Using the Congressional Review Act to overturn the OSHA ergonomics standard would be an extraordinary action, the first of its kind. It would be the first time in 30 years Congress reversed a legally established worker safety measure. It would be the first time CR A has been used to overturn any federal rule or regulation, much less one that was issued through ten years of public process. The regulations, scheduled to go into effect this October, draw from the businesses that have successfully prevented ergonomic injuries or reduced their severity in the workplace.
Repetitive injuries are one of the leading causes of work-related illness.
One hour of debate time is insufficient when it comes to the health and safety of the American worker. Don't be misled. Use of the CRA would not send the standard back to the drawing board. Rather, it would effectively prohibit OSHA from issuing a protective standard to address the nation's largest job safety program. This effort should be seen for what it is-an effort to kill any ergonomics standard once and for all.