Some Provisions Changed from February Ergonomics Proposal
January 1, 2000 2 minutes read
Some Provisions Changed from February Ergonomics Proposal
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has made a number of changes to its economic analysis and its proposed ergonomic standard since the draft proposal was first released in February 1999. These are some of the major changes from the draft proposal:
November 1999 Proposal
- Work Restriction Protection: 100% pay and benefits for light duty 90% pay, 100% benefits for time off work to recover from injury (reduces costs for employers by $300 million).
-Quick Fix option added.
-Cost estimates reviewed and increased in response to small business concerns that OSHA’s estimates were too low — annual costs to employers now estimated at $4.2 billion — more than two times greater than earlier estimates.
-Problem job fix required for the "same" job in which a covered MSD occurred.
-Incremental abatement process added (don’t have to eliminate all MSDs to be in compliance).
-Training need not be repeated if employees already have received ergonomics training.
-Covered manufacturing and manual handling jobs identified with examples.
February 1999 Working Draft
-Medical Removal Protection — 100% pay and benefits for light duty and time off work to recover from injury.
-Full program required for all covered musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
-Preliminary annual costs for comparison purposes would have been $1.75 billion.
-Problem job fix required for "similar" job to job in which a covered MSD occurred.
-No definition of when employer is in compliance.
-Full training for all current and new employees in problem jobs.
-No examples of manual handling jobs covered. November 1999 Proposal
-Work Restriction Protection: 100% pay and benefits for light duty; 90% pay, 100% benefits for time off work to recover from injury (reduces costs for employers by $300 million).
-Quick Fix option added.
-Cost estimates reviewed and increased in response to small business concerns that OSHA’s estimates were too low — annual costs to employers now estimated at $4.2 billion — more than two times greater than earlier estimates.
-Problem job fix required for the "same" job in which a covered musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) occurred.
-Incremental abatement process added (don’t have to eliminate all MSDs to be in compliance).
-Training need not be repeated if employees already have received ergonomics training.
-Covered manufacturing and manual handling jobs identified with examples.
February 1999 Working Draft
-Medical Removal Protection — 100% pay and benefits for light duty and time off work to recover from injury.
-Full program required for all covered MSDs.
-Preliminary annual costs for comparison purposes would have been $1.75 billion.
-Problem job fix required for "similar" job to job in which a covered MSD occurred.
-No definition of when employer is in compliance.
-Full training for all current and new employees in problem jobs.
-No examples of manual handling jobs covered.
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