Leggo My Ergo!

Stop Efforts to Undermine WA Ergonomics Rule

After years of discussion and debate among business leaders, organized labor, and elected officials, last year Washington State's Department of Labor & Industries adopted a fair and reasonable ergonomics rule, backed by science and workplace experience. These guidelines aim to protect thousands of workers from needless injuries and save employers money by reducing injury claims and lowering related industrial insurance rates.

Unfortunately, some short-sighted state legislators are now backing a bill that would repeal this rule, or working to make compliance totally voluntary, which would effectively repeal the rule.

Please act today and tell your state Senators that you oppose SB 5161 and support our state's ergonomic safeguards, and that you oppose all efforts to repeal or undermine these guidelines.

(Your message will be automatically addressed and sent via email to your state senator, using a legislative district look-up based on your street address.)

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Stop Efforts to Undermine Ergonomics Rule

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to express my opposition to efforts currently underway in the Washington State Legislature to repeal the state's new ergonomics rule.

I support efforts by the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers, the Communications Workers of America, and the Washington State Labor Council to protect fair and reasonable ergonomic guidelines. I urge you to oppose SB 5161, as well as any attempts to make the ergonomics standard merely voluntary.

I am concerned about this issue because debilitating injuries are the No. 1 workplace injury problem in Washington state. Some 50,000 ergonomic-related injuries occur every year, costing the state workers' compensation system about $400 million.

Claims that the rules will drive up business costs are contradicted by the experience of many employers in this state. Boeing, Weyerhaueser and Seattle City Light each implemented, on their own, ergonomics programs similar to the state rules. In doing so, they reduced their numbers of musculoskeletal injuries and workers' compensation claims, and saved considerable money on industrial insurance premiums for their efforts.

Making compliance with the rule voluntary will have the same effect as repealing it. Many Washington employers have demonstrated over the past decade that they will choose to ignore ergonomics training and incentives if it is not mandatory. Which only results in more unsafe workplaces and unhealthy working conditions for workers in WA state.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
February 11, 2003

Background Information

Debilitating injuries are the No. 1 workplace injury problem in WA
state. Some 50,000 ergonomic-related injuries occur every year, costing the state workers' compensation system about $400 million.
Because workplace injuries significantly drive up the cost of doing
business, reducing such injuries through reasonable ergonomics measures actually reduces the cost of doing business.
The Washington ergonomics rule, set to be phased into effect over the next few years, grew out of years of work by labor, business, and elected officials, with input by all of those parties. This is not an extreme program that serves only the interests of workers at the expense of employers. It's a win-win for employees and employers.
Tech and other office workers, who often sit for hours on end in front of computers, doing repetitive motions with their hands, can easily develop debilitating musculoskeletal injuries if they work in an environment that does not take ergonomics into consideration.
Many ergonomic solutions are quite cheap, especially when compared to the cost of workplace injuries or higher industrial insurance rates brought on by numerous workers comp claims.
Claims that the rules will drive up business costs, made by lobbyists and legislators backing bills to repeal the new rules, are contradicted by the experience of many employers in WA. Boeing, Weyerhaueser and Seattle City Light each implemented ergonomics programs on their own similar to the state rules. In doing so, they reduced their numbers of musculoskeletal injuries and workers' compensation claims, and saved considerable money on industrial insurance premiums for their efforts.
Making compliance with the rule voluntary (as bills currently in the Washington State Senate propose ) will have the same effect the same as repealing it. The above examples aside, many Washington employers have demonstrated over the past decade that they will choose to ignore ergonomics training and incentives if it is not mandatory. Which results in more unsafe workplaces and unhealthy working conditions for workers in WA state.