The goal of occupational health and safety (OHS) programs should be to build a prevention culture that eliminates injury risk and promotes overall health and wellness of all employees.
To achieve this goal, strategies for effective prevention of injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) need to be founded upon the identification and elimination of all causative factors. Increasingly, research indicates that chronic disease and declining physical fitness are primary risk factors for injuries and MSDs. Think about it: If so called “work-related” disorders were solely caused by occupational factors, then wouldn’t it follow that all workers performing the same job demands would develop these conditions? How can we explain why one worker is healthy and another worker who does an identical job under identical conditions develops carpal tunnel syndrome or some other MSD? The truth is, not everyone with ergonomic exposures at work develops a MSD and not everyone that develops an MSD has ergonomic exposures at work.
Therefore, a comprehensive “whole person” strategy is needed for effective injury and MSD prevention. Why? Because a variety of risk factors are involved. Some of these risk factors are the responsibility of the workplace, while others are the responsibility of the worker.
Certainly, the employer has the responsibility to provide a safe work environment free of safety hazards and ergonomic risk factors. The work design needs to account for all shapes and sizes of people and to take into account the capabilities and limitations of the human body. While I believe that ergonomics is a very important part of MSD prevention, this approach is not enough on its own. My 20 years of experience has taught me that people are at the core of effective management and prevention of “workplace” disorders. Risk factors associated with the person, as well as with the workplace, must not be overlooked.
Prevention is a shared responsibility that requires a partnership between company leadership and all employees. Understanding and accepting the responsibilities involved in this partnership (from both sides) is a critical building block for an effective OHS process. Companies need to implement a comprehensive OHS process that not only seeks to eliminate workplace hazards, but also recognizes the importance of early intervention and nurturing an environment in which complete wellness is attainable for all employees. Education and training play an integral role by creating awareness of all risk factors, and the OHS process offers various programs and methods to conquer them. Employees need to understand that they are responsible for practicing good safety and health habits, staying fit for the work they have chosen to do and committing to a wellness lifestyle. Every effort should be made to ensure both parties fulfill their responsibilities.
Management should take the lead in both words and actions, with a steadfast focus on accident prevention and extending a message of safety and health beyond the workplace.
Keeping employees and their families safe and healthy at work and home needs to become an integral part of the organization’s DNA. When employees see management accepting responsibility and building a culture of prevention and wellness, they are more likely to accept responsibility for adopting good health and safety habits.
Successful OHS programs adopt a “whole person” strategy for injury and illness prevention, building a prevention culture by integrating a good mix of organizational activities and programs designed to support healthy lifestyles along with workplace hazard elimination.
