December 6, 2000 For Immediate Release

For Information Contact Laura Calverley 201-947-4133

New OSHA Ergonomic Regulations Include
Computer Vision Syndrome

(Beaverton, OREGON) Now, after more than three years of research and public hearings, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published its final Ergonomic Program Standard, effective January 16, 2001. The federal regulations stipulate that employers must send symptomatic employees suffering from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) to an appropriate health care professional, which may include an optometrist. This differs from California's ergonomic standard that specifically excludes optometrists.

According to OSHA, more than 600,000 Americans suffer work-related MSDs each year. Computer Vision Syndrome, considered a repetitive stress injury by the American Optometric Association, is a condition characterized by headaches, blurry vision, sore and tired eyes and neck and shoulder pain. According to the AOA, more than 70% of computer workers suffer from CVS.

If left untreated, Computer Vision Syndrome can lead to MSDs in the neck and shoulders. Computer workers run the risk of straining their necks and/or positioning their back and shoulders awkwardly in order to see the computer screen clearly. Neck and shoulder pain is included in the OSHA standard as a repetitive stress injury.

"As employees spend more time each day on the computer, the risk of Computer Vision Syndrome and therefore MSDs increases," said Jon Torrey, President/CEO, PRIO Corporation. "Preventing CVS will not only increase productivity, it will save employers thousands of dollars in workers compensation costs."

PRIO has worked for over three years to educate consumers, the media, government decision makers and employers about the potential risks of prolonged computer use on workers' vision. Its efforts have included working with Congress to appropriate funds to study the relationship between CVS and MSDs; helping to form the Computer Vision Task Force within the Vision Council of America; and studying the relationship between quality computer vision care and worker productivity.

PRIO has also worked with the California Optometric Association to petition the California Standards Board to amend their ergonomic standard to include CVS as a repetitive stress injury and optometrists as diagnosing physicians.

Computer work has been found to be far more visually demanding than standard office work, such as reading printed documents. In fact, many aspects of CVS meet the same criteria used to define cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive stress injuries, with problems occurring or aggravated by repeated movements.

When the OSHA ergonomic standard goes into effect on January 16, all state ergonomic standards will be required to meet the federal standard as a minimum requirement. As such, they must include optometrists.

The OSHA standard requires employers to notify employees of the risk factors for MSDs, conduct hazard analyses of most jobs, develop full ergonomic programs that include MSD reporting procedures, and provide treatment for work-related medical problems. OSHA will begin enforcing the new rules on October 14, 2001 in order to give employers sufficient time to implement the new regulations.

For more information on OSHA's Ergonomic Program Standard, visit www.osha.gov.

For more information on PRIO Corporation and the PRIO Provider Network of eye doctors, call or visit the company's website at www.prio.com.

PRIO® is a registered trademark of PRIO Corporation.