Small-Business Owners Add Ergonomics to Worries

Back injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome and other work-related injuries have joined cash flow and accounts receivable on the list of things small-business owners need to keep in mind. Federal regulations that took effect recently require all employers to make sure their workplaces are ergonomically safe.

If you have at least one employee, you need to take note of the Ergonomics Program Standard formulated by the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Employers have until Oct. 14 to comply with the standard, which mandates workplace programs to prevent and deal with work-related injuries.

The standard includes the well-known repetitive strain injuries caused by continuous use of personal computers, but it also encompasses lifting, pushing and sitting or working in an awkward position.

“If you’ve got a body part that moves, it could be [at risk for] an MSD [musculoskeletal disorder],” said Ronald Miller, manager of safety training and consultation for the National Safety Council.

That might sound scary, but “don’t panic” is the advice for business owners from Patrick Tyson, head of the OSHA practice section of Constangy, Brooks & Smith, an Atlanta law firm.

“There’s a lot of time before they have to really start being in compliance, and a lot can happen before then,” he said.

Business advocacy groups hope the standard--created in the last months of the Clinton presidency--will be modified under the Bush administration, which is expected to be more sympathetic to business concerns.

Tyson expects changes, but he warned, “some form of standard will survive.”

With that admonition, business owners need to start thinking about the standard and how they’ll comply. Some employers are exempt--those covered by OSHA’s construction, maritime or agricultural standards, or who operate railroads.

The new standard aims to protect workers who perform tasks requiring:

* Repetitive motion. This would include workers using personal computers.

* Force, such as lifting more than 75 pounds at a time or pushing or pulling with a specified amount of force.

* Awkward postures, such as working with hands above the head.

* Vibrating tools, such as chain saws or jackhammers.

The standard has three main requirements: that employers provide information about musculoskeletal disorders to employees, that they eliminate injury-causing conditions and that they help an injured worker with medical treatment and, if necessary, disability pay.

The standard also involves increased record-keeping on work-related MSDs.

Information about the standard is available on OSHA’s Web site (https://www.osha.gov) or from your local OSHA office.

For help in putting together a program, find a local ergonomic consultant or safety engineer. The National Safety Council is holding seminars on implementing an ergonomics program. The council’s Web site (https://www.nsc.org) has information about the standard, and information about the seminars is available by calling (630) 775-2124.

You also need to know how to handle a workplace injury. Among other provisions, the standard requires that an injured employee have ready access to medical treatment and that injured workers receive at least 90% of their earnings and 100% of their benefits if they are unable to perform their jobs.

Labor lawyer Tyson said of employers: “They ought to honestly look at their work force and see if there’s potential for their employees to develop problems. Do they have the kinds of jobs that lead to these problems?”