Mount Sinai - Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Program to Treat and Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Risk Factors

Work can lead to health problems when you:

• Repeat the same motions over and over
• Make forceful exertions of muscles and tendons
• Work in stressful, uncomfortable postures (also called non-neutral postures)
• Hold your muscles and joints in one position for long periods
• Encounter vibration from tools or vehicles
• Lean against sharp or hard surfaces that compress tendons, blood vessels and nerves
• Cannot take adequate rest breaks
• Experience occupational stress

Occupational stress can also lead to or aggravate MSDs. How work is structured and organized can affect work stress.

Examples include:

• Machine-paced work
• Frequent deadlines
• Inadequate training
• Limited ability to make decisions
• Insufficient rest breaks

Working in cold or very hot environments, using tools or driving vehicles that vibrate, and noise can also increase the physical and psychological demands of work.

Here are examples of jobs and work activities that cause MSDs:

• Health care workers: Lifting heavy patients alone and not taking enough rest breaks
• Computer operators: Bent neck, and wrist and shoulders held for long periods
• Garment workers: Repetitive hand and arm motions requiring force
• Crane operator: Working in one position for long periods of time
• Laborers: Bending and twisting to lift, and working with the hands raised above the chest
• Cleaners: Using muscles in the back or arms forcefully while pushing, pulling, reaching, grasping or pinching
• Construction: Using vibrating hand tools or driving vibrating equipment
• Packers: Compressing nerves, tendons or blood vessels while leaning on elbows, forearms or wrists