ABSTRACT
Ergonomics in general and cumulative trauma disorders specifically have received a great deal of attention in the United States over the last decade. From the period 1984 through 1990, the incidence rate for disorders associated with repeated trauma increased from 4.1 to 24.1 cases per 10,000 workers (BLS, 1991). During that same period, musculoskeletal disorders were identified as a leading work-related disease and included in a national
strategic plan for combating these workplace problems (NIOSH, 1986). This paper provides reviews of the events that helped shape the present status of ergonomics regulation in the U.S.
