Located on the Saint-Étienne health and innovation campus, members of the Interuniversity Laboratory of Motor Biology (LIBM) are interested in the functioning of the body of athletes. By studying motor performance as well as the causes of deficiency and pathologies of the locomotor system, they seek to identify the parameters at the origin of injuries in order to better prevent them.

When the practice of sport leaves the sphere of leisure to enter the professional world, the body becomes the worker's primary tool. A particularity which has as a consequence to place the individual at the center of the actions of prevention of the risks. However, purely individual approaches are insufficient. Even for these activities, the collective dimension of prevention must not be neglected. It is possible by acting on the environment, the equipment or the rules of the game.

For more than three years, the Ardennes Home Care Association has been providing its nurses and orderlies with a technical aid kit. It contributes to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among employees and to the well-being of their patients.

In the internal medicine and acute geriatric care unit of the Montpellier University Hospital, in the Hérault region, tensions and high absenteeism were observed. Following an ergonomic diagnosis, adjustments were made to restore serenity. The rooms are equipped with ceiling rails that allow the use of lifts with fixed or mobile motors.

The Association de services de soins et d'aides à domicile (Assad) du Nord-Libournais and the Association action solidarité entraide (Aase) de Saint-Astier have invested in the program "caregivers, cared for, a quality of life to be preserve" of the Carsat Aquitaine. Objective: to better prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and the risk of falling. The aim is to better prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the risk of falls, thereby limiting incapacity and early retirement from the profession.

The association Les jours heureux, which groups together structures dedicated to the well-being and development of mentally handicapped people in the Paris region, has undertaken to mobilize its managers on occupational risks and to train a network of MSD referents. Interview with Patricia Aubrée, the general manager.

In Villejuif, in the Val-de-Marne region of France, the CAP consortium (Vinci Construction-Spie Batignolles) is building a service structure for line 15 of the southern metro. The earthworkers, who excavated the earth for this 50 m deep shaft, benefited from the installation of an elevator that was extended as the digging progressed. 

Professor Audrey Petit is a rheumatologist and teacher-researcher. She works at the occupational pathology consultation center of the Angers University Hospital, a referral center for MSDs and job retention. She discusses the importance of a rapid return to work in order to provide effective care for patients with low back pain.

Colas is putting technology to work for its rakes. The Exopush, an exoskeleton co-developed with the start-up RB3D, is being deployed in several agencies in France and abroad. The aim is to improve the working conditions and comfort of the workers, who were involved in the design process. The first version of the Exopush weighed more than 40 kg, while the most recent version weighs only 8.4 kg. The way it is worn has also been modified for greater comfort.