Congressman says reversing work rules good news

The U.S. House voted Wednesday to eliminate new regulations enacted by the Clinton Administration which targeted repetitive motion injuries. Iowa Congressman Tom Latham says the regulations were “onerous” and would have hurt small businesses across Iowa by forcing compliance. The OSHA regulations would cover 102-million workers in more than six million workplaces. Latham is a republican from Alexander. Latham says the original plan would have cost small businesses 22-thousand dollars per employee to make workplaces more ergonomic. The House action Wednesday follows a Senate vote Tuesday to get rid of the new rules. President Bush is expected to sign it. The rules were designed to prevent nearly five million repetitive motion-related injuries a year, saving more than nine billion dollars over a decade. Critics say the regulations would actually cost businesses more than 100-billion to comply.