05 July
Posted July 05, 2022.
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Did you know ? 80% of occupational diseases recognized today are part of Musculoskeletal Disorders.
We hear it regularly, back pain is the disease of the century. Beyond this, Musculoskeletal Disorders or MSDs are the first recognized cause of occupational disease. And this phenomenon concerns all sectors of activity.
The risks associated with MSDs?
- MSDs encompass many different diseases and disorders. These attacks concern the muscles, tendons, nerves, cartilage, etc., i.e. mainly the soft tissues. They can manifest themselves in the form of tendonitis, low back pain, herniated disc, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.
The consequences can be characterized by multiple advantages:
- Pain or discomfort in movement,
- Numbness, tingling,
- Loss of strength, flexibility or dexterity.
MSDs have mainly multifactorial origins:
- Biomechanics: awkward postures, highly repetitive movements, carrying heavy loads, very precise and meticulous work, vibrations, thermal environment, etc.
- Psychosocial : excessive workload, strong time pressure, lack of social support from colleagues or the hierarchy, the professional future perceived as uncertain, etc. These factors can lead to greater muscle tension or an extension of the rest time required during the course. of the day.
- Organizational : lack of breaks and lack of alternation between tasks to reduce the duration of constraining tasks, absence of the possibility of mutual aid, dependence on the rhythm of a machine, etc.
- Individual : age, gender, state of health, etc.
What behavior should be adopted to limit MSDs?
Solutions exist to limit the appearance of MSDs:
- Ask for help to his colleagues (carrying heavy loads, etc.),
- Use the means of handling available,
- Adapt your workstation to its morphology,
- Avoid dangerous postures : flexion and twisting of the back, extension of the body, arms brought above the shoulders. The key is to adopt the least restrictive postures for the muscles used,
- Limit the repetitiveness of movements alternating with other tasks and taking breaks.
If discomfort occurs, it is essential to contact health professionals to act and prevent the disorder from becoming irreversible and chronic. Prompt management of the pathology can limit its consequences.
It is also essential to talk about it in your company: to management, prevention officers and staff representatives, to enable preventive action and reduce the factors of appearance of MSDs. This can go through the layout of workstations and planning, diversification of tasks, training, adaptation of tools, etc.