With almost a third of work-related injuries being musculoskeletal, WorkSafe has developed a new guide to staying well in this way in the workplace.
Approximately 30% of all work-related harm can be attributed to musculoskeletal injuries, according to WorkSafe. “Our goal is to reduce the level of harm, particularly for Māori and Pacific workers, who are disproportionately represented in the injury statistics,” the organisation said on releasing its new guide to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and risk factors.
What are WRMSDs?
WorkSafe uses the term work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) to refer to injuries or conditions of the musculoskeletal system that occur when work demands lead or contribute to discomfort, pain, or injury. WRMSDs are injuries and conditions affecting:
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muscles
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ligaments
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bones
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tendons
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blood vessels
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nerves
WRMSDs may start as mild aches and pains and can develop into serious conditions. Examples include:
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strains or sprains
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joint and bone injuries or degeneration
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nerve injuries
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muscular and vascular disorders resulting from vibration
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soft tissue injuries such as hernias
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chronic pain
In New Zealand, WRMSDs have also been known as:
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repetitive strain injury (RSI)
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occupational overuse syndrome (OOS)
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gradual process injury
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discomfort, pain, and injury
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body stressing
WRMSDs may happen because of a single incident or event (for example, tripping over and spraining an ankle), or develop over time when workers are exposed to one or more risk factors. WRMSDs may affect work performance by:
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lowering a worker’s ability to perform their job and to work safely
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reducing work productivity and quality as workers work around their pain and discomfort
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contributing to other illnesses and impacting a person’s mental health
Risk factors for WRMSDs
There are many work-related risk factors that can contribute to injury. These factors can work alone or together. Both manual and sedentary work have risk factors that may lead to WRMSDs.
Work-related risk factors can be divided into five categories:
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biomechanical and physical factors (physical nature of work tasks)
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work organisation factors (how work is organised)
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environmental factors (work surroundings)
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individual factors (unique things that are specific to a person)
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psychosocial factors (how a person feels and how they connect with people)
Non-work factors may also contribute to risks (for example, sporting activities, hobbies, or other after-work activities may add to muscle fatigue).
Risk factors can affect workers in different ways
How each of these factors affect a person depends on their unique characteristics and situation.
A worker is likely to be exposed to several (and in many cases, all) of the work-related risk factors at the same time. The more factors the worker is exposed to, the higher the likelihood of harm.
What the law requires
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) requires PCBUs to keep workers and others healthy and safe. This means that PCBUs must eliminate musculoskeletal risks from work, so far as is reasonably practicable. If risks can’t be eliminated, they must be minimised.
WorkSafe expectations
WorkSafe expects PCBUs to:
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implement good work design principles and practices in the work environment, which eliminate musculoskeletal risks or minimise them, so far as is reasonably practicable
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engage with workers when identifying musculoskeletal risks and their controls, including when changing work processes
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monitor the health of workers and the conditions at work to prevent WRMSDs developing or being exacerbated
For more information, see:
Quick guide: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and risk factors
