Pursuant to Government Code Section 11346.8(c), the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board gives notice of the opportunity to submit written comments on the above-named regulation in which modifications are being considered as a result of public comments.

On January 18 and 23, 1996 the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board held Public Hearings to consider revisions to Title 8, General Industry Safety Orders, Section 5110 of the California Code of Regulations. The Standards Board received oral and/or written comments on the proposed revisions. The regulation has been modified as a result of these comments.

A copy of the full text of the regulation as originally proposed, and a copy of the full text with the modifications clearly indicated, are attached for your information. In addition, a summary of all written and oral comments regarding the original proposal and responses is included. Any written comments on these modifications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on August 5, 1996 at the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board's Office, 1300 I Street, Suite 920, Sacramento, California 95814. The regulation will be scheduled for adoption at a future Business Meeting of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.

The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board's rulemaking files on the proposed action are open to public inspection Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Standards Board's Office, 1300 I Street, Suite 920, Sacramento, California.

Inquiries concerning the proposed modifications may be directed to the Executive Officer, John D. MacLeod at (9l6) 322-3640.

Date: July 15, 1996

(Language to be deleted is shown in italics. New language is shown in bold.)

Add new Section 5110, Ergonomics to read:

Group 15. Occupational Noise and Ergonomics.

* * *

Section 5110. Ergonomics. Repetitive Motion Injuries.

(a) This section shall apply to a job, process, or operation or of substantially similar work activity at the workplace where repetitive motion injuries (RMIs) occur after [OAL to fill in effective date]. For purposes of this section, repetitive motion injuries RMIs are injuries resulting from a repetitive job, process, or operation or of substantially similar work activity at the workplace which have been the predominant cause of a diagnosed, objectively identified, musculoskeletal injury to more than one employee within the last 12 months.

(b) Every employer subject to this section shall establish and implement an ergonomic program designed to minimize repetitive motion injuriesRMIs. The ergonomic program shall include a worksite evaluation, control of ergonomic hazardsexposures which have caused RMIs and training of employees.

(1) Worksite evaluation. Each job, process, or operation or of substantially similar work activity covered by this section or a representative number of such jobs, processes, or operations or of substantially similar work activities shall be evaluated for ergonomic hazards exposureswhich have caused repetitive motion injuries RMIs.

(2) Control of ergonomic hazards exposures which have caused RMIs. Any ergonomic hazard exposures that caused repetitive motion injuries RMIs shall, in a timely manner, be corrected or if not capable of being corrected have the hazard exposures minimized to the extent feasible. The employer shall consider engineering controls, such as work station redesign, adjustable fixtures or tool redesign, and administrative controls, such as job rotation, work pacing or work breaks.

(3) Training. Employees shall be provided job-specific training that includes an explanation of:

(A) The employer's ergonomic program;

(B) The ergonomic hazards exposures which cause have been associated with repetitive motion injuries RMIs;

C) The symptoms and consequences of injuries caused by repetitive motion;

(D) The importance of reporting symptoms and injuries to the employer; and

(E) Methods used by the employer to minimize repetitive motion injuries RMIs.

(c) Measures implemented by an employer in an effort to minimize repetitive motion injuries RMIs shall satisfy the employer's obligations under this section, unless it is shown that a measure known to but not taken by the employer is substantially certain to cause a greater reduction in such injuries and that this alternative measure would not impose additional unreasonable costs.

(d) Appendix. Appendix A is a non-mandatory appendix that employers may follow for video display terminal (VDT) operations and thereby be deemed in compliance with this section for such operations.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 142.3 and 6357, Labor Code. Reference:

Appendix A to Section 5110:
Ergonomics Program for VDT Operations
(Non-mandatory)

This ergonomics program may be used to comply with Section 5110 with respect to VDT operations.

I. Workstation and Training Evaluation

Each VDT workstation or a representative number from a group of similar VDT workstations shall be initially evaluated using the following worksheet. The evaluation should be repeated whenever the VDT workstation is significantly changed or in response to an ergonomic complaint or injury.

                VDT ERGONOMICS EVALUATION WORKSHEET

WORKSITE/LOCATION:________________________________________________


EVALUATED BY:__________________________________________DATE:______


TOTAL NO. OF WORKSTATIONS REPRESENTED_____________________________


TYPE OF VDT EQUIPMENT USED:_______________________________________


TYPE OF TASKS PERFORMED:__________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________


TYPICAL HOURS AND WORK CONDITIONS OF VDT OPERATIONS:______________

__________________________________________________________________



WORKSTATION EQUIPMENT						

Does the chair, work surface and VDT fit the operator or readily adjust, such
that the operator can have the following elements of proper posture:


                                                                  Yes      No
1.  The keyboard and other input devices are at 
    approximately elbow height.                                 _____    _____


2.  The primary screen display is below eye level with primary
    viewing area from 1 to 60 degrees below the horizontal
    plane at eye level.                                         _____    _____


3.  Is there adequate space beneath the work surface for the
    employee's legs.                                            _____    _____


4.  Is the front edge of the keyboard, other input devices
    and/or their support surface (wherever palm, wrist or
    forearm contact occurs) rounded and/or padded.              _____    _____


5.  Is the work surface of sufficient size to accommodate
    the VDT components, document holder and other task-
    dependent items.                                            _____    _____


6.  Is there adequate space and comfortable support for
    the employee's knees and hips to be bent at approximately
    90 degrees with arms at their sides and wrists straight
    at the keyboard/input device.                               _____    _____


7.   Is the screen display equipped or positioned to
     minimize glare.                                            _____    _____


WORK/REST SHIFTS


8.  Does the employee have frequent short interruptions from
    keystroking/inputting at regular intervals throughout the
    shift during which they can perform other duties or
    otherwise give their hands and wrists a break.              _____    _____


RECOGNITION AND TRAINING

  Are employees trained and aware of the following information:


9.  The employer's use of this Appendix as their ergonomic
    program.                                                    _____    _____ 


10.  VDT equipment and/or work practices that caused repetitive
     motion injurieshave been associated with RMIs.        _____    _____


11. Symptoms of repetitive motion injuries RMIs associated with
     VDT use.                                                   _____    _____


12. The importance of reporting symptoms and injuries to the
    employer.                                                   _____    _____


13. The importance of employee taking frequent short interruptions
    from keystroking/inputting at regular intervals throughout the
    shift during which they can perform other duties or otherwise
    give their hands and wrists a break.                        _____    _____


14. The importance of the employee maintaining proper posture and
    proper adjustment of the workstation to minimize repetitive
    motion injuries RMIs.                                      _____    _____


15. Methods used by the employer to minimize ergonomic
    injuries RMIs.                                             _____    _____


II. Control of Ergonomic Hazards Exposures Which Have Caused RMIs.

Any VDT workstation(s) identified during the workstation evaluation as posing
an ergonomic risk (i.e. by an answer of No to any of the first 8 worksheet
questions) shall be corrected by using any combination of feasible engineering
and/or administrative controls to change any all No 
answers to Yes.


III. Training of VDT Operators. 

A training program shall be provided to all employees determined by the
workstation evaluation to be at risk for the same type of repetitive motion
injuries RMIsthat triggered the evaluation (i.e. by an answer of No to any of the
15 worksheet questions). The training program shall address the information
provided in questions 9 through 15 of the evaluation in sufficient detail
that any all previous No answers to questions 9 to 15 are
changed to Yes.