To start preventing MSDs, you need to be clear about what they are
MSDs are musculoskeletal disorders, a group of illnesses that revolve around the joints: wrists, elbows, shoulders, spine and knees. All these joints can be affected, with symptoms developing progressively. In France, MSDs account for 87% of occupational illnesses, and back pain alone accounts for 20% of workplace accidents, which goes to show just how important posture is, no matter what sector you work in.
Most musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) arise in the workplace, when the employee exceeds his or her functional capacity and does not have enough time to recover. Four factors are involved in the onset of MSDs.
- A biomechanical factor, posture, repetition of movements, duration.
- An environmental factor, cold, vibrations...
- An organizational factor with the pace, poor working conditions and clarity of the task.
- A psychosocial factor, job recognition, monotony and job security.
In short, many things can play a part in the appearance of MSDs, which is why it's important to implement preventive measures quickly to avoid the first symptoms. If you don't, you run the risk of damaging workers' health, while at the same time costing companies money. In 2017, the direct cost to companies is estimated at over two billion euros.
MSD prevention
Data on MSDs has enabled us to develop effective preventive measures. These measures are divided into four stages: mobilization, investigation, control and evaluation.
Mobilizing management
Implementing an MSD prevention policy must be at the heart of everyone's concerns. Management must be aware of the situation and set up an appropriate budget for the project. This is the most important stage, because it's here that the follow-up will be put in place and all the people concerned will be able to meet to discuss the subject.
In-house investigation
To begin with, it's a good idea to gather some data about your company. Absenteeism or staff turnover, for example, will tell you whether MSDs have already appeared in your company.
Then carry out an ergonomic study. To do this, you'll need to take a detailed look at the work performed by employees during their shift. Several points are important. Start by studying the repetitiveness of gestures, with and without tools, the maintenance of posture, the effort expended in action, and the amplitude of movement. Workers must also identify psychosocial factors. These factors are often linked to work intensification or working time safety. Analysis of production fluctuation and contingency management also fall into this category.
Risk management
In practice, implementing MSD prevention measures in companies can be a major undertaking. Workers engaged in physical and repetitive activities are those most at risk, but all employees can be affected. When everyone's health can be affected, it's vital to take action for the company's safety.
Risk management means implementing solutions to correct the problems identified during the investigation. The prevention plan can include several points: reducing muscular stress and training employees. We also need to think upstream in the design and ergonomics of the workspace, the design of the product itself, and overall organization.
Evaluation and progress monitoring
From the outset of an MSD prevention plan, it is essential to develop measurement tools to monitor objectives throughout the company's activity. These indicators will enable a constant assessment of the company's practices in terms of musculoskeletal disorders, and thus safeguard the health of employees throughout their working lives. Results can be seen very quickly with the MSD prevention action, without disrupting the company's productivity.
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