The more risk factors a worker is exposed to, the more likely they are going to develop a musculoskeletal imbalance that results in an MSD.

Think about it. As a worker is introduced to more MSD risk factors, the quicker their body gets fatigued and the less likely they are able to recover fast enough.

Picture this.

Peter and Bill both work for the same company. In fact, they have the exact same job and they work at the same workstation.

Peter develops an MSD. Bill doesn’t.

So what happened?

Unfortunately, their workstation was not as ergonomically as efficient as it could have been. An objective ergonomic analysis using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) Tool for Peter and Bill reveals a score of 5, indicating medium risk. The company’s ergonomics team came up with a solution and implemented it, but the damage was already done.

So why did Peter develop an MSD when Bill did not?

Well, there are a few other things you should know about Peter and Bill.

Peter:

• Didn’t use the recommended tool provided by the company to reduce his exposure to excessive force.
• Used poor body mechanics and posture which introduced additional ergonomic risk.
• Was obese, a heavy drinker and addicted to cigarettes.
• Ate Big Mac value meals (super-sized, of course) for lunch every day and his drink of choice was a Mountain Dew fountain pop (the 64-ounce Big Boy from the gas station around the corner).

Bill:

• Used proper work practices and performed his job exactly as he was supposed to.
• While Bill was not an Olympic caliber athlete, he did take a 30 minute walk every day and made sure to stay hydrated.
• Had healthy eating habits and packed a decent lunch every day.

As you can see, Peter’s work methods and lifestyle introduced many more risk factors into the equation in addition to the ergonomic risk factors present at this workstation. Just imagine the additional stress and fatigue on his musculoskeletal system from all of his poor habits.

Bill, on the other hand, reduced his exposure to risk by using good work methods and adopting healthy lifestyle habits and was able to remain at good health. He was giving his body the rest and recovery it needed and, luckily, the company implemented the improvement to his workstation to reduce ergonomic risk and he was feeling even better than ever. Everything was going well.

Then one day, Bill was transferred to a different workstation in a different department. Six months later, Bill developed a painful musculoskeletal disorder.

So what happened?

Bill still used proper work practices, performed his job perfectly and had all the healthy habits he had before. What was the difference? Unfortunately, his workstation had a number of ergonomic risk factors – many more than at his previous workstation. The job he was being asked to perform was simply outside his body’s capabilities and limitations. Exposure to these workplace risk factors wore down Bill’s body and he developed an MSD.

The moral of the story is that the more risk factors a worker is exposed to, the more likely they are to develop a painful and costly MSD. Ergonomic risk factors, individual risk factors or a combination of both are to blame for these painful and costly injuries.

This is illustrated by the MSD Risk Spectrum below: