Who will be the next mayor of the big apple? If it is one of four Democratic candidates in the running, New York City may find itself with a new ergonomics standard.
Joel Shufro, executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) stated in a news release, “[New York City] now spends more than $125 million a year for workers’ compensation costs.”
Following are quotes from the candidates as reported by NYCOSH.
“As Mayor of New York City I will implement an ergonomic program for our city workers. I look forward to and depend on the support and input of the NYCOSH membership, of citywide leaders in labor and health and law, and city employees as well, to help design and implement such a program and make it a reality.”
— Fernando Ferrer
“As Mayor, I will launch a comprehensive review of the City’s ergonomic hazards and take the steps necessary to prevent them. Barring some hidden cost or contractual obstacle, I would be proud to implement a municipal version of the Federal OSHA ergonomic standard.”
—Mark Green
“As Mayor, I will work closely with labor unions, health and safety advocates like NYCOSH and workers to develop an ergonomics program for New York City similar to what was promulgated by OSHA.”
—Alan Hevesi
“As Mayor, I would implement a program to reduce ergonomic hazards for municipal employees. Because of the recent changes in Federal OSHA regulations, which in turn affect New York State Standards, I will also order a comprehensive study of workplace safety and the job-specific ergonomic requirements needed to insure a safe workplace for all employees of the City of New York.”
—Peter Vallone
The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the right of every worker to a safe and healthful workplace. The organization is a coalition of 250 local unions in the New York metropolitan area and 400 health care, legal, public health professionals, union members and concerned citizens. For more information about this press release see NYCOSH.