New standard could include keyboard workers
May 1, 1999 2 minutes read
Reader Questions
New standard could include keyboard workers
Question: With all the talk about the proposed ergonomics standard that has been released by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Washington, DC, I’m confused about whether it would cover computer workers and other keyboard operators. Would they be covered?
Answer: There is some confusion about this because keyboard operators are generally thought to be at relatively high risk of musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, yet the proposed ergonomics standard does not directly address them. The latest word from those involved with developing the standard is that keyboard operators could be covered by the proposed ergonomics standard in some workplaces, but not all.
If that’s not clear enough for you, here’s an explanation from David Cochran, PhD, PE, CPE, professor of industrial engineering at the University of Nebraska in Omaha and special assistant for ergonomics at OSHA:
The ergonomics proposal applies only to manufacturing and manual handling jobs, giving it a very narrow scope. Office and retail workers are not covered. The proposal is limited to job types in which there is a clear risk and those in which research has shown that intervention efforts are most effective.
As written, computer users as a group are not specifically covered by the proposal. But if an employee works with a computer and his or her job description falls within the manufacturing and manual handling job categories, that computer user still could be covered by this proposed standard.
"If a keyboard operator is working in a manufacturing or manual handling job, then he or she could be covered by this rule even though the injury is traced to a task involving computer work. If they’re in that manufacturing or manual handling category, they’re covered by this proposal regardless of the specific task," he says. "I would expect some significant percentage of the computer workers in the United States to fall into that category, but not a majority of keyboard users."
Cochran says OSHA still is evaluating how many employers would be covered by the proposed ergonomics standard. The proposed rule would require employers to have a system for recording ergonomic-related injuries and illnesses, and to respond to musculoskeletal disorders when they are detected. (See flowchart, p. 53, for help in deciding whether a particular employer would be covered by the proposed rule.)
(For more information, contact: David Cochran, OSHA Special Assistant for Ergonomics, OSHA, N3718, 200 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20210.
The proposed ergonomics standard can be found on the Internet at http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/ergoreg.html.)
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