Nursing Homes to Receive First of Industry-Specific Ergonomics\r\nGuidelines

April 18, 2002
Industry representatives and OSHA hope to have draft ready for public comment this year.

The first industry-specific guidelines to reduce ergonomic-related injuries and illnesses will be developed for nursing homes, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao announced today. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced its comprehensive ergonomics plan April 5.

"We are serious about reducing injury and illness rates related to ergonomics as quickly as possible," Chao said. "We want to work with the nursing home profession and workers to develop guidelines to reduce the level of injuries and illnesses in this industry."

Representatives from the industry have agreed to work with OSHA to develop a draft for public comment. The draft is expected to be ready this year and will be published in the Federal Register for review before becoming final.

"Nursing home workers suffer back injuries and other ergonomics-related problems. Our goal is to prevent these types of injuries and illnesses from occurring," OSHA Administrator John Henshaw said. "I look forward to coordinating with the profession and workers to develop this first set of industry-specific guidelines to prevent ergonomics hazards. With the nursing shortage and other issues confronting this industry, it makes sound business sense for stakeholders involved to be the first to tackle ergonomics problems in their industry."

edited by Todd Nighswonger ([email protected])

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Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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