Also many workers do not report these workplace injuries for fear of losing their job. All of these statistics do not take into consideration the human factor. The lives of workers who suffer from such problems as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and back injuries are changed forever. Debilitating wrist, shoulder, or back pain cripples many workers. Many become permanently unemployed, or are forced to take severe pay cuts to continue working.
Whole families suffer when a worker is injured on the job.
In May 2000, after an intensive 20-month rulemaking and public comment process, the Department of Labor and Industries adopted an Ergonomic Rule aimed to prevent these injuries. The rule establishes requirements for employers along with employees to identify workplace hazards that cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders and to reduce employee exposure to these hazards. Meanwhile, in November 2000, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration adopted an ergonomic standard after a 10 year rulemaking process. But unlike Washington's, it is not preventative and does not require action until after workers are injured. Organized labor was instrumental in pushing for adoption of these ergonomic rules at the both the state and federal levels.