Tips for reducing musculoskeletal injuries at work

The Centers for Disease Control recommends the following steps to prevent or reduce the risk of injuries from excessive or incorrect handling of tools and materials at work:

1. Substitution. Machines, such as hoists, cranes, and dollies, may be able to substitute for workers in some tasks.
2. Improved equipment design. Research has shown that improved design of some vibrating tools virtually eliminates hazardous vibration; suspension or isolation systems may be added to vehicles to greatly reduce whole-body vibration.
3. Task design. Manual tasks can be altered to minimize physical stress to the worker.
4. Worker education. Injuries due to musculoskeletal stresses may be reduced by strength testing, training in proper ways to do a task, and on-site programs of exercise and physical therapy.
5. Variation of work practices. Periodic rotation of workers into jobs with different physical demands may help reduce the number of work-related injury claims.