COMPUTERITIS

The U.S. Postal Service was not directed by federal safety inspectors to redesign jobs or any computer equipment at its Bulk Mail Center in Pittsburgh. Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration did issue a citation against the high-speed induction unit operations in that facility, the citation was withdrawn when the Postal Service ergonomists demonstrated that the injury incidence cited by OSHA was incorrectly calculated.

JIM VAN LOOZEN

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

Washington, D.C.

Judy Pasternak responds: As reported in the story, a settlement was negotiated calling for employee education and, if a Postal Service consultant recommended it, new equipment at the Bulk Mail Center. According to Gary Griess, the head of the OSHA office in Pittsburgh, “We did say the incidence of injury was not as high as what we had originally thought, but we did not withdraw our letter (of citation) at that point,” Griess says. “We said we would not withdraw the letter until there was an agreement between them, us and the union on further work, until we had reached an understanding that they would do certain things.”