“Why Does My Back Hurt?” Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) in the Workplace

When Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) go unaddressed, the cycle of physical discomfort and mental stress can impact overall wellbeing, productivity, and workplace morale. That’s why early intervention and support—both physical and psychological—are key to a healthy, safe work environment.

MSD: What is it?

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are common workplace injuries affecting the back, shoulders, neck, and arms, often caused by strain from awkward postures, repetitive tasks, or heavy lifting. These disorders represent one of the leading causes of disability and pain in workers and a significant source of employers’ compensation claims.

Physical MSD hazards are generally classified into three categories; biomechanical hazards, additional hazards, and individual hazards:

Biomechanical hazards: Also referred to as the primary risk factors, biomechanical risk factors are those which place a load (stress) upon structures of the musculoskeletal system. There are three biomechanical risk factors; high force, awkward posture, and repetition. Any one of these hazards may lead to an MSD by themselves, however when two or more hazards are combined together, the risk for an MSD increases substantially.

Individual hazards: Certain attributes about an individual may also lead to an MSD. These can include age, body size, previous injuries, and genetic predisposition. These hazards are very difficult to control, which emphasizes the need to control the biomechanical and additional hazards even more.

Additional hazards: Additional hazards for MSDs include vibration, temperature, contact stress and work methods.

MSD at the intersection of safety and wellbeing

Did you know, MSDs don’t just take a toll on the body, they can also have an effect on mental health?

Chronic pain, limited mobility, and long recovery times can lead to frustration, stress, anxiety, and even depression, all of which have been proven to worsen physical conditions further.

Why awareness and prevention are key

Risks often arise when job demands exceed a worker’s physical limits and proper ergonomics are overlooked. By identifying and eliminating risks before they cause MSD injuries, workplaces can better protect workers and create safer, healthier workplaces.

Controlling MSD hazards at the source is the most effective form of control. Here are some steps you can take to keep your workplace safe from MSDs:

• Develop and implement a written MSD prevention policy and program
• Ensure workers receive training on MSDs so they are aware of the hazard
• Provide training on proper techniques for lifting and relay that it is better to push rather than pull and lower than lift
• Implement activities to recognize, assess and control MSD hazards and evaluate MSD controls
• Provide ergonomic equipment like adjustable chairs, sit-stand desks, ergonomically friendly keyboards and mice, etc.
• Implement effective stay-at-work and return-to-work strategies
• For certain workplaces, PPE like shock absorbing gloves, gel knee pads, or insoles can help to reduce MSD hazards
• Create a strong internal responsibilities system (IRS) with strong leadership, and a positive workplace safety culture where everyone understands their responsibilities and everyone demonstrates safe and observable behaviours related to MSD prevention
• More prevention strategies can be found here and here

Comfortable workers, effective organizations

With preventing MSDs comes the use of ergonomics. The word ergonomics means “the science of work”. It fits the job or task to the physical and mental capabilities of the worker. The design of workstations, work processes, equipment and tools, worker knowledge of how to adjust their workstation, etc. all fall under the umbrella of ergonomics.

By applying ergonomic principles to workplaces, injuries can be reduced.

Sit-stand workstations: Changing postures throughout the day is beneficial for all workers. One way to help with this is by providing staff with a sit-stand desk. This is a workstation that changes in height to allow the worker to work comfortably in both sitting and standing positions. Most desks can also set a certain height for sitting and standing so workers have their preferred heights readily available when it’s time to stand.

Know how to lift: For each lift, many factors affect both the worker and the job to be done. To reduce the number of lifting injuries, you should start by gathering a team whose mandate is to identify and reduce risk factors related to lifting tasks. Analyze each work area separately (e.g., housekeeping, maintenance, food services). Each department and area will have a different set of risk factors facing staff.

Ergonomics training for office workers: By providing training to workers on how they can properly set up their workstations in the office or at home for remote workers, you can help them stay safe from MSDs. This eLearning program also makes a great addition for onboarding new employees and as a reminder for employees returning back in-person to the office!

Ergonomic services: Our ergonomic services help organizations design safer, more comfortable work environments. By working with our experts, you can reduce injury risks, support employee health, and boost overall satisfaction. Some of our services provided include:

• Ergonomic assessments
• Job demands descriptions
• Ergonomic training