Four years have passed since voters threw out Washington State’s ergonomics rule; it’s been six years since the federal standard was repealed. What’s happened since then? Then: In the late 1990s, ergonomics was a hot-button workplace safety issue at state and federal levels. California was the first in the nation to adopt a standard in 1997, a standard triggered when there is evidence of repetitive motion injuries. In 2000, Washington State adopted a more stringent rule, requiring employers with “caution zone jobs” to identify and fix the hazard before injuries occurred. At the same time, the federal government adopted an […]