Prohibition of Mandatory Workplace Ergonomics Rules Passes Senate, Teed UP in the House

Last week, the state Senate passed an MRA-supported bill which would kill mandatory workplace ergonomics regulations for all industries. On Wednesday of this week, the state House Regulatory Reform Committee will follow suit and report an identical bill to the full House for consideration.

For the last several years, the Granholm Administration was working to develop mandatory workplace regulations governing employee ergonomics, or repetitive movements. In other words, in our industry, repetitive movements such as carrying trays, pouring drinks from bottles or taps, rolling tableware, operating knives or slicers, loading storage areas, and other repetitive movements in the restaurant workplace would have been subject to state regulation and MIOSHA penalties, in addition to workers’ compensation coverage, in the event an “injury” took place. MRA has led the charge opposing the development of these regulations.

In his first State of the State Address in January, Gov. Rick Snyder called for making sure these rules never get completed. Last week, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 20, introduced by state Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge). The state House Regulatory Reform Committee will pass House Bill 4128, introduced by state Rep. Bradford Jacobsen (R-Oxford). MRA will be at the committee hearing to support the bill. Both bills prohibit the development of these rules.