SafetyVet
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SafetyVet
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What do we need to do to comply with OSHA's new Ergonomic Standard?
Our government can act fast when it wants: OSHA's ergonomics standard was issued on November 14, 2000, and took effect on January 16, 2001. In March, 2001, the United States Congress acted under authority of the Congressional Review Act of 1996 and passed a bill to repeal the Ergonomics Standard. As a result, the standard is no longer in effect, and employers and workers are not bound by its requirements. According to Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, “In the wake of Congress’ action, it is critical that we revisit the concerns of each stakeholder as we attempt to identify areas of common ground.” With this statement, Secretary Chao reaffirmed OSHA’s commitment to listen to both sides of the issue and formulate a standard that works in the best interest of both labor and business. If you have already started an ergonomics program in your practice, don't scrap it. We are certain the rules will be "tweaked" and re-released in the near future. This repeal of the federal Ergonomics Standard does not affect any of the state-level plans with ergonomics components. Click here to learn more about setting up your program. Exactly what is ergonomics?Simply defined, ergonomics is the study of work and the mechanics of the body. As the occupational safety community began looking harder at how the human body moves, operates and responds to the forces of specific tasks, they have made significant revelations in methods to reduce the pain and lost productivity caused by poor ergonomics. Ergonomic injuries in the veterinary profession typically fall into three categories: Of course, some people believe the dramatic increase in the diagnosis of cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive motion disorders (RMDs) is the result of looking harder for it. Others believe the problem has been there all along, we just didn't know what to call it. Therein lies the dilemma facing us today: who do you believe? Some experts point to the dramatic increase in technology as the primary cause. Some studies even suggest that extremes in temperature may aggravate or increase the ergonomic stress. One thing is for sure, this problem is not going to go away on it’s own, so every business leader must address it sooner or later. Most workplace modifications are relatively inexpensive, especially when the cost of implementing them are compared to the benefits gained. In fact, in most cases, worker productivity increases after ergonomic enhancements! Things like using a portable ramp or stairs for large breed dogs instead of lifting them or the rotation of duties among many staff members cost very little but will give great returns to the practice and the staff. Not just reduced worker’s compensation claims - although that’s a big payback - but also things like better staff morale, more productivity, less absenteeism and improved quality are all benefits of improving the comfort of the worker. And of course we can’t dismiss the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The information on these pages is excerpted from |
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