Washington, D.C. - OSHA is expected to publish in the federal register this week its controversial proposed rule regarding repetitive stress injuries. U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., who chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees OSHA, said this rule is not anywhere close to being ready and the rush to publish it is based on politics rather than what is in the best interest of the American worker. The following is a statement from Sen. Enzi.
"We have demonstrated that there are serious potential flaws in this rule. States could suffer an assault on their workers compensation programs, healthcare facilities may have to close and employees may suffer when this new onerous and complex rule overshadows other proven safety needs. The House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans voted for a reasonable, one-year delay in implementation of this rule. But OSHA is forging recklessly ahead with the rule. It has moved this issue from one of logic where the question is what can be done to improve worker safety, to a question of how to manipulate the process and use political gamesmanship to the agency's full advantage.
"The amendment in the Labor Health and Human Services appropriations bill would not allow OSHA to go forward with the rule until Oct. 1, 2001. The agency by publishing the rule has taken a major step forward and is on its way toward implementing the rule before Congress can act. Our amendment is still valid though and I encourage Congressional negotiators to do what we can to strengthen our position against an administration that has continually ignored the will of Congress. We need an amendment that would preserve our intent even in the face of an opportunistic OSHA.
"We still have 60 days from the time they publish the rule before they can implement it. It's hard to predict what will develop during those 60 days, but I will be doing what I can to lessen and eliminate the damage this rule presents. I hope the public will begin to see the dangers as people did when they learned OSHA was trying to claim jurisdiction in peoples homes that also double as offices."
