field Informatics, LLC, a company that provides custom application software solutions for ergonomics and the health-care industry using mobile computers. For more information, visit www.fieldinformatics.com.

19 January 2001
Boston University
Office of University Relations