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 Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as back injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by ergonomic hazards are the biggest safety and health problem in the workplace today, accounting for nearly a third of all serious job related injuries. In 1996, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 600,000 workers suffered serious workplace injuries caused by repetitive motion and overexertion.
These injuries are serious, disabling and costly. The workers' compensation costs of these injuries is estimated at $20 billion annually, with the overall costs at $60 billion. Women workers are particularly affected by these injuries. Women make up 46 percent of the overall workforce, but in 1996 accounted for 63 percent of repetitive motion injuries and 69 percent of reported carpal tunnel syndrome cases.
AFA strongly supports OSHA's ergonomics standard which will help protect hundreds of thousands of workers from painful and crippling injuries and opposes any efforts that will prevent this standard from being implemented.
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