Hoping to undermine OSHAs ergonomics standard, its enemies
directed the prestigious National Academy of Sciences to study whether there is
a scientific basis for the safeguard.
The plan blew up in their faces
on Jan. 18 when the NAS released a report that put the lie to opponents
claims that there is too little science to show that musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) are caused by working conditions.
The NAS study,
prepared by some the worlds leading scientific and medical experts in ergonomics,
provides solid evidence to support the new regulation. The safety standard was
recently adopted by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration
to protect computer, blue collar and other workers.
The group put a staggering
price tag of $50 billion a year on the cost of lost wages, lowered productivity
and Workers Compensation resulting from lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome,
and other MSDs.
The report concluded that 1 million workers must take
time off because of MSDs, and it said the problems could be corrected by the type
of properly implemented strategies mandated under the new ergonomics
standard.
The NAS study confirms what millions of workers have
learned the hard way: Repetitive motion causes workplace injuries, said
AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee.
I am sure the anti-worker members
of Congress who ordered this report are not happy with the findings by one of
the worlds most esteemed scientific organizations.