Action Levels for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Neck and Upper Extremities : A Proposal
Arvidsson, Inger LU ; Dahlqvist, Camilla LU ; Enquist, Henrik LU and Nordander, Catarina LU
(2021)
In Annals of Work Exposures and Health
65(7).
p.741-747
- Abstract
There are several well-known risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Despite this knowledge, too many people still work in harmful conditions. The absence of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for physical workload impedes both supervision and preventive work. To prevent myalgia, tendon disorders, and nerve entrapments in the upper musculoskeletal system, we propose action levels concerning work postures, movement velocities and muscular loads recorded by wearable equipment. As an example, we propose that wrist velocity should not exceed 20°/s as a median over a working day. This has the potential to reduce the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in highly exposed male occupational groups by 93%. By... (More)
There are several well-known risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Despite this knowledge, too many people still work in harmful conditions. The absence of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for physical workload impedes both supervision and preventive work. To prevent myalgia, tendon disorders, and nerve entrapments in the upper musculoskeletal system, we propose action levels concerning work postures, movement velocities and muscular loads recorded by wearable equipment. As an example, we propose that wrist velocity should not exceed 20°/s as a median over a working day. This has the potential to reduce the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in highly exposed male occupational groups by 93%. By reducing upper arm velocity in highly exposed female groups to the suggested action level 60°/s, the prevalence of pronounced neck/shoulder myalgia with clinical findings (tension neck syndrome) could be reduced by 22%. Furthermore, we propose several other action levels for the physical workload. Our ambition is to start a discussion concerning limits for physical workload, with the long-term goal that OELs shall be introduced in legislation. Obviously, the specific values of the proposed action levels can, and should, be discussed. We hope that quantitative measurements, combined with action levels, will become an integral part of systematic occupational health efforts, enabling reduction and prevention of work-related MSDs.
(Less)
- author
- Arvidsson, Inger
LU
; Dahlqvist, Camilla
LU
; Enquist, Henrik
LU
and Nordander, Catarina
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- exposure assessment, exposure-response relationships, risk assessment, technical measurements, threshold limit values
- in
- Annals of Work Exposures and Health
- volume
- 65
- issue
- 7
- pages
- 741 - 747
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:33831146
- scopus:85102407172
- ISSN
- 2398-7308
- DOI
- 10.1093/annweh/wxab012
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.
- id
- 9e1f91c8-4d9b-4597-9491-ca2818798149
- date added to LUP
- 2022-02-02 11:20:24
- date last changed
- 2024-04-07 06:56:52
@misc{9e1f91c8-4d9b-4597-9491-ca2818798149,
abstract = {{<p>There are several well-known risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Despite this knowledge, too many people still work in harmful conditions. The absence of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for physical workload impedes both supervision and preventive work. To prevent myalgia, tendon disorders, and nerve entrapments in the upper musculoskeletal system, we propose action levels concerning work postures, movement velocities and muscular loads recorded by wearable equipment. As an example, we propose that wrist velocity should not exceed 20°/s as a median over a working day. This has the potential to reduce the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in highly exposed male occupational groups by 93%. By reducing upper arm velocity in highly exposed female groups to the suggested action level 60°/s, the prevalence of pronounced neck/shoulder myalgia with clinical findings (tension neck syndrome) could be reduced by 22%. Furthermore, we propose several other action levels for the physical workload. Our ambition is to start a discussion concerning limits for physical workload, with the long-term goal that OELs shall be introduced in legislation. Obviously, the specific values of the proposed action levels can, and should, be discussed. We hope that quantitative measurements, combined with action levels, will become an integral part of systematic occupational health efforts, enabling reduction and prevention of work-related MSDs. </p>}},
author = {{Arvidsson, Inger and Dahlqvist, Camilla and Enquist, Henrik and Nordander, Catarina}},
issn = {{2398-7308}},
keywords = {{exposure assessment; exposure-response relationships; risk assessment; technical measurements; threshold limit values}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{7}},
pages = {{741--747}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Annals of Work Exposures and Health}},
title = {{Action Levels for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Neck and Upper Extremities : A Proposal}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxab012}},
doi = {{10.1093/annweh/wxab012}},
volume = {{65}},
year = {{2021}},
}