Deploying a step-by-step approach to prevent MSDs. 

88% of occupational diseases are caused by musculoskeletal disorders. Faced with this phenomenon, an increasing number of companies of all sizes, from small and medium-sized enterprises to multinational corporations, are seeking to implement collective protection measures. The goal is simple: to reduce the number of workplace accidents and the occurrence of occupational diseases while improving the quality of life at work for their employees. So, if you also wish to embark on health prevention, follow the guide. Moovency explains how to launch a step-by-step approach to preventing MSDs. 

N°1: Awareness – “Am I affected?”
 

It all starts with a question: am I, as a company, affected by musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)? If you are asking yourself this question, it means that certain elements have led you to consider it. These may include: 

• The occupational risk assessment document (DUERP), which provides initial guidance but may not always be sufficient. 

• An increase in absenteeism rates or an increase in social security contributions, potential signs of MSDs. 
• Direct feedback from the field where teams express experiencing pain. 

Everyone is motivated to implement a process for preventing occupational risks, but how do we move from political will to action? Let’s get to it! 

N°2: Study of MSD risk through risk assessment and mapping 

Firstly, you must assess the risks present within your company if you intend to develop a concrete (and effective, the foundation 💪) action plan to implement. Any decision should be based on measurable data, don’t you think? 

If the company does not have personnel trained in risk assessment, our ergonomists intervene on-site to map MSD risks. 

Using the KIMEA tool suite, we audit the workstations within your organization to determine which workstations are most physically demanding. This way, you’ll know which workstations to prioritize for improvement to prevent MSDs. 

Subsequently, we can prioritize future prevention measures and make recommendations to further develop the health prevention approach. 

N°3: Multifactorial Risk Assessment 

Now that the workstations to be reorganized are well known, the next step is to thoroughly analyze the risk factors for each of them. 

At Moovency, we begin by analyzing biomechanical risk factors, focusing on postures that strain the joints, tendons, and muscles, ultimately leading to musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, we also examine other risk factors to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation: environmental, psychosocial, organizational, and individual risk factors. 

Our risk analysis is based on: 

• Evaluation of biomechanical risks conducted using the KIMEA tool. 

• Open observation, which involves observing how a service operates to understand the organization of workstations. 

• Interviews with operators to understand the origin of postures and identify other risk factors for the onset of MSDs. 

N°4: Co-Constructing Solutions 

Risk assessment enables us to co-develop corrective measures with stakeholders (operators, frontline managers, plant directors, etc.) to reduce risk factors. 

We organize workshops involving various stakeholders: operators, frontline managers, and prevention specialists. We present our evaluation to them and engage in discussions. Collective intelligence helps in finding possible solutions to improve workstations. 

N°5: Implementation of Prevention Actions 

Following the recommendations and on-site evaluations, we provide a series of recommendations to be integrated into an overall prevention plan. 

The plan offers preventive actions to be carried out in the short, medium, and long term to reduce the risks associated with MSDs, improve the occupational health of the staff, and enhance the company’s performance. 

During this stage, we also optimize organizational or managerial factors to reduce the previously identified risk factors. 

In addition, we advise continuing to raise awareness and train employees of the company (prevention specialists, occupational health physicians, HR team, frontline managers, and operators) about MSDs. 

If they are familiar with the general principles of workplace safety, they will become more sensitive to their posture and how to organize work to prevent the onset of MSDs. 

Prevention will no longer be a subject imposed from the top down but rather one that the operators themselves take ownership of. They become active participants in their company’s prevention approach.

N°6: Monitoring Results 

Monitoring the proper implementation of the action plan and its results is essential to measure the effectiveness of the internally initiated approach. 

At regular intervals, we recommend companies to assess the actions taken. Some questions to consider include: 

Did everything go smoothly? Did the teams encounter any difficulties or resistance? 

Are the indicators moving in the right direction (e.g., decrease in KIMEA score, reduction in the number of workplace accidents and absenteeism rates, etc.)? 

Our ergonomists conduct regular reporting every 3 or 4 months. They monitor KIMEA scores on workstations to verify that the strain on joints and muscles has decreased. They also issue satisfaction questionnaires to qualitatively evaluate the improvement in working conditions. 

And what’s next? How to become more autonomous in preventing MSDs ?

At Moovency, we have a commitment: we want every company to become more autonomous in addressing MSDs and implementing simple health prevention actions. 

For companies interested, we offer training services. We educate your internal stakeholders on using our KIMEA tool suite to assess workstations. This way, you’re no longer dependent on another company for the physical risk measurement aspect. You are only call-in ergonomists for complex situations that require a specialist. 

Through these training sessions, internal teams are mobilized to advance workplace safety and health topics. They become active participants in the prevention plan.