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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202-219-8148
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) will launch the first in a series of conferences on ways to combat
repetitive stress injuries, one of the fastest-growing, most costly threats to
worker health, in Lockport, N.Y., on Sept. 17. The session, which will run from
7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., will be held at the OSHA Training Institute Education
Center at Niagara County Community College.
"Effective Practices in Ergonomics" will enable workers, unions,
employers, trade and professional associations, academics and government to
share information about effective solutions to reduce exposures to ergonomic
hazards in the workplace. The conference is co-sponsored by OSHA and Niagara
County Community College.
"Musculoskeletal disorders stemming from ergonomic hazards represent the
single largest group of preventable job injuries and illnesses in the United
States today. It's crucial that we work together to find ways to prevent
repetitive stress injuries," said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health, Gregory R. Watchman.
Watchman will serve as the keynote speaker for the conference. Other
speakers include Ken Swan, Mayor of Lockport, N.Y., and Eric Frumin of UNITE,
the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.
"Effective Practices" expands on the national ergonomics conference
sponsored by OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, held Jan. 8-9 in Chicago. The second of ten regional ergonomics
conferences is scheduled for Oct. 30 in Chicago.
"Holding the conference in Lockport makes it convenient and economical
for those in the New York area who were unable to attend the Chicago
conference," said OSHA Regional Administrator Patricia Clark.
Paying attention to ergonomics, the science of adjusting the job to fit
the worker's needs, can prevent repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), resulting
from wear and tear on the body. These injuries can diminish a worker's ability
to perform their jobs and even simple daily activities.
In recent years, the rapid growth of computer-based jobs involving
intensive keying has increased the incidence of RSI problems, as have the
doubling of the poultry-processing workforce and the automation of that
industry. RSI problems also occur as a result of heavy lifting, awkward
posture, repetitive motion or a combination of these factors.
For more information or to register for the conference, contact Sharon
Zimmerman, Assistant to the Coordinator, at the Niagara County Community
College at (716) 433-1856.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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