<< Back to Ergonomics - Contributing Conditions

Step 1: Review Injury and Illness Records

An easy and straightforward approach to assessing potential ergonomic-related problems is to conduct a review of various injury and illness records. The records can be different for every company but may include:
  • OSHA 200 forms for years prior to 2002,
  • OSHA 300 Log forms for years after 2002
  • Workers' Compensation claims
  • Group Health Insurance records
  • First Aid Logs
  • Absentee and Turnover Records
  • Records of employee complaints or grievances.
Step 2: Identify Potential MSD Cases

Using all these information sources, try to identify entries which may indicate the presence of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is a term of art in scientific literature that refers collectively to a group of injuries and illnesses that affect the musculoskeletal system. While there is no single diagnosis for MSDs, the conditions identified below are commonly included in the range of conditions that potentially constitute "MSDs":
  • tendinitis
  • tenosynovitis
  • epicondylitis
  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • bursitis
  • deQuervain's disease
  • ganglion cyst
  • thoracic outlet syndrome
  • less precise entries such as sprains, strains, tears, or even just pain
Step 3: Categorize

Once all of the records have been examined, categorize MSD cases by job, department, division, work task, shift, and so on, to determine whether patterns or trends exist. For example, look for instances where:
  • one unit (e.g., job, department, or division) has a higher number of MSDs than other units in the company
  • one unit has more severe MSDs than other units in the company
  • one unit's rate of MSDs has increased each year for several years
  • one unit's rate of MSDs is higher than other companies doing the same job
  • MSDs increase during a particular shift or time of the year
  • MSDs increase when producing a particular product or when performing a particular work task