Wash. State Adopts Ergonomics Rules

The state of Washington adopted an ergonomics standard that officials said would help reduce 50,000 workplace injuries and the $411 million in costs attributable to those injuries.

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Enforcement of the state regulations will not come until a blue-ribbon panel of “independent experts” determines that the guidelines are understandable and the proposed enforcement policies are “fair and consistent,” said Gary Moore, director of the Department of Labor and Industries.

Also, demonstration projects will be conducted before enforcement begins in July 2002, he said.

“The reason we did it the way we did it is to allow businesses enough time to determine how it would affect them,” Jerry Gilliland, spokesman with the DLI, said May 31. “We’ll be basically doing a lot of technical assistance, working with associations, and doing those demonstration projects.”

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