I want to provide ergonomic equipment for my workers, but I'm getting requests for $800 chairs and all kinds of accessories that seem frivolous to me. When can I say enough is enough?
Like many government regulations, understanding ergonomics rules is a little like going through the looking glass into a mysterious world of speculation and uncertainty.
Briefly, the term "ergonomics" means fitting the physical demands of the job to the worker in an effort to minimize repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) or work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), as they're sometimes called. Right now, there are no uniform national rules on ergonomics.
However, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a proposed ergonomics protection standard on Nov. 22. The proposal requires all manufacturers and companies with workers that do manual lifting to establish a program to identify ergonomic issues. It also requires any employer with a worker who reports an ergonomic injury to improve the conditions in that portion of the workplace. OSHA will take comments on the proposal until Feb. 1 and expects to issue a final rule sometime next year.
OSHA currently investigates and cites employers for ergonomics violations where the employer is on notice of an unsafe working condition and where the correction is feasible. A few states, like California, have their own ergonomic regulations or are in the process of developing them. To the extent that those rules exist, federal OSHA will defer to them. Yet the vast majority of states have no ergonomics regulations at this point.
How much is enough? The current guidelines are flexible and depend entirely on industry custom and practice. If you follow RSI safety standards recognized in your business or industry, you should be okay. In an office context, computer keyboard pads, document holders, keyboard shelves, footrests, wristrests and, yes, supportive and adjustable chairs are some of the recognized techniques for preventing RSIs.
But that doesn't mean you're compelled to procure top-of-the-line equipment. You're just required to provide properly adjustable equipment designed to minimize the stress that contributes to RSIs.
The information here does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as legal advice. If you have a legal problem, consult an attorney in your area concerning your particular situation and facts. Nothing presented on this site establishes or should be construed as establishing an attorney-client relationship between you and Gregory A. Bonfiglio or the law firm of Morrison and Foerster LLP.
Source: http://www.allbusiness.com
