Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced today that she would convene three national public forums on the issue of ergonomics safety in the workplace and that she will identify a final course of action on the issue by September.

. Next week, the Bush Administration plans to publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing three public forums to be held addressing new ergonomics rules.

OSHA's Ergonomics program standard is scrapped, and even though congressional members and the Secretary of Labor have promised new rules, there is nothing on the books yet. Do workers have protection from workplace risk factors? The answer is YES.

The Good News: Public awareness of the word "ergonomics" in the USA has increased dramatically over the past few years. The Bad News: Public understanding of what "ergonomics" actually means is limited, and sometimes very confused.

APHA, UCFW and ASSE voice opinions on new ergonomics regulation and Labor Secretary Chao's testimony before the Senate.

After Bush signed the law repealing OSHA's ergonomics standard, NYCOSH Board Chair William Henning remarked: "Congress could repeal the ergonomics standard, but that won't repeal an ergonomic hazard or prevent a single ergonomic injury."

Paul O'Neill, current U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, spoke at Georgetown University about heath and safety. A former CEO of Alcoa, and president of International Paper Company before that, O'Neill knows a thing or two about workplace safety.

Two bipartisian bills recently introduced seek to, "provide for the reissuance of a rule relating to ergonomics".

The political powers the be have decreed that OSHA will not have an Ergonomics Program Standard this year. Does this mean that the term "ergonomics" will go the way of 'butterfly ballot' and 'chad'? No! Is the answer from the NSC and ANSI.