Musculoskeletal disorders affect the body’s muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments, and tendons. Many jobs expose workers to risk factors such as lifting heavy objects, bending, reaching overhead, pushing or pulling loads, and repeating the same motions. Over time, these activities strain the body and raise the chance of injury.

However, most work-related MSDs are preventable. Ergonomics—the practice of fitting a job to the worker—can ease muscle strain, boost productivity, and lower both the number and severity of injuries. So, by applying ergonomic principles, employers can cut the costs and health impacts tied to physical overexertion.

To create a safer workplace, an effective ergonomic program should include the following key elements:

  • Provide Management Support

    • Management plays the leading role in making an ergonomic process succeed. So, a visible, ongoing commitment from leadership drives accountability and shows employees that safety matters.

  • Involve Workers

    • Engage workers directly in assessing job tasks, developing solutions, and applying improvements. Their firsthand experience is essential for identifying real problems and practical fixes.

  • Provide Training

    • Train employees and supervisors to recognize ergonomic risks and understand their impact. Effective training builds awareness, encourages early symptom reporting, and reinforces safe work practices.

  • Identify Problems

    • Actively search for ergonomic hazards before they cause injuries. For example, use workplace assessments, employee feedback, and injury data to spot high-risk tasks early.

  • Encourage Reporting the Symptoms of Musculoskeletal Disorders Early

    • Urge employees to report symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders as soon as they appear. Quick reporting allows faster evaluations, targeted adjustments, and subsequently, fewer serious injuries or lost workdays.

  • Implement Solutions

    • Apply corrective actions that reduce, control, or remove ergonomic risks. Simple changes such as adjusting workstation height, improving tools, or rotating tasks, can have immediate benefits.

  • Evaluate Progress

    • Regularly review the effectiveness of ergonomic measures. Use evaluations and corrective actions to refine the process and maintain long-term success.

In short, an ergonomic process uses the principles of a safety and health program to address Musculoskeletal disorders hazards. Such a process should be viewed as an ongoing function that is incorporated into the daily operations, rather than as an individual project.

Learn more at osha.gov/ergonomics.

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