Earlier this month the American Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the draft of a national ergonomics standard which could require businesses to redesign their workplaces.

OSHA's six-part proposal could require businesses to redesign their workplaces in order to avoid repetitive motion injuries. It would affect workers susceptible to injuries as varied as carpal tunnel syndrome from working at a keyboard, muscular injuries from lifting patients in a nursing home, and repetitive motion hazards from scanning groceries at a supermarket.

Each year 1.8 million U.S. workers experience work-related musculoskeletal disorders, such as injuries from overexertion or repetitive motion. About one-third of these injuries (600,000) are serious enough to require time off work. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, account for one-third of all workers' compensation costs each year because these injuries can require a lengthy recovery time.

About one-third of general industry worksites (1.9 million sites) would be affected says the OSHA and more than 27 million workers would be protected by the standard. Implementing these measures would generate average savings of $9 billion annually in workers' compensation and other direct costs alone. Fewer than 30 percent of general industry employers have effective ergonomics programs in place today.

The US Chamber of Commerce condemned the proposal on the grounds that there is little scientific evidence proving it is needed and would place a burden on small businesses. According to OSHA's estimates, businesses would actually net $4 for every $1 they spend on complying with ergonomics standards.

Charles Jeffress, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, said: "This proposal includes some unique provisions to expand flexibility for employers because one size doesn't fit all. We've given employers a Quick Fix option and included a grandfather clause - both designed to limit what employers need to do while effectively protecting workers. Three-quarters of general industry employers would not need to do anything until a documented, work-related injury actually occurs."

The six components of OSHA's program are: management leadership and employee participation; hazard identification and information; job hazard analysis and control; training; medical management; and program evaluation.

The draft will now go to a committee consisting of OSHA, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Management and Budget, where it will be analysed for its impact on small businesses. This review, which will begin early next month, will last 60 days.

The final draft will be submitted in the autumn. The full text of the OSHA draft can be downloaded from: http://www.osha-slc.gov/ergonomics-standard/fs-over.html