Ergonomics Public Forum Registration Begins Today

June 12, 2001
Those looking to take part in one of OSHA's three public forums\r\nscheduled to take place this summer can begin to register today.

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Those looking to take part in one of OSHA''s three public forums scheduled to take place this summer can begin to register today.

Assistant secretary of labor, R. Davis Layne, told attendees at ASSE''s Safety 2001 professional development conference and exposition in Anaheim Monday that will be made available on the GPO website, at www.gpo.gov, or at OSHA''s website at www.osha.gov.

In addition to signing up to speak at the one of the forums or to simply submit comments to Chao regarding ergonomics issues, information posted on the sites will also give details about the forums and how to register to attend one of the sessions.

Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao is using the forums to determine whether the public wants to reconsider imposing ergonomics legislation and how to create a new standard.

Layne said the information generated in the one-day public forums schedued to take place in Washington, DC on July 16; in Illinois on July 20; and in California on July 24, will be used to define:

  • what qualifies as an ergonomics injury,
  • how to prove that an ergonomic injury is, in fact, work-related, and
  • cost-effective ways government officials can address the issue.

Chao and senior Department of Labor officials will participate in portions of the forums, along with other stakeholder groups. Layne said all comments and information generated by the forums need to be presented to Chao by Aug. 3.

Chao has set herself a September deadline to identify the final course of action on the issue. Her options include new rulemaking, voluntary guidelines, technical assistance to companies, partnerships, or some combination of these possibilities.

by Melissa Martin

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

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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