Just a week after President Bush signed a repeal of new ergonomics regulations, the U.S. Labor Department released injury figures it says show the need for such regulation.

The 1999 data showed that work-related repetitive strain injuries, which the repealed rules were designed to address, actually decreased in 1999 - but they nevertheless accounted for more than a third of all on-the-job injuries, according to the Labor Department.
The new numbers show "the need for a solid, comprehensive approach to ergonomics," said Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
About 1.7 million injuries and illnesses at private businesses required time off from work in 1999. That's a slight drop from 1.73 million the previous year. In fact, the number has been steadily declining since 1993.
Of the 1.7 million injuries in 1999, 582,300 were caused by repetitive motion, sprains or strains.
Truck drivers had the most reported injuries overall - 131,800. Truckers had the second-highest number of musculoskeletal-related injuries, with 41,700. Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants had the most, with 44,300.
The repealed ergonomics rules, put into place in the last month of the Clinton administration, were designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to protect workers from nagging neck, arm, back, and joint injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, associated with repetitive motion, awkward postures and contact stress. These musculoskeletal injuries are estimated to cost $15 billion to $20 billion a year in workers' compensation claims.
The regulations were supported by labor unions, including the Teamsters. However, businesses, including the trucking industry, said implementation of the rules could cost $100 billion. The American Trucking Associations put trucking's share of those costs at $6.5 billion.