The group, Washington Employers Concerned About Regulating Ergonomics (WE CARE) filed opening briefs in its petition of the state’s ergonomics rule directly to the Washington Supreme Court.

“The brief very clearly states the significant violations of the 1995 Regulatory Reform Act by the Department of Labor & Industries in adopting this rule,” said Carolyn Logue, Washington State director for the National Federation of Independent Business, a WE CARE member. “Faulty cost benefit analyses, lack of implementation plans and inadequate standard of review for significant rules show a disregard for this important act by L&I.”

Washington state’s ergonomics regulation, one of only two in the country and the only one of it’s scope and magnitude, is estimated to cost Washington businesses $725 million per year.

“Washington is already one of the most heavily regulated states in the country with a myriad of exorbitant costs that undermine our competitiveness,” said Amber Balch of the Association of Washington Business. “The cost of complying with this ergonomics rule will further erode our state’s competitiveness and make it more difficult to pull out of our economic slump, something our state cannot afford.”.