According to OSHA, the guidelines will “provide practical recommendations to help grocery store employers and employees reduce the number and severity of injuries in their workplaces,” and “build upon the progress that the grocery store industry has made in addressing the causes of [MSDs].” More specifically, the guidelines explain some of the MSD risk factors common in various retail grocery store jobs and offer recommendations for reducing those risk factors. Like all of the guidelines OSHA is producing, the retail grocery guidelines are voluntary.

The guidelines, available on OSHA’s website, www.osha.gov, were in the draft stage for more than a year prior to being finalized. While OSHA is also working on guidelines for the poultry processing industry and the shipbuilding industry, currently the only other industry-specific guidelines that have been finalized by OSHA are for the nursing home industry.