Businesses up in arms over proposed worker protection rules

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Businesses up in arms over proposed worker protection rules

Posted 12-6-99
By Todd Stein

Washington. Business groups are threatening court action to block proposed new government rules intended to protect nurses and other workers from repetitive-motion injuries.

Workplace improvements to prevent injuries could cost businesses $4.2 billion annually, the U.S. Department of Labor said in announcing the initiative by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and businesses are balking at picking up the tab. "If OSHA persists in pushing forward this ill-considered and costly regulation, we will certainly see them in court," said Randel Johnson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's vice president for labor policy.

But the American Nurses Association welcomed the new rules, which include measures aimed at reducing injuries among healthcare workers. "We strongly support the new OSHA standard," said ANA spokesperson Michelle Nawar. "We've been waiting a long time for this."

The Clinton administration has promised for years to issue new rules covering everyday physical-or ergonomic-stresses of certain jobs. But the Republican-controlled Congress, under pressure from business groups, has repeatedly delayed the new OSHA rules. After Congress adjourned for the year in November without putting another hold on OSHA, the administration rushed to roll out its proposal.

Each year, 1.8 million workers experience musculoskeletal injuries related to ergonomic factors, according to OSHA. Nurses aides, orderlies, and attendants together have the fourth highest incidence of injuries after truck drivers, truck loaders, and public transportation attendants. According to OSHA, nurses had 58,421 musculoskeletal injuries in 1996, or 31.6 injuries per 1,000 workers. Most were back injuries caused by lifting patients.

Mechanized patient-lifting devices would be required in most healthcare settings, including all hospitals, under the proposed ergonomics rules, which will not become final until after a comment period that will include public hearings.

"Hospitals never want regulations, but we feel we need to protect our workers," Nawar said. "They should not have to risk their bodies everyday at work."

Alicia Mitchell, a spokesperson for the American Hospital Association, said the group has not yet had time to assess the OSHA rules. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that the association "believes this is an issue that should be appropriately addressed."