Last-gasp effort to kill OSHA rule.(ergonomics regulation)(Brief Article)

Business lobbyists are pushing Congress for quick action to overturn the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ergonomics regulation.

The regulation goes into effect Jan. 16 but will not be enforced until October. It requires employers to establish programs to reduce injuries caused by repetitive motion tasks or other work activities that could strain muscles, joints or ligaments. The Small Business Administration estimates the regulation will cost employers $18 billion.

Business groups want Congress to use the Congressional Review Act, a law enacted in 1997, to overturn the regulation. Congress has never used the law because President Clinton would …