"Perhaps no one is more attuned to the debilitating effects ergonomic-related injuries have on workers than the healthcare professionals represented by AAOS," said OSHA chief John Henshaw. "They've committed to sharing with us the orthopaedic community's vast clinical expertise on musculoskeletal injury and disease."

The alliance specifies that OSHA and AAOS will serve as resources to both AAOS members and OSHA personnel to help them protect workers' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing ergonomic hazards. To accomplish that, both organizations plan on seeking opportunities to jointly develop information at conferences, events and through media outlets, including their individual Web sites.

AAOS has more than 26,000 members and provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public.