Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders
By Stephanie Carroll, ATC
Injury Prevention, Ergonomic, and Safety Specialist, Fit For Work
“We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster.”
In the 1970s TV series The Six Million Dollar Man, injured astronaut Steve Austin was rebuilt with cyborg-like parts, making him the world’s first bionic man with superhuman strength, skill, and speed.
Today, we see parts of this vision realized in wearable technologies that enhance worker capabilities while preventing musculoskeletal injuries.
Introduction
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are among the most disabling and costly conditions impacting the nation’s workforce. Examples include muscle strains, neck pain, pinched nerves, and low back injuries, which can lead to lost-time injuries and workers’ compensation claims.
These MSDs are often caused by repetitive motion, overexertion, or physical reactions that affect bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissues.
A common source of pain and physical dysfunction is work-related risk factors such as lifting heavy items, reaching overhead, bending and overstretching, or pushing and pulling heavy loads. Think of workers at a distribution center who pack, stack, and lift pallets throughout their shifts. Wearables are designed to help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury at a tactical level.
Types of Wearables
Wearable technology covers a full range of functionality, from data collection and monitoring to powered mechanical systems to motion-detecting AI. These are common types of wearables offered by a variety of manufacturers:
- Electronic Devices – track movement, provide feedback to users, and inform a dashboard for managers. Examples include smartwatches, heart rate monitors, and step counters. These may be used for two to three weeks to help train a new hire or as part of a health and wellness challenge. Applications can include improving productivity or motivating employees to maintain their health.
- Movement Sensors – detect motion where they are placed to aid analysis. For example, you may want to assess employee movement, such as reaching overhead or bending the knees. A screen will show green dots on the joints that help you analyze the task and motion in real time, including body position and posture. You can even digitally test a proposed change to the task or process.
- Exoskeletons and Exosuits – augment, enable, assist, or enhance motion, posture, or physical activity through mechanical interaction with the body. They function as mobile machines that are wearable over all or part of the body.
These units may be active – having a battery or power source, or passive – using only springs, bungee cords, air compression, etc. Active forms offer great versatility and strong assistance for dynamic tasks, while passive units are less complex, less costly, and lighter in weight.
Forms also include rigid – having a metal or plastic structure that can counteract a hinge motion, or soft – using straps or bands to correct reach or extension. The rigid units allow more reduction in biomechanical joint loading, while the soft forms are lighter in weight, more comfortable, and easier to wear under clothing.
- Hand Devices – aid in grip and hand forces. They are helpful for people with hand disorders or impairments who perform repetitive tasks throughout the day. The devices sense pressure to detect when support is needed and initiate gripping force, for example, to hold a hammer or other tool. For specific tasks, hand devices offer a feeling of more strength with less fatigue.
Additional examples of hand devices include wearable scanners and smart gloves that relieve hand fatigue for warehouse or other workers who repetitively scan barcodes or RFID (radio frequency identification) tags by eliminating the need to grip the tool altogether.
- Legless Chairs – create a chair that allows an individual to sit at a job station without seating. This wearable straps to the legs, ankles, and knees, allowing the user to activate the chair via a squatting motion. It is helpful in assembly lines, for example, and decreases fatigue when crouching or standing in the same position for an extended period.
Choosing the Right Wearables
Do it right from the start. Choosing the correct application for your needs is the key to wearable technology success. It’s also essential to have a plan that includes objectives, measurable goals, employee education, and communication. The workforce will typically be supportive if they understand why you are offering wearables and the benefits of the new technology.
Wearables are not a one-size-fits-all technology, so implementation should be customized for your particular application and workforce. The devices should be easy to use and maintain (including cleaning). They should produce valuable data for managers as part of a positive safety culture, with benefits to health and wellness. Used correctly, wearables offer a win-win situation for employees and employers.
Today, we have access to technology that past industry managers could only dream of. Wearables, while not standalone solutions, are a powerful tool for preventing injuries. However, skilled professionals are still needed to interpret data, design controls to reduce risk, and make necessary adjustments.
How will you leverage wearable technology to help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders for your workforce?
Fit For Work Can Help
Our injury prevention specialists work onsite to help you establish a plan for leveraging wearable technology, observe the targeted tasks, and determine the best devices for your application.
We provide education, training, and monitoring, interfacing with your safety department and managers to coordinate activities. Finally, we help measure results to ensure your needs are met, and you reap the desired results for a successful program.
Interested in learning more? Contact us.
Stephanie Carroll is an Injury Prevention, Ergonomic, and Safety Specialist with Fit For Work. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Bridgewater College. With experience working on ergonomics projects for Fit For Work, WorkSTEPS, and company partner VelocityEHS, Stephanie collaborates with clients across various industries to prevent workplace injuries. She also develops Continuing Education Credit courses for the Fit For Work Institute.
Stephanie plays an active role in Fit For Work’s Mentor Program, supports new employee orientation and training, as well as the Ergo Home Program, providing ergonomic assessments for home office setups. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and staying active outdoors.
