Nursing homes first to get voluntary ergo guides

The first industry-specific guidelines to reduce ergonomic-related injuries and illnesses will be developed for nursing homes, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao announced April 18th. Representatives from the field will begin to work with OSHA to develop a draft for public comment.

"With the nursing shortage and other issues confronting this industry, it makes sound business sense for the stakeholders involved to be the first to tackle ergonomic problems in their industry," said OSHA chief John Henshaw.

The draft guidelines are expected to be ready for public comment later this year. They will be published in the Federal Register for review before becoming final.

ON DEMAND: A discussion of new data on trends in falls and updated resources from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training and the OSHA-NIOSH-CPWR National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction.

Since the creation of OSHA, electrical safety in the U.S. has focused on compliance with regulations and industry standards, including NFPA 70E, helping decrease electrical fatalities in the U.S.