📝 Petition to OSHA
Protect Sonographers, Protect Patients

We, the undersigned, call on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to update standards under Section 6 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act to protect diagnostic medical sonographers from unsafe workloads and prevent harm to patients.

 
Why This Matters
Sonographer Injuries: Over 80% of sonographers report work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs).

Court Precedent:

In UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals v. Orlandi (2023), a Registered Vascular Technologist who performed 7–9 studies a day won her case for repetitive trauma, proving these workloads cause injury.

UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals v. R. Orlandi

Patient Safety Risks: Rushed exams increase the chance of misdiagnoses, delayed reporting, and missed findings.

Professional societies (SDMS, AIUM, ASE, SVU) publish recommendations, but guidelines are not enforceable. Employers continue to push unsafe daily volumes, harming both workers and patients.   

INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR THE PREVENTION OF WORK RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS IN SONOGRAPHY

What We’re Asking For

OSHA must move from recognition to regulation by:

✅ Capping daily patient loads at no more than 8-12 complete studies in an 8-hour shift. Dependent upon exam types. 
✅ Establishing minimum exam times, e.g., 60-90+ minutes for echocardiograms. With a max of 8 in 8 hour shift. 30–45+ minutes for vascular studies.

Or establish minimum standards in line with AUIM/SVU/ASE. 
✅ Requiring ergonomic safeguards, including protected breaks.

AIUM Practice Principles for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder

What OSHA Already Knows
OSHA has acknowledged WRMSDs in sonography for years.
They already have injury data but lack enforceable standards.
Formal petitions are legally required to update standards under Section 6.
Legally, one petition is enough—but to show this is a national crisis, we need:

500+ testimonials from sonographers nationwide.
200–300 documented injury cases from workers’ comp, OSHA logs, or clinical records.
 Ergonomic Hazards in Ultrasound Sonography

Our Call to Action
By signing this petition, you are asking that OSHA initiate rulemaking to establish enforceable standards on patient loads and exam times.

Protecting patients means protecting sonographers. We are the first line of diagnostic care. When we are rushed, injured, or pushed beyond safe limits, patients’ lives are at risk.

You Can (and should) file complaints online using OSHA’s form OSHA-7:
OSHA Online Complaint Form
—but that tool is for reporting unsafe conditions in workplaces. It cannot substitute for the formal route we must take to modify or create enforceable standards.

For OSHA to consider this under Section 6, this petition must be sent directly to their Washington, DC office, and including your personal testimonial will greatly strengthen our case.     LETTER TO OSHA 

In solidarity,
Your NSO Advocacy Team