Workplace practices and policies for managing musculoskeletal disorders mainly focus on the physical hazards that arise from the physical demands of the job. 

But now 3 new studies find that workplaces should pay more attention to assessing and controlling the risk of musculoskeletal disorders from psychosocial as well as physical hazards.

The psychosocial hazards the studies looked at included things like:

• workload and work pace
• work schedule
• job design
• how much control or autonomy they have over their work
• work content 
• relationships with managers, supervisors and co-workers
• role conflicts and clarity
• work-life balance
• psychological safety climate.

Study #1 

This study looked at the data from surveys that used the free APHIRM toolkit between August 2021 and April 2022. Thirty-three organisations were involved. This toolkit provides online tools for assessing and managing musculoskeletal disorders disorder risks from both physical and psychosocial factors. 

Just under 3000 workers rated how much they were exposed to physical and psychosocial hazards, and how much they experienced musculoskeletal discomfort or pain.

What the study found

This study divided workers into 3 groups based on the risks they face at their jobs. 

The group with the most risks (Group 3) had the highest chances of experiencing discomfort and pain from musculoskeletal disorders.

The things that made a big difference in separating these groups included things like having good supervision and chances for career development. Even though physical risks were important, the aspects of the job that affected the workers the most were related to their well-being and work environment.

The difference in physical risks wasn’t as high, probably because organisations have been working for a long time to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders caused by physical tasks. 

Women were more likely to be in the group with lower risks (Group 1), while people with longer work histories and longer work hours tended to be in the high-risk group. This might be because they have more senior roles, which come with their own set of psychological and social risks.

Study #2

Musculoskeletal disorders at work can be caused by 3 types of risks:

• Physical risks — repetitive movements, poor ergonomics, computer-based work with excessive mouse use, pushing and pulling, bad postures and heavy lifting can cause back, neck, knee, arm, shoulder and hand pain.
• Psychosocial risks — like high workload, low job control, monotonous tasks, bullying, poor support from supervisors and co-workers and violence at work can contribute to stress responses that lead to increased muscle tension and decreased blood supply, making muscle fibres more prone to injuries. 
• Individual risks — personal things like your age, gender, income and education.

But what role does the overall work environment for supporting employees' psychological health and safety — the psychosocial safety climate — play?

This study of 432 Australian employees looked at data from over 6 years to see if psychosocial safety climate is a cause of musculoskeletal disorders over time.

What the study found

The study found that psychosocial safety climate affects musculoskeletal disorders through psychosocial factors like how much control and ability you have to make independent decisions, exercise your expertise or take actions to reduce or manage physical demands you have at work.

Jobs with less control over these things are often jobs with more repetitive and less challenging tasks. They may have a higher risk of musculoskeletal disorders if the physical demands of the job aren’t well managed.

Also, musculoskeletal pain can be caused by problems like burnout and feeling down, because stress responses in the body, like muscle tension and reduced blood supply, also contribute to these conditions.

Study #3

This earlier study focused on 3 health outcomes: musculoskeletal disorders, absenteeism and workplace accidents.

It found that employees were more likely to develop musculoskeletal issues and have time off work when they:

• faced high work demands
• experienced stress on the job
• were bullied
• felt that their efforts weren’t fairly rewarded
• had less control over their jobs.

The takeaway messages 

The evidence is in. We have 3 studies that highlight the need to proactively identify and control both physical and psychosocial factors in the workplace that contribute to work-related musculoskeletal injuries.

Because workplace conditions have a predictable impact on musculoskeletal disorders, and many of these factors are preventable or can be changed, it's important to target and eliminate or reduce these risks. 

These studies provide valuable insights for organisations to create healthier and safer working environments.

Original research

Study #1 Oakman, J., Macdonald, W. A., & McCredie, K. (2023). Psychosocial hazards play a key role in differentiating musculoskeletal disorders risk levels of workers in high-risk occupations. Applied Ergonomics, 112, 104053.

Study #2 Afsharian, A., Dollard, M. F., Glozier, N., Morris, R. W., Bailey, T. S., Nguyen, H., & Crispin, C. (2023). Work-related psychosocial and physical paths to future musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Safety Science, 164, 106177.

Study #3 Taibi, Y., Metzler, Y. A., Bellingrath, S., & Müller, A. (2021). A systematic overview of the risk effects of psychosocial work characteristics on musculoskeletal disorders, absenteeism, and workplace accidents. Applied ergonomics, 95, 103434.