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WHO Preventing MSDs in The Workplace PDF
WHO Preventing MSDs in The Workplace PDF
Health Series
No 5
Printed in India
All illustrations are copyright protected, therefore when using any of them the copy-
right owner has to be named: Lang/Metze Atelier f:50, Berlin
Preface
Disorders of the musculoskeletal system represent a main cause for
absence from occupational work. Musculoskeletal disorders lead to
considerable costs for the public health system. Specific disorders of the
musculoskeletal system may relate to different body regions and
occupational work. For example, disorders in the lower back are often
correlated to lifting and carrying of loads or to the application of vibration.
Upper-limb disorders (at fingers, hands, wrists, arms, elbows, shoulders,
neck) may result from repetitive or long-lasting static force exertion or
may be intensified by such activities. The severity of these disorders
may vary between occasional aches or pain to exactly diagnosed specific
diseases. Occurrence of pain may be interpreted as the result of a
reversible acute overloading or may be a pre-symptom for the beginning
of a serious disease.
The purpose of this document on the prevention of musculoskeletal
disorders is to inform about risk factors and to influence the actions of
employers and the behaviour of workers in such a way that risks of
physical loadings, dangerous to health or unnecessary fatiguing, are
avoided or diminished. The document has been prepared in such a way
that it can be used by employers, supervisors, and occupational health
trainers when designing work and work environment or for preparing
information materials and training programs. In consequence, application
of the guide should be helpful to reduce harm to individuals, to influence
the efficiency of work positively, and to reduce costs on the public health
system.
It is intended that this booklet be used by employers, supervisors and
occupational health trainers to help them recognise risks that may lead
to musculoskeletal disorders, as well as to design work itself and the
work environment in a way which is safe for the employee.
Acknowledgement is expressed to the following reviewers: Thomas R.
Waters, Ph. D., National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
Cincinnati; Dr. Hisashi Ogawa, World Health Organization, Regional
Adviser for Occupational Health, Regional Office for the Western Pacific,
Manila; and Evelyn Kortum-Margot, Occupational Health Programme,
World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Examples of physical loadings at work which may be dan-
gerous to health:
Whole-body vibration
Part 2: Guidance
2 Guidance on main risk factors 15
2.1 Risk factor: Manipulation of heavy loads 15
2.2 Risk factor: Work with high force exertion 18
2.3 Risk factor: Working in unfavourable body postures 19
2.4 Risk factor: Monotonous repetitive tasks 22
2.5 Risk factor: Long-lasting loadings 23
2.6 Risk factor: Physical environmental conditions 25
Summary 29
Conclusion 30
Part Objectives
1
1.1 Work-related musculoskeletal disorders - a definition
The term musculoskeletal disorders denotes health problems of
the locomotor apparatus, i.e. of muscles, tendons, the skeleton,
cartilage, ligaments and nerves. Musculoskeletal disorders include
all forms of ill-health ranging from light, transitory disorders to
irreversible, disabling injuries. This booklet focuses on
musculoskeletal disorders, which are induced or aggravated by
work and the circumstances of its performance. Such work-related
musculoskeletal disorders are supposed to be caused or intensified
by work, though often activities such as housework or sports may
also be involved.
Part Guidance
2
2 Guidance on main risk factors
In this part, some of the main risk factors for the development of
musculoskeletal disorders are listed, and examples of tasks and
working conditions are provided. Additionally, potential causes
for health disturbances and injuries as well as suggestions as to
how to avoid these are made.
Examples are:
2.1.3 How can heavy loads be handled with low risk for harm?
The most important factors concerning the risk are the weight of
the object to be manipulated, the horizontal distance between
the load and the body and the duration and repetition frequency
of task execution. This leads to some important measures for
handling objects.
17
Advice to the employee:
l Lift loads close to the body.
l Lift with both hands, symmetrically to the mid-sagittal plane,
bring the load as close as possible to the body.
l Lift heavy loads with an upright trunk by extending the ini-
tially flexed legs and avoid manipulation of loads in unfavour-
able postures (e.g. lateral bending or twisting).
l Use cranes, lifters, dollies, hoists, pallet jacks, mobile eleva-
tors, or similar devices, if available, for lifting and transporting
heavy loads.
l Carry heavy and/or unwieldy loads with two persons.
Examples are:
l pushing or pulling of heavy
objects
l pulling of trolleys and other
means of transportation
l positioning of packages in
a transportation vehicle
l manipulation of scaffold
parts High force exertion: Pushing of
heavy objects
l transfer of patients.
The exertion of force requires high muscle forces. This may lead to
an acute overloading and/or fatigue of muscles.
During such work high forces also occur in the skeletal system.
This may lead to an acute overloading and injury of the skeletal
structures. Force exertion, where the force acts distantly from the
body, bears a high risk of damage to the lumbar spine tissues. For
tasks with long-lasting or frequently repeated high force exertion,
there is risk of degenerative diseases especially of the lumbar spine.
This is true, in particular, if force exertion is carried out in unfa-
vourable body postures.
Examples are:
l work overhead
l work in constrained positions
l work in confined rooms
l work in extremely bent, twisted or extended postures
l work in a continuously inclined posture (e.g. construction work,
concrete reinforcement work)
l work out of reach
l work in a kneeling, lying, crouching or squatting position.
Examples are:
l assembly line
l cash registration Monotonous repetitive task:
Assembly line
l loading of packing machines.
Examples are:
l maintaining a static posture
(e.g. during bricklaying at
floor level; concrete rein-
Long-lasting loading: Picking
forcement work; picking of up vegetables at
fruits and vegetables at floor floor level
level; writing; typing; work
with computer mouse).
Long-lasting loading:
Hawkers tray
24
2.5.2 Why are long-lasting loadings harmful?
Vibration:
Climate:
Lighting:
Vibration:
Climate:
Summary
Disorders of the musculoskeletal system are a major cause of
absence from work and lead, therefore, to considerable cost for
the public health system. Health problems arise if the mechanical
workload is higher than the load-bearing capacity of the
components of the musculoskeletal system (bones, tendons,
ligaments, muscles, etc). Apart from the mechanically-induced
strain affecting the locomotor organs directly, psychosocial factors
such as time-pressure, low-job decision latitude or insufficient social
support can augment the influence of mechanical strain or may
induce musculoskeletal disorders by increasing muscle tension and
affecting motor coordination.