OSHA issues ergo guidelines for nursing homes

OSHA has released the first set of industry-specific ergonomic guidelines - Guidelines for Nursing Homes - for public comment. The guidelines are on OSHA's Web site at www.osha.gov/ergonomics (select "guidelines").

The guidelines will not be used for enforcement purposes. Draft guidelines are being developed for other industries and will also be available for comment.

The guidelines are in three parts, with a reference list at the end:

Management Practices discusses the importance of management commitment and employee participation in ergonomics training, occupational health management of musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomics program evaluation;
Worksite Analysis discusses assessment of resident handling tasks and activities other than resident handling; and
Control Methods contains illustrations that demonstrate various methods to control common ergonomic stressors.

Information on submitting comments can be obtained by calling the Docket Office at (202) 693-2350.

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