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Ergonomics

Follow-up on employers with ergo hazards

OSHA will be contacting employers that have been inspected for ergonomic hazards and received an ergonomics hazard alert letter (EHAL) since April 2002, in order to determine whether the businesses have addressed the hazards identified in their workplaces.

     A compliance directive posted on OSHA’s web site indicates that the agency will contact employers by telephone or fax. Employers will have 20 working days after the contact to respond to OSHA. The follow-up process also allows for additional contact with employers and for unannounced inspections.

     The agency says more than 400 EHALs were sent to employers between April 2002 and May 2006.

Click on the following links for information on ergonomics standards and practices:

• Easy Ergonomics: A Guide to Selecting Non-Powered Hand Tools, a new publication by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service, provides easy-to-use guidance for evaluating and selecting non-powered hand tools to reduce risks of job-related disorders from repetitive movements. The guide is available on the NIOSH Web site or by calling NIOSH toll free at 1-800-356-4674.

• OSHA's ergonmics Web page

• OSHA's ergonomics enforcement plan
  NIOSH's ergonomics web page (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

• OSHA issues voluntary guidelines to help the poultry processing industry reduce ergonomic-related injuries

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