Existing statutes provide the Office of Management and Budget 90 days to review major rules like the ergonomics rule. According to Coulson, many contractors probably thought they were exempt from the ruling because of its construction contractor stipulation. The only way a construction contractor would be exempt is if the majority of their business was new construction. This eliminates many contractors. In addition, Coulson pointed out that within the last six years, workplace injury in the industry has decreased.
Workplace injury is taken very seriously within the industry.
To us, the rule would have been burdensome on our industry because of its extreme cost and restrictive nature. When you get a bunch of heavy hitters in one room, there is bound to be some interesting repercussions. But something very special happened in early March in the nation's heartland. The 2001 Expo featured several dozen exhibitors and seminar speakers.