Raise your hands.(editor's desk)

While an estimated 2 million people were navigating events in Washington, D.C., surrounding the U.S. presidential inauguration during the first week of January, a contested debate in the state of Michigan intensified quietly under the radar.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

It's been more than five years since a proposed state-mandated ergonomics standard was drafted. While the lawmakers passed a bill in 2006 to block the standard from being signed into law because of loud opposition from the business community, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a new draft of the ergonomics standard, and this time, regulators joined to advance it.

Whether the mandate goes into effect or not, its significance is embossed in the companies and unions that have marked a stake in the issue, ranging from Chrysler, Dow Chemical Co. and United Auto Workers International to the Society of the Plastics Industry and the Michigan Association of Homes & Services for the Aging. If implemented, Michigan would follow California to be the second state in the U.S. to implement its own ergonomic rules. Supporters of ergonomic goods and processes that displayed a proven track record in preventing injuries were largely responsible for helping California's mandate pass in 2000. The state's standards cover more than 6 million employers and 100 million workers.

California and Michigan could not be more geographically or culturally different. And then there are the diverse industries they're affiliated with. For example, California accounts for thousands of vineyards and wineries. According to the Wine Institute, that's approximately 875,000 workers nationwide. As for Michigan, the state is practically the face of motor vehicles and equipment. (Number of workers nationwide: untold!)

If you ask workers from just these two industries--not the executives, legislators or union leaders--if an ergonomics program should be in place to protect their well-being, in simple terms, who doesn't want to be kept safe at the workplace?

In this month's cover story, "Sphere of Safety" (page 26), ergonomist Julia Greenwald offers a step-by-step plan for moving ergonomics initiatives forward. She emphasizes the need to view an ergonomics plan as a core component of business operations rather than a driving map to the emergency room after someone's been injured. I could most relate to Step 2: Prioritize.

In Greenwald's words, "Without taking the time to prioritize your problems, the squeaky wheel will continue to get the oil while the leaking tire slowly goes flat."

Candi S. Cross

Managing Editor

To reach me, e-mail ccross@iienet.oeg or call (770) 349-1110

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