OSHA reopens record on musculoskeletal disorders column

After hearing directly from businesses, OSHA is reopening the public record on a proposed controversial rule. It would revise the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements regulation to better track cases of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

The proposed rule would restore a column to the OSHA 300 log and require employers to check if a previously recorded incident is an MSD. It would also require employers to put the totals from the MSD column on the OSHA Form 300A Annual Summary each year.

The proposed rule would define an MSD as a disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, or spinal disks that was not caused by a slip, trip, fall, motor vehicle accident, or similar accident.

Updated information sought to protect tunnel workers (02/04/13)
Redesigning, rotating may reduce musculoskeletal disorders (02/04/13)
Technological advancements allow manikins to test protective clothing (02/04/13)
Cellphone, driving myths (05/13/13)
Top cause of workplace injuries, fatalities often preventable, experts say (05/13/13)

Concerns raised by small businesses prompted the agency to withdraw plans to implement the column earlier this year. Instead, OSHA held several teleconferences with small businesses. Among the concerns raised were that outside activities and hobbies can cause or significantly contribute to an MSD, and they believed this complicated the task of determining work-relatedness. They also said that the proposed requirement to check a new box was not burdensome, but that correctly checking the box would require a more thorough investigation to correctly classify MSDs.

In reopening the public record, OSHA will take comments until June 16.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

May 31, 2011

Newsletter Sign-up