Ergonomic standards, guidelines, and strategies for prevention of back injury.

Now is the time for ergonomics to be taken seriously. OSHA and other regulatory agencies are concentrating on ergonomic issues, directing greater efforts in developing ergonomic guidelines and standards. Employers are being required to develop multifaceted programs to include prevention, education, and treatment. Ergonomics will become one of the direct responsibilities of ergonomists, safety professionals, and health care providers. Progress in preventing musculoskeletal injuries and illness will depend on the cooperation and availability of trained safety and health professionals who are knowledgeable about ergonomics and the extent of musculoskeletal problems in the workplace. These trained personnel must be able to educate workers and employers about risk factors and to assist them in implementing effective control procedures for prevention. Those responsible for the program will need to keep up-to-date with current engineering and medical trends in the field and be required to keep abreast of the latest legislation and regulations. The challenge is great but the rewards are even greater. Employers implementing ergonomic programs have not only reduced recordable injuries, saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in labor and materials, and reduced turnover, but have experienced increases in production and quality. The reduction in human suffering alone is reason enough to develop an effective proactive ergonomic management program.