<< Back to Ergonomics - Contributing Conditions

Employers and their employees are often able to identify conditions that may contribute to MSDs, because they understand the physical demands of the jobs and work activities in their workplaces. In addition to reviewing work-related injuries and illness records or assessing the physical demands of jobs or work tasks, employers can also determine whether these condition exist by talking with employees. Some employers have chosen to conduct baseline screening surveys, sometimes referred to as symptom surveys. These surveys typically ask employees to identify those parts of the body that hurt while performing work and to characterize or rate the severity of the discomfort. Even in the absence of an OSHA recordable case on an OSHA 300 Log, the results of such surveys may be used to determine whether employees are experiencing discomfort while performing their work activities and the possible sources of the discomfort.
  • Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines For Meatpacking Plants. OSHA Publication 3123, (1993). Includes a symptom survey on pages 16 and 17.
  • "A biopsychosocial perspective on the management of work-related musculoskeletal disorders." American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Journal 2010 Mar;58(3):105-14. Provides an overview of current literature about workplace-related musculoskeletal disorders from a biopsychosocial perspective.
  • Participatory Ergonomic Interventions in Meatpacking Plants. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-124, (1994). Includes a section entitled "Rational for Worker Participation" which discusses the importance of employee input in dealing with ergonomics risks.