Interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) continue to present a major challenge to workers and their employers in virtually every industry sector. Many disciplines have been involved in providing advice and working on interventions to prevent WMSDs or reduce their consequences. Since the early 1990s, 15 systematic reviews (excluding specific treatment modalities) have appeared in the peer-reviewed literature addressing musculoskeletal disorder reduction. The National Research Council-Institute of Medicine summarized many of these efforts in 2001. Using a systematic literature search strategy, we identified 20 randomized controlled studies, 17 quasi-experimental studies with control groups, and 36 paper reporting case studies with in the peer-reviewed literature between 1999-2003. Evidence is continuing to build that demonstrates combinations of measures appear to have the greatest effect in reducing WMSDs, although individual engineering and administrative controls can also have positive effects.
Silverstein
Barbara
B
Safety & Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP), Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, Washington 98504-4330, USA. silb235@1ni.wa.ov
Clark
Randy
R
D006801:Humans; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010380:Peer Review; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic