I don’t want to see my kids go to work wearing wrist braces. But if voters support Initiative 841 to repeal our job safety rule that prevents injuries such as carpal tunnel or tendinitis, I’m afraid we will leave a legacy of pain to our kids and grandkids.

It simply makes good common sense to keep workers healthy. That’s why voters should vote no on Initiative 841. I-841 would repeal an effective workplace safety rule, and would forbid the state from ever adopting any new rule on ergonomic injuries unless required to do so by federal law. Under that standard, we’d turn our back on our kids and grandkids.

Every year, 50,000 Washington workers suffer painful, debilitating job injuries such as carpal tunnel, back strain and tendinitis. These injuries account for nearly half of all the costs to our state workers’ compensation system, and they are avoidable costs. When business complains about increasing costs for industrial insurance, it seems reasonable to look at proven ways to prevent injuries and reduce costs.

These injuries are not accidental; they are preventable. The National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have demonstrated that ergonomic prevention works and simple cost-effective steps can be taken to reduce these injuries.

That’s why so many health professionals are joining us in opposing I-841. The Washington Academy of Family Physicians, the Washington State Nurses Association, the Washington Public Health Association and the Washington Association of Chiropractors are just some of the groups representing thousands of nurses, doctors and health care professionals who oppose I-841.

Our state workplace ergonomic safety rule was designed to prevent the chronic, painful "soft tissue" ergonomic injuries before they happen. It simply requires employers to look for ergonomic hazards at their workplaces, and if they exist, to offer workers training and take feasible steps to mitigate the hazards. (For more information, visit www.no841.org.)

That’s just good common sense.

This safety rule will not force companies to reduce work hours or lay off workers. The rule does not restrict the number of hours workers can work. It merely requires that employers make a good-faith effort to reduce job hazards. It’s important to our economy to keep Washington’s working families healthy. By reducing injuries, we reduce employee turnover, improve productivity and lower employer costs. In fact, good workplace safety is good business. That’s why many of our local businesses, including Boeing, have successfully adopted the ergonomic safety standard and have realized millions of dollars in savings.

Unfortunately, a recent survey found that 40 percent of businesses that admitted to knowing they had ergonomic hazards had not voluntarily done anything to correct the problem. Change is never easy, so education materials are available free of charge for companies that need assistance. Under our safety standard, businesses can get free training materials and consultations from the state to comply with the rule. Special consideration allows small businesses to take up to six years to comply.

A cost-benefit analysis of the rule found that it will save Washington businesses nearly $340 million a year, making a healthy cost-benefit ratio of more than 4-to-1.

Reducing ergonomic injuries will save employers and the state millions of dollars. But the real savings comes from preventing painful, chronic workplace injuries. Whole families suffer when a worker becomes disabled, and so does our economy.

Keeping workers healthy just makes sense. Please vote no on Initiative 841.

Rick Bender is president of the Washington State Labor Council.