This infosheet, published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) introduces Healthy Workplaces Lighten the Load, a Europe-wide awareness-raising campaign about musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
MSDs are the most common work-related health problem in the EU. MSDs are a major cause of concern: first of all because they affect the general health situation of so many workers, and secondly because of the economic impacts on enterprises and the financial and social costs to European countries.
MSDs are preventable and manageable. This can be achieved by adopting an integrated management approach to tackling MSDs based on the principles of the occupational safety and health Framework Directive, among which we would like to underline: workplace risk assessment, the hierarchy of prevention and worker participation.
Key points
• Why it is so important to prevent work-related MSDs and to promote good musculoskeletal health among EU
workers.
• Key for EU workers’ quality of life and for sustainable work, productivity and social security systems.
• Work-related MSDs remain the most common work-related health problem in the EU and one of the most common
causes of disability and sick leave.
• Work-related MSDs result in huge costs that fall on the workers, employers, health services and the wider
society and economy.
• MSDs are preventable and manageable. So high costs related to MSDs can be reduced. The return on investment
for workers’ quality of life at work, businesses and social security systems is worth the effort.
• Taking into account the need for an ageing EU workforce to remain healthy and productive, it is urgent for
organisations to implement MSD policies to prevent and reduce work-related MSDs.
• As well as the prevention of new disorders, rehabilitating workers with MSDs and integrating them back into
work should also form an integral part of any workplace MSD policy.
The infosheet is available by following the link below:
https://osha.europa.eu/en/highlights/preventing-work-related-msds-how-body-and-hazard-mapping-can-help?pk_campaign=rss_news