OSHA announced today that it will be holding a series of three teleconferences, in partnership with the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, on OSHA’s proposed musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) column rule.  The teleconferences are designed to provide small businesses the opportunity to weigh-in on "their experiences in recording work-related MSDs and how they believe the proposed rule would impact them."

The rule, originally proposed last year, would have required employers to “check a box” in a separate column on the OSHA 300 log – an “MSD” column – for injuries and illnesses that fit within the Agency’s proposed definition.  OSHA also proposed to remove existing language from its recordkeeping compliance directive that “minor musculoskeletal discomfort” is not recordable as a restricted work case “if a health care professional determines that the employee is fully able to perform all of his or her routine job functions, and the employer assigns a work restriction for the purpose of preventing a more serious injury.”    

OSHA’s proposal had been stuck at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for several months, before OSHA took the unique step of temporarily withdrawing the proposal from OMB review and agreeing to additional stakeholder outreach.

The three teleconferences will be held on April 11 at 1:30 p.m. EDT, April 12 at 9:00 a.m. EDT, and April 12 at 1:30 EDT.  Interested businesses should contact OSHA by April 4 if they wish to participate in the teleconferences.