He said the president did not want to take any action that would cost business billions of dollars. The next day, a newspaper story illustrated what Bush apparently meant. The reporter interviewed a small business owner who, because of the new ergonomic rules, had reluctantly planned to spend thousands of dollars to raise the shelves in his warehouse so workers would not be at risk of back injuries when they bent to lift boxes. With the ergonomic standards repealed, he said the shelves would remain as is. I understand the need for businesses to make money.
Successful businesses help form the underpinnings of a strong economy and create jobs.
But, I also think worker safety is extremely important. OSHA had projected the new ergonomic rules would help prevent 4.6 million such injuries in the next decade and save billions of dollars in the form of improved productivity and reduced workers' compensation payments. This isn't just an issue for forklift operators and construction workers. A recent American Federation of Teachers survey found 36 percent of teachers' assistants reported chronic back pain and 20 percent reported numbness in their hands. Bush's recent decision means our members also may be denied basic health and safety protections in the workplace.