Ergonomic Interventions for Reducing Musculoskeletal Disorders

Ergonomic Interventions for Reducing Musculoskeletal Disorders: An Overview, Related Issues and Future Directions

Robert Norman and Richard Wells

Department of Kinesiology Faculty of Applied Health Sciences University of Waterloo Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1

May 1998

For the Institute for Work & Health To the Royal Commission on Workers Compensation in British Columbia

Ergonomic Interventions for Reducing Musculoskeletal Disorders: An Overview, Related Issues and Future Directions.
Robert Norman and Richard Wells

Summary
In most industrialized countries, the costs of compensation for musculoskeletal disorders account for at least one half of all workers compensation costs and recent reviews have reaffirmed that a strong work-related component exists for many upper limb and low back pain cases. A combination of physical, psychological, and psychophysical workplace risk factors have been documented. Risk factors for the development of low back pain include (moderately) flexed, laterally bent or twisted trunk postures, high forces on the hands, high one time or accumulated forces on the spine, and vibration. Similar workplace physical risk factors are associated with high levels of musculoskeletal disorders in the neck, shoulders and arms. Physical risk factors such as high forces, high repetition, working with arms overhead, long term static postures, local contact forces and vibration are commonly identified. Psychological risk factors are found regardless of whether the problem is upper limb, low back or elsewhere. They include perceptions of low control and poor workplace social environment, and perceptions of high physical demands whether measured to be high or not. There is conflicting evidence on the role of job satisfaction as a risk factor. Reduction of these risk factors is the goal of most preventive approaches. The work-related portion of the injuries and resulting disability is potentially preventable and it is important to identify

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