-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- ----- Original Message ----- From: "National Organization for Women" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000 4:35 AM Subject: now-action-list Women Will Benefit from Ergonomic Standards > Please feel free to forward the following to activists: > > >From the National Organization for Women Action Center: > > Action Alert > Women Will Benefit from Ergonomic Standards > > ACTION NEEDED BY FEB. 1ST: > > Please send a short letter in support of a proposed ergonomics program > standard (ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker) to > the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. > Department of Labor no later than February 1st. The address is below, or > you can email your message via their website at http://www.osha.gov or fax > comments of 10 pages or less to the Docket Office at 202-693-1648. > > Adoption of the standard will reduce the risk of injury and illness to > workers who must do repetitive tasks or lift heavy weights. Work-related > musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as back injuries and carpal tunnel > syndrome are the most prevalent, expensive and preventable workplace > injuries in the U.S. > > The majority of affected workers are women -- many of them in > manufacturing, nursing homes or other physically-stressing positions. > > Some business and industry sources have opposed adoption of the standard > and have conducted an extensive letter-writing and grassroots campaign > against it. > > Letters from employers who support reasonable standards, and letters from > employees at risk of MSDs, would be effective. Please stress the > importance of reducing the risk of MSDs for women workers. > > BACKGROUND INFORMATION: > > In announcing the proposed standard on Nov. 22nd, Secretary of Labor Alexis > M. Herman noted that A300,000 workers could be spared from painful, > potentially disabling, injuries, and $9 billion can be saved each year.@ > OSHA has studied the problem of work-related MSDs for a number of years and > has concluded that a set of practical and flexible standards be adopted. > (Details on various studies and research reports can be found on the OSHA > (address at end of message.) > > About one-third of general industry worksites (approximately 1.9 million) > would be affected and 27 million workers. Many large employers have > ergonomics programs in place, but numerous smaller employers do not. The > department has concluded that each year about 1.8 million workers sustain > work-related musculoskeletal disorders, such as injuries from over-exertion > or repetitive motion. Other types of MSDs are sciatica, herniated disc and > low back pain; however, MSDs do not include injuries from slips, trips, > falls or other accidents. About a third of MSDs are serious enough to > require time off and some injuries often need a lengthy recovery period. A > third of workers= compensation payments are due to MSDs. > > > Women suffer 70 percent of the carpal tunnel syndrome cases and 62 percent > of the tendinitis cases that are serious enough to require employees to > take time off work. Annually, more than 100,000 women have work-related > back injuries. > > The program, if adopted, would mean that workers who experience covered > musculoskeletal disorders receive a prompt response, evaluation of their > injury and follow-up by a health care professional, if needed. Most > workers who must take time off to recover from such an injury would get 90 > percent of their pay and 100 percent of benefits during that time. > Experience has shown that employees are often reluctant to report symptoms > if this might result in missed work that causes lost income. Costs to > employers to correct problems are estimated at an annual average of $150 > per work station fixed. That total annual cost is less than half that > incurred in paying medical costs, lost productivity and other expenses when > injuries occur. > > THE MESSAGE: > > Your letter urging adoption of the ergonomics program standard can be short > and merely state your support; it need not be technical and you do not need > to be an expert of any sort to comment on the proposed standard. Obviously, > letters from employers and business owners in support of the standard will > be important, as many employers have opposed this standard in the past. But > workers who have been injured on the job where an ergonomics standard could > have prevented the injury or reduced the severity need to write OSHA as well. > > If you believe that adoption of an ergonomics program standard could > improve the safety and productivity at your workplace, explain this in your > letter or email message. It will be important to stress the special > benefits to women workers who sustain a majority of MSDs. Note that > on-the-job MSDs should be prevented or minimized and that numerous studies > have shown that sound ergonomics programs have demonstrated effectiveness > in reducing risk. > > Written comments should be submitted in duplicate by Feb. 1st to the OSHA > Docket Office, Docket No. S-777, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 > Constitution Ave., Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments of 10 pages or less > may be faxed to the Docket Office at 202-693-1648. Comments may also be > submitted electronically through OSHA's internet site at > http://www.osha.gov and you can also find more details there. Any > attachments such as studies, reports, etc. cannot be sent electronically, > but must be submitted in duplicate to the address above. > > ================================================== > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text: > unsubscribe now-action-list > or visit http://www.now.org/actions/unsubscribe.html > Please *do* unsubscribe before cancelling an e-mail account. > > Visit the NOW Web site at http://www.now.org/ where you can support these > efforts by joining NOW or purchasing from our catalog. > <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
