NEWSRELEASE
For Release: March 13, 2003
Contact: John McDowell (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 03-13 ADVO
New Voluntary Nursing Home Ergonomics Guidelines
Reflect Small Business Concerns
Small Business Watchdog Pleased OSHA Listened To Small Business
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a departure from previous ergonomic rulemaking, OSHA’s new voluntary nursing home ergonomic guidelines reflect the concerns of small business owners. In a letter sent last October, the Office of Advocacy of the SBA urged Assistant Secretary of Labor, John Henshaw, to consider small business concerns in OSHA’s new guidelines.
“I’m happy that OSHA’s new voluntary guidelines reflect the concerns of small nursing home operators,” said Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy. He continued, “We worked closely with small nursing home representatives to raise their concerns with OSHA. We made it clear that no one wants to protect employees more than small business owners do. However, prescriptive, one-size-fits-all regulations are sometimes counterproductive. These new voluntary guidelines recognize that fact.”
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between OSHA, Advocacy, and the National Ombudsman of the SBA last fall strengthened their working relationship. “As I said at the signing of the MOU, the old adversarial model should be replaced with outreach and education, said Sullivan. “OSHA can take a big step by listening to the concerns of small business early in their regulatory process. These new guidelines show OSHA’s willingness to listen to small employers, and I hope for more examples in the future,” he concluded.
Designed to be a small business watchdog, the Office of Advocacy examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to Congress and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues.
For more information, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo . The new nursing home ergonomic guidelines are located at www.osha.gov/ergonomics.
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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel’s efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit
w.sba.gov/advo , or call (202) 205-6533.