Workplace Surveillance a Path for Injury Prevention

In a newly released paper, the National Safety Council (NSC) and its MSD Solutions Lab encourage employers across all industries to make musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) prevention and ergonomic injury surveillance a cornerstone of their occupational health and safety programs.  

The cost of preventable MSDs is high in terms of medical care, lost productivity, and quality of life. (Refer to the first blog in this series to learn about hidden costs.) Evidenced-based strategies can be used across an enterprise to help reduce the occurrence of MSDs and create safer, heathier workplaces, according to the paper, The Importance of Musculoskeletal Disorder and Related Injury Surveillance: An Organizational Approach. 

“MSDs are entirely preventable, and prevention starts with understanding where and how these injuries occur,” said Katherine Mendoza, senior director of workplace safety programs at NSC. “This new resource equips safety professionals with research-backed strategies to identify risks early and take action before injuries occur.” 

Understanding the Terminology

The paper refers to MSDs as ergonomic injuries. A simple definition of ergonomics is designing work to fit the worker, in turn reducing the likelihood of physical discomfort and overuse injuries while increasing efficiency. Examples of ergonomic solutions include work practice observations by professionals with training in ergonomics and human performance, wearable devices, workstation adjustments, training on proper body mechanics, stretching, periodic breaks, job rotation, and moderating the pace of production. 

To deploy an organizational approach, business operators are advised to agree on the definition of an ergonomic injury and apply it enterprise-wide. This includes defining various categories of injuries based on certain factors. Once these parameters are established, it becomes easier to accurately identify specific types of ergonomic injuries and make sound decisions about investments in risk mitigation. 

The word “surveillance” can sometimes be misinterpreted as intruding on personal privacy. Medical surveillance refers to monitoring employees’ health status and exposure risks to help ensure they are not harmed by workplace hazards and that appropriate care is provided when a work-related medical condition is detected. In the context of MSDs, the paper’s authors recommend that employers adopt the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety’s surveillance definition: “The continuous and systematic gathering, analysis, interpretation, and sharing of information related to MSDs and hazards.” 

According to the paper, the purpose of injury surveillance is to detect patterns of injury, identify risks, devise MSD prevention methods, and assess related outcomes. Armed with these data, employers can deploy strategies that help lower medical and workers’ compensation claim costs, reduce OSHA-recordable incidents, and support workforce well-being. 

Highlights of an Organizational Approach

Guidance in the paper is based on findings from 50 academic sources. The following concepts are considered essential to an organizational approach: 

• Standardized recordkeeping: Guidelines for consistent injury classification and data collection, helping organizations better identify risks and target prevention efforts. 

• System implementation: Best practices for designing and maintaining effective injury surveillance frameworks that adapt to an organization’s size and capabilities. 

• Technology integration: Guidance on leveraging IoT devices, AI analytics and automated systems to enhance workplace monitoring and early intervention, with practical considerations for implementation. 

• Real-world applications: Use cases and interactive exercises to help organizations implement these strategies effectively in their own workplaces. 

In a best-case scenario, employers facilitate reporting of early signs of discomfort so immediate care guidance can be provided to help relieve symptoms. Surveillance requires the ability to accurately categorize a work-related condition, such as by the nature of an injury, its severity, affected body part(s), and the source or underlying cause. Accurate record keeping depends on data collection and thorough documentation. Generally, experts say ergonomic injury classifications should meet these criteria: 

• The nature of injury aligns with ergonomics-related risk factors and results in common MSDs such as strain, low back pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome. 

• The incident type aligns with work-related risk factors such as sudden or sustained force, vibration, repetitive motion, awkward postures and duration of the task. The incident type is associated with the underlying cause of an injury that triggers events leading to the injury, such as unsafe working conditions, improper lifting techniques, or equipment failure.  

In addition, the paper states, organizations are advised to focus on developing systems that are easy for employes to use. Depending on the size of a company and its resources, surveillance tools may range from recording injuries on spreadsheets to using sophisticated software or automated technology to categorize injuries by type, location, and other metrics.  

WorkCare Is Here to Help

WorkCare supports early injury detection and intervention programs as part of our holistic approach to MSD prevention. Our Incident Prevention + Wellness specialists are trained in ergonomics, sports medicine/athletic training, MSD assessments, warmup and cool down techniques, and non-recordable first-aid remedies. In addition to showing employees how to safely move their bodies and counteract physical and mental demands at work, our team provides general wellness education on nutrition, fitness, fatigue and stress management, and other aspects of self-care to improve and sustain overall wellness.  

Contact us to learn more about our programs and hear from the WorkCare experts on our webinar: Revolutionizing Workplace Wellness – A Proven Approach to Injury Prevention.