Senate Ergonomics Committee Vote

On June 12, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled to vote on Sen. Breaux's (D-LA) ergonomics bill, S. 2184. This bill would require the Department of Labor (DOL) to reissue a rule on ergonomics, invalidating both the 2001 repeal of the Clinton ergonomics rule and the current administration's voluntary guidelines on ergonomics. The differences are dramatic.

S. 2184 would use the same information and one-size-fits-all approach as the repealed rule. The legislation would require all employers to implement ergonomic principles, even if no ergonomic injuries occurred at the worksite. The legislation might not allow for public input in the new regulations, and could include even broader language than the repealed rule.

The current administration plans to have the DOL examine ergonomic research and create industry-specific guidelines. It would target bad actors for prosecutionj and concentrate more efforts on education and outreach to employers.

There is currently no version of ergonomics legislation in the House of Representatives. However, if the HELP committee succeeds in passing the Breaux bill and attaching it to appropriations legislation, it may be difficult to remove.

This article is excerpted from the MAAHS Messenger, a publication of the Mid American Ag and Hort Services.