OSHA has once again postponed a handful of provisions relating to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the agency’s record keeping rule. Effective dates regarding the agency’s definition of MSDs, consideration of MSDs as privacy-concern cases, and the requirement to check an MSD column on the OSHA log have been postponed until January, 2004.
According to a December, 2002 press release by OSHA, the agency’s delay “does not effect [sic] an employer’s obligation to record workplace injuries and illnesses or keep workplaces free from hazards. However, employers will not be required to use an MSD definition to categorize cases on the OSHA Log for calendar year 2003. Instead, they must check the column for