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What employers must know about compliance, injuries and risk

By Blake McGowan

Regulatory Shifts: Federal and State Action
    While OSHA hasn’t issued a new federal standard, it’s actively citing employers under the General Duty Clause for ergonomic violations that cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which account for about 30% of workplace injuries (BLS, 2023). Focus sectors include logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, and food processing.
    Minnesota's 2024 ergonomics rule now requires risk assessments, written plans, training, and state oversight in high-risk industries. California, Washington, and Oregon are likely to follow. Multi-state employers must adapt compliance strategies accordingly.

The Amazon Effect
    In 2024, Amazon reached a landmark settlement with OSHA, agreeing to facility-wide ergonomic upgrades: adjustable workstations, anti-fatigue flooring, job rotation, and ergonomics leadership roles. This sets a new enforcement baseline for large employers (OSHA, 2024).
    Sarah Rhoads, Amazon’s VP of Global Workplace Health & Safety, emphasized the company’s focus on MSD reduction in the article, “Amazon’s safety performance continues to improve year over year.”
    “The most common injury in any workplace is a musculoskeletal disorder, and while we've improved our MSD recordable incident rate by 32% over the past five years, these injuries still represent the majority of cases at Amazon. That’s why we’ve invested more than $2 billion in safety improvements—including adjustable workstations and our award-winning ErgoPick technology—to help employees work safely and comfortably within their ergonomic power zone.”
    Amazon’s commitment — through internal investments and its collaboration with the National Safety Council’s MSD Solutions Lab — is reshaping best practices across high-risk industries. The initiative reflects a new benchmark for proactive intervention, powered by data, tech, and leadership accountability.

Psychosocial Factors Influence Physical Injuries
    New research links burnout and cognitive overload to physical injuries. NIOSH now recommends addressing mental fatigue via workload limits, optimizing job demands, increased employee job control, better social support, and better role clarity (NIOSH, 2024).

Actionable Steps for Employers
    A modern ergonomics program should include:
    • Structured and standardized Risk Management System
    • Ownership across the business functions and at the executive level
    • Metrics that address both employee well-being and business performance outcomes
    • Formalized risk assessments that identify, quantify, and prioritize risks
    • Implementation of corrective action to address the prioritized risks
    • Methods to quantify the impact and effectiveness of efforts and actions
    These measures cut injury rates, reduce workers' comp costs, and support retention (Liberty Mutual, 2022). Research at VelocityEHS shows that organizations that implement a modern ergonomics program achieve a 17% reduction in injury costs and rates, annually, year after year—as well as measurable increases in workplace productivity, product quality, business process stability, and employee engagement.

Transparency is Mandatory
    OSHA now requires electronic submission of injury data from high-risk employers with 20+ staff. Regulators and the public are watching. Your data must reflect a proactive safety culture.

The Future: Tech-Enabled Ergonomics
    Leading firms are leveraging AI, wearables, and motion capture to preemptively identify risks and improve workflows. Investing now ensures compliance and long-term operational gains.

Bottom Line: Ergonomics is no longer optional. It’s a regulatory, financial, and workforce priority. Act now. Or risk being left behind.