Ergonomics in the workplace

Minnesota established an ergonomics task force to receive suggestions, evaluate approaches that address work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and report to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.7 Oregon's Occupational Health and Safety Administration adopted a strategic plan that included activities designed to reduce musculoskeletal injuries through outreach and use of voluntary services. In 2006, Florida introduced the Patient Handling/Safe Movement Bill (ie, SB 2244 and parallel HB 1177), which required the governing body of each hospital or nursing home to adopt and ensure implementation of a policy and program to identify, develop, and assess strategies to control the risk of injury to patients and nurses associated with lifting, transferring, repositioning, or moving a patient.10 The bill died in the Committee on Health Care and expired sine die (ie, without a day specified for a future meeting) when the legislature adjourned in May 2006.