InformationWeek

Companies with at least one musculoskeletal disorder injury report would have to establish a program to analyze job hazards and risks, provide training, and institute injury management processes and evaluations. The standard would be phased in over three years. Companies without a reported injury still would need an ergonomic-injury education and reporting system.

The issue has been on OSHA's agenda for 10 years, and business and industry opposition remains high. Opponents argue that research has yet to link musculoskeletal injuries to workplace activities and say the proposal's requirement to provide 100% pay for up to six months to workers on disability would be a financial hardship on companies.

Industry groups such as the Center For Office Technology in Alexandria, Va., say the proposal is too vague, too cumbersome, and too expensive for small and midsize businesses. "OSHA has bit off way more than it can chew," says PJ Edington, executive director of the association of employers and manufacturers. "The main problem is that this proposed rule is very vague and very broad."

The Society for Human Resource Management, an Alexandria, Va., organization that represents 13,000 human-resources professionals, also opposes the rule. The group says compliance could cost $100 billion in the first year. "It's not targeted at any specific industry, and it's just unworkable," says Sarah Pierce, the human resource society's legislative representative.

The proposed standard doesn't affect home-based workers and telecommuters, though it's clear that OSHA also is concerned about the ergonomics of that group.