Ergonomics Rule: UW researchers will help evaluate impact

By Claire Dietz
HS News and Community Relations

Experts from the UW’s Department of Environmental Health in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine will be working with researchers at the state Department of Labor and Industries over the next three years to track effectiveness of a new state “Ergonomics Rule.”

One aspect of ergonomics is designing a workspace so that the most frequently used tools are within easy reach.

The new rule, adopted this year, is designed to reduce worker exposure to tasks that require awkward postures, heavy lifting or highly repetitive motion. Such tasks can lead to conditions such as back strain, tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. The rules will be phased in, beginning with employers having more than 50 employees and with what the department calls “caution-zone jobs,” jobs that may subject employees to increased risk of injury.

Ergonomics is the science and the practice of designing jobs or workplaces to match the capabilities and limitations of the human body.

Washington state’s Ergonomics Rule is one of only two in the nation, said Sharon Morris, director of the Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation Initiative in the Enivronmental Health Department. The only other state to adopt a similar requirement is California, she said, and proposed federal rules continue to face challenges.

“These regulations have been strongly opposed by some employer groups,” Morris noted, “and we expect this study on the effects of implementing the rules will be of wide interest around the country.”

The state Labor and Industries Department (L&I) received a $540,000 grant this month from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the study, which will extend over three years. Using survey data, researchers will track the impact of the new rules requiring protection for workers from ergonomic-related injuries. Workers compensation claims for this type of injury have risen steadily over the past few years.

The UW portion of the study will involve visits to more than 60 work sites and interviews with both workers and employers to see how the rules are actually affecting workplaces and jobs. After two years, each of the sites will be visited again.

Results of these site visits will then be evaluated along with data from Workers Compensation claims and the L&I surveys.

“This study will be a great opportunity to learn from employers and workers what works best in helping them reduce musculoskeletal hazards and injuries,” said Janice Camp, a member of the UW research team. Other UW participants are Barbara Brooner, policy analyst in the evaluation program, and an industrial hygienist who will be hired for the study.

State L&I Director Gary Moore said, “This study is part of our commitment to go the extra mile to help employers reduce these types of injuries. It will help us make sure we’re providing the information and services employers need.”