Ergonomic Hazards - Regulations

There are no specific standards for the oil and gas extraction industry regarding ergonomic hazards. However, under the OSHA General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), employers in this industry have an obligation to keep the workplace free from recognized serious hazards, including ergonomic hazards. To minimize or eliminate the risks of injuries caused by ergonomic hazards, OSHA recommends that employers establish an ergonomic process. The ergonomic process should include the following elements:

• Strong support from management - Management should set clear goals and objectives, discuss these with their workers, assign responsibilities, and monitor the ergonomic process.
• Worker involvement - Workers should help with the ergonomic assessment and development of solutions.
• Effective training about the ergonomic process.
• Identification of ergonomic problems in the workplace.
• Implementation of solutions to control ergonomic hazards.
• Encouragement of early reporting of the symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
• Established evaluation and corrective action process for the ergonomic process.

OSHA representatives ask the following questions before they issue a citation:

• Does an ergonomic hazard exist?
• Does the employer recognize that the hazard exists?
• Is the hazard causing, or likely to cause, serious physical harm to employees?
• Does there exist a feasible means to reduce the hazard?

OSHA focuses its enforcement efforts on employers who, despite a corporate-level commitment to reducing ergonomic risks, fail to implement effective ergonomic processes at specific sites.

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