Ergo Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
by Bret JacobsonSome want to regulate what you eat, some want to regulate what you say, and some want to regulate how you type your TPS reports.
Those around long enough to remember the 1990’s will grumble to recall the battle over ergonomics regulations sought by Big Labor and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. OSHA has already taken an important step in the march to regulating ergonomics by announcing its plan to require employers to keep records of ill-defined “musculo-skeletal disorders.” It announced today that the deadline for filing comments is March 30.
What’s a musculo-skeletal disorder? It isn’t defined well (and can and will include injuries not from work), so the eventual outcome is a flood of new “injuries” all kept in one big umbrella category. Remember: injuries are already recorded; now the government would have an additional statistic to urge regulatory action. Want the gist of the problem: at Maverick Strategies, we put this together:
Want to file a comment with OSHA? There’s still time (go here). But, you’d better be in the right position when typing…
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36 Comments
Great cartoon and graphic.
………and folks in Government wonder why we in the west hold them as contempteous beasts?
What a (another) good reason to take your company out of the U.S.
Hey.. i just noticed that the coffee cup is in a non ergo position
I love the "Office Space" about "TPS reports!
Good stuff Mr Jacobson!
You did see the memo? You know, the one about the new cover sheets?
I have a secretary who loves to sit on the floor! Do I have to fire her?
Yes, but hate that !%$#! fax machine!
umm, you last name isn't Clinton, is it? lol
TPS reports lol that movie ruled!
Just another sign of too much government in ones private life. This CRAP is not what the founding fathers had in mind. As a matter of fact it is why they structured our country the way they did to avoid all this CRAP the current bunch of political idiots in DC seem to ignore! I have come to a 2 conclusions:
1) the founding fathers were flat out geniuses and knew exactly what they were doing and why b/c they lived through enough to know better
2) everyone that followed most recently since 20th century are disrespectful idiots who think they know better and base their positions on nothing but their own twisted opinions, personal agendas and pursuits of wealth and power
I wish the few that are not part of this group of idgets that have dirt on the majority would get a "set" and route out the scum of DC.
Heres aa though get out of my life, I will do whatever I want to do with MY LIFE you don't tell me what I can and cannot do (I know I know within reason we cant be running around shooting ppl or what have you) If I want to drink coffee loaded with caffein then Ill drink it, If I want to smoke 2 packs a day I will smoke 'em. If I want to use an outdated computer mouse that will give me carpal tunnel i will use it its MY CHOICE. Thats called FREEDOM you !@#$%^&. You wll not dictate to me or others what we can do with our lives, you do not know better than me / us, just b/c your a politician WHO NEVER HAD A REAL JOB!!!!!!! Get out of my life, stay AWAY FROM MY KIDS b/c your lifting the safety off the "RED BUTTON" myself and countless other Americans have and are warning not to push YOU WASTES OF FLESH!
Fellow Patriots I ask what are you prepared to do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F452KybPEnQ ? This is the question you must seriously ask yourself and your family! Don't play their game… STOP and play your game through http://www.savingtherepublic.com
Just bring the bat.
The bright side of anarchy, social breakdown, food riots, and basically the end of civiliazation as we know it is that no one will have worry about insane BS like this.
It's getting closer and closer to being a toss up folks.
lol, so nasty but funny
I know I have said it a hundred times, well thousands, but if the folks want to see and endpoint to this regulation then they had best get behind the Privileges or Immunities aspect of Alan Gura's arguments on behalf of Otis McDonald.
We The People must make it known to the Supreme Court that it MUST overturn the Slaughter House Cases precedent. If we do not speak up now, they will not do it. They will squeak by it and continue with status quo.
Any dolt with half a brain
Can see that humankind has gone insane
To the point where I don't know
If I'll upset the status quo
If I throw poison in the water main.
This is too funny !
People won't need health care, they'll be too busy committing suicide with all this crap.
Wait till you folks become aware of what is in store for us with the use of building codes.
I guess I shouldn't let them know I have some problems with my left elbow from playing guitar 3-5 hours per day. They might call for a guitar redesign. Try to imagine what that would look like.
Government intervention–With FLARE!
There are already TOO MANY laws in this country 'regulating' everything we do! Besides that, there are TOO MANY laws that are being ignored, by those in power until the time they NEED them enforced! Big Labor= Big Government!
CA residents are already well aware of that unless something has changed recently.
Anyone who has ever dealt with OSHA knows that they can ruin your business if they want to. And, as far as I can tell, they don’t seem to care!! Of course, you CAN’T take any kind of a stance with them, or they will be sure to make your life miserable!!! And also……..guess who pays them???
Anyone who has ever dealt with OSHA knows that they can put you out of business if they want to…….and with punity and arrogance. I've been to OSHA meetings and I'm amazed at the mindset of these people…….but I wouldn't DARE to argue with them…………..they would make my life a living hell real fast!!!! And….guess who pays these people????
Great article I’ve just added to my bookmark list.
All of you who have replied to this action that OSHA want to do for past, present and future injuries is very important issue to myself, because I have suffer severely behind ergonomics that started in 1982 with an energy business call PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC. This is long overdue and a plenty of you seem to not have any knowledge or understanding that this is the worldwide economy that have attachments of the microchip in computers, solar panels, networks and telecommunication.
Incompetent leadership led America to get down on her knees today cause energy stakeholders and Board of Directors didn't listen to the argument that were made by their injured workers and UCSF recommendation for changes in the design for ergonomic back in 1983.
Let President Obama and his staffs do their thing if you want change or shut the hell up GOP's for following another GOP.
Can you explain your ergonomic injury to us so that we can fully understand the severity of your injury??? I know a lot of us would be really interested………..especially if FUBO is the ONLY ONE who can CHANGE it and make it better……………….
btw- "terra" = earth. "tera" = trillion (as in 'terabyte' or as in Obama's favorite number)
wait until the benevolent uber-nanny of OSHA requires every company to hire a 'compliance officer' whose job it is to go around making sure nobody is slouching, etc. all that ergonomic eqpt don't mean squat if people are just going to behave like… well, people. (hey, don't laugh…)
Yeah thats a great picture, I can imagine how it would feel after sitting there like for 8 hours a day, five days a week 52 weeks a year. I guess we will be able to sue the municipalities that run public transit as they do no provide ergonomic seating, or the airlines. The funny thing is, I think I see a sokolove lawfirm commercial in the near future. Have you ever sat in a public school desk? If so you may be entitled to compensation for "musculo-skeletal disorder" Just call 1800 bla bla bla.
I wish it were just amusing to read such ridiculous comments about what the future holds in store for us. Better to bypass what is actually being said and put fear into people over worker safety than to know the facts. Having worked for large companies and the government in health & safety for 20+ years, I have come to hear all this gloom and doom of the future and little “sound bites” to sway individuals that know nothing about the subject at hand. Better to pay workers comp, lost work time, huge medical bills, etc. then to safe guard our most valuable assets, our workers. Maybe you don’t believe in medical diagnostic tests for WMSDs such as muscle sprains, strains, ruptured discs, etc. I am sure you would change your tune if you were one of these individuals. I guess our medical system is truly a bunch of crap as all these tests must be false. For those who work with this everyday and see the reports and see the work hazards, we tend to know a little more about the subject matter. Crying wolf all the time gets boring and tiresome. “Oh my gosh” now OSHA wants to separate and identify what injuries a company has that consists of sprains, strains, etc. The world is going to end! Be afraid, be very afraid. Yes, maybe you can sway those who know nothing as I can see you have already swayed yourselves.
Hi killa; In 1982 those 1960s' or early 1970s' chairs without any back support wasn't good for the defected billing machine that PG&E purchased from G.E. but I'm still going to said "NCR." There's bending, reaching without the support of the chair caused my lower back, shoulder and neck to manifest into sciatic nerve. Awful feeling to deal with 24/7. FUBO (your opinion) just want to complete the process that Pres. Clinton written to alleviate this hidden disease by what them computers have done to the workforce of America. Apparently you aren't a computer user, to understand the aches and pains that’s associate with repetitive strain injuries on a 37.5 to 40 hour job. This issue have been ignored and now India and China making the money while we went into a bad recession from workers compensation (related to healthcare) people losing their jobs and homes (homelessness) cause the backbone isn’t strong after America was introduced to information technology however at my time it’s called data processing. Work on H/P or educate yourself about ergonomic killa.
I will say terabyte, since the workers at PG&E disrupted the money flow complaining about the chairs and defected design of the billing machines that the energy family banked on in the early 80s' .
My job takes me into a wide range of companies (manufacturers, offices etc.). It's amazing to me what some companies expect their employees to do physically. Many tell me how much they are hurting…suffering. It's sometimes very obvious that their work is contributing to that. Whether or not you agree with having an ergo standard, the fact is that paying healthcare costs for injured workers greatly impacts a company's bottom line. So, if these issues aren't addressed (often through ergonomics), the company becomes less competitive. I would hope that smart companies would take advantage of the improvements that ergo can provide, whether or not they are required to by the government. Just seems like smart business to me.
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