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Should Minnesota adopt its own regulations regarding ergonomics?
The Minnesota Chamber opposes adoption of a state-specific ergonomics standard. Rather, the state should promote voluntary strategies to reduce musculoskeletal disorders through education, consultation and by serving as a clearinghouse for resources. Our opposition is based on the following:
The Chamber believes that the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry should concentrate its ergonomics efforts on educating and consulting with smaller employers and employers in high-risk industries so they realize the costs and benefits of addressing ergonomic issues.
Many Minnesota employers already have implemented successful ergonomics programs. If the state establishes a prescriptive ergonomic standard, these employers would likely have to change their existing programs and unnecessarily divert resources from more productive areas of their business in order to comply. If employers that have not implemented ergonomics programs are presented with information about the costs and benefits of addressing workplace improvements, they will recognize that there are low-cost methods of addressing ergonomic issues and will likely implement workplace changes over time.
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