ABSTRACT
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1980, repetitive trauma disorders (RTD) represented 18% of OSHA-recorded work-related illnesses. This number grew dramatically over the following 10 years, and by 1990 it was up to 55%. Although many thought that this growth was spurred by changes in record-keeping requirements and the changing definitions of a work-related RTD, OSHA could not ignore the statistics.
