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"This document was published prior to the publication of OSHA's final rule on Ergonomics Program (29 CFR 1910.900, November 14, 2000), and therefore does not necessarily address or reflect the provisions set forth in the final standard."

News Release USDL: 97-281
Tuesday, August 12, 1997
Contact: Christy Setzer, (202)219-8148

The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will launch the first in a series of conferences on ways to combat repetitive stress injuries, one of the fastest-growing, most costly threats to worker health, in Lockport, N.Y., on Sept. 17. The session, which will run from 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., will be held at the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Niagara County Community College.

"Effective Practices in Ergonomics" will enable workers, unions, employers, trade and professional associations, academics and government to share information about effective solutions to reduce exposures to ergonomic hazards in the workplace. The conference is co-sponsored by OSHA and Niagara County Community College.

"Musculo-skeletal disorders stemming from ergonomic hazards represent the single largest group of preventable job injuries and illnesses in the United States today. It's crucial that we work together to find ways to prevent repetitive stress injuries," said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Gregory R. Watchman.

Watchman will serve as the keynote speaker for the conference. Other speakers include Ken Swan, Mayor of Lockport, N.Y., and Eric Frumin of UNITE, the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.

"Effective Practices" expands on the national ergonomics conference sponsored by OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, held Jan. 8-9 in Chicago. The second of ten regional ergonomics conferences is scheduled for Oct. 30 in Chicago.

"Holding the conference in Lockport makes it convenient and economical for those in the New York area who were unable to attend the Chicago conference," said OSHA Regional Administrator Patricia Clark.

Paying attention to ergonomics, the science of adjusting the job to fit the worker's needs, can prevent repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), resulting from wear and tear on the body. These injuries can diminish a worker's ability to perform their jobs and even simple daily activities.

In recent years, the rapid growth of computer-based jobs involving intensive keying has increased the incidence of RSI problems, as have the doubling of the poultry-processing workforce and the automation of that industry. RSI problems also occur as a result of heavy lifting, awkward posture, repetitive motion or a combination of these factors.

For more information or to register for the conference, contact Sharon Zimmerman, Assistant to the Coordinator, at the Niagara County Community College at (716) 433-1856.