OSHA: Ergonomics

Issue

Should Minnesota adopt its own regulations regarding ergonomics?

Policy

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 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was meant to be a nationwide set of uniform safety standards. Since the U.S. Department of Labor has a credible plan to develop and enforce ergonomics guidelines, we don’t believe it is necessary for Minnesota to adopt its own regulations.

• Uniform national guidelines are preferred because many Minnesota companies have operations around the country. A uniform standard would allow them to implement one ergonomics program nationwide.

• The Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry already inspects employers to determine if their workplaces pose a serious risk for musculoskeletal injuries. It does so through OSHA’s general duty clause and the state’s A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction program. This demonstrates that a state-specific standard is not needed in order for musculoskeletal injuries to be addressed.

• Many Minnesota companies already have implemented successful ergonomics programs. They did so without a state or federal mandate, showing that mandates are not needed in order for the private sector to act.

• Because the science on musculoskeletal injuries is not settled, field inspectors can become defacto experts, essentially with the power to issue citations if they personally disagree with an employer’s remedial actions. The 2001 National Academy of Science study reported that “none of the common musculoskeletal disorders is uniquely caused by work exposures.”

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.

Business Impact

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.