Workers at the Dutch vegetable growing company Verdonk Broccoli were prone to develop MSDs, especially when lifting and stacking crates and boxes. To prevent MSDs and to reduce physical strain and manual lifting, palletisers were purchased. As a result, there are fewer health complaints and absences...

The Dutch cleaning services company Hago Next was finding it difficult to retain experienced employees and attract new ones because the work is physically demanding. To reduce physical strain and prevent MSDs, the company has implemented a broad range of measures to improve working practices and...

This series of short informative case studies looks at a range of policy level initiatives across Europe and beyond aiming to prevent and manage work-related MSDs. The studies focus on achievements, factors contributing to their success and challenges encountered, and transferability to other...

This country report analyses national data on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). It enriches and complements the findings presented in the project’s final overview report, which covers the EU as a whole. These national data will add to knowledge of MSDs at EU level, contributing to the development of...

Workers in the construction industry perform physically demanding work. The physical strain is often high. This can lead to complaints to the neck, shoulder and back, and thus even to sickness absence and disability. Almost half of the absenteeism in the construction industry is caused by these...

This website offers free tools to assess the risks of physical work load and a 5-step approach to guide during the process of tackling the present issues.

ARTEX is a small sewing plant with 14 female employees working five-day single shifts. Repetitive tasks, performed seated, increase the risk of MSDs. In addition to legally-required medical checks, assessment of individual workstations led to improvements in work organisation, layout and equipment...