Would you welcome another attempt at a federal ergonomics standard?
In an informal online poll conducted in June/July 2012, Safety+Health readers were polled on whether they had ever been asked if they welcome another attempt at a federal ergonomics standard.
Comments from respondents answering “Yes”
The facts are in and it matters as the number of people hurt everyday in the us from poorly set up job stations. most employers will comply with out the standard but there are ones out there who say its not required so i am not doing it.
I think there is an urgent need to protect American workers from ergonomic hazards.
Like other safety regulations, this would help get this put in place for employees who's management does not see the importance in ergonomics. To many busineses put egonomics on the back burner at the expence of the employee because it's not a standard.
It is long overdue.
I feel it is important to have a standard that will address potential ergonomic issues and corrective measures in the workplace.
There are so many changes in equipment and technology every year. Because of the aging workforce of baby-boomer population, employee ergonomic injuries are ever-increasing whether in the office or field worker environment. The feds need to keep up.
Because most companies won't spend the money unless they have to; this is a needed standard.
Give manufacturers a level playing field while promoting public health.
Comments from respondents answering “No”
Impossible to enforce.
One size fits all approach does not work. Employees engage in at-risk behavior off the job. Employers have no knowledge and cannot ask but are expected to prevent.
This is still too subjective with too many variables
Because the last one was such a fiasco, I don't think they are capable of getting it right.
The use of welcome is what trips me up a bit. Ergonomics is a tough concept to standardize and apply across-the-board solutions. I don't believe that creating standards just to have them is necessarily productive. Section 5(a)(1) already addresses it.
The funds spent for another government "attempt" can be better used elsewhere. Or should I say almost anywhere.
I can see business costs skyrocketing to astronomical heights if the government ever got into the business of ergonomics!!
I worry the at the scope would be applied to broadly. Many employers currently include ergonomics in their hazard assessments and address them with engineer and administrative controls.
Each place of employment has it's own unique challenges that an ergonomic standard may not bbe able to address
this standard is to broad to be able to tie injuries to workplace issues
The last two attempts were not successful. Workers cheered but did not follow recommendations.
I feel that there are too many circumstances that make it difficult to reach every industry. It shoudl be left up to the company to determine the need for ergonomic solutions.
Too much to do now - would be another program to monitor and we don't have enough time to perform our safety and environmental duties and do a good job at it.
Because we don't need more regulations that can't be enforced.
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