OSHA's newly proposed draft ergonomic guidelines for the retail grocery store industry - Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Retail Grocery Stores - is available for public comment at www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics (select "guidelines").

The guidelines do not address warehouses, convenience stores or business operations that may be located within grocery stores, such as banks, post offices or coffee shops, although they may be useful to employers and workers in those workplaces. They will not be used for enforcement purposes. OSHA is also working on guidelines for the poultry processing and shipyard industries, and will make drafts available for comment in the coming months.

Copies of the retail grocery guidelines can be downloaded from OSHA's home page (www.osha.gov) and are also available by calling OSHA (800) 321-OSHA (6742) or faxing a request to (202) 693-2498.