OSHA Regs—But Unlike Clinton's—Possible - Brief Article

Nursing Homes, June, 2001 by Ronald M. Schwartz

Although President Bush signed the congressional turnback of Clinton administration ergonomics regulations earlier this year, such rules--although greatly modified--remain likely under the Bush administration. Shortly before Congress blocked the regulations, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao wrote Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT), chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor And Pensions, "I intend to pursue a comprehensive approach to ergonomics, which may include new rulemaking that addresses the concerns levied against the current standard. This approach will provide employers with achievable measures that protect their employees before injuries occur. Repetitive stress injuries in the workplace are an important problem."

This might explain why Michael Hogan, AHCA senior director of legislative affairs, said in an interview that the group could accept a Bush administration version of an ergonomics standard. AHCA and AAHSA had joined business coalitions that successfully lobbied Congress to block the Clinton regulations. "Throughout the [lobbying] campaign, we have said we do not oppose ergonomics programs," said Hogan. "In fact, our members have had very good, very successful and specific ergonomics programs to reduce workplace injuries in long-term care. We encourage those and want them to continue. They won't go away without a reg.... If it's a reasonable reg, we would support it.... But our cost estimate [for the industry] of the Clinton reg was $l.2 billion in the first year." Because of the predominance of tight government funding in the industry and an inability to shift extra costs onto private patients, "those dollars," said Hogan, "would have come out of patient care."