After we draft the proposal, we must clear it with the Department of Labor, the Office of Management and Budget and conduct a small business review process. That's why you won't see it in the Federal Register before next summer. Once it's published, we will take public comments and hold hearings to permit a full public discussion and develop the best possible standard. I hope you will take part in that process. Beyond ergonomics, another issue that is a top priority for me is safety and health programs.
Every business wants to be successful.
And success means more than just making a profit. It means being a good corporate citizen, a caring employer and an industry innovator. Safety and health programs are the critical difference between employers with high injury rates and those with low rates. In North Carolina, we only found a few more hazards at sites with high workers' comp claims than at those with low injury rates. It wasn't the number of hazards that resulted in the higher rate of injuries.