Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Or WMSDS
It is a right of every employee of any business in the United States to remain healthy and safe while at work.
Severe and sometime disabling work related injuries among workers in the United States became so severe that the federal government created an agency to oversee work place conditions and enact a series of rules and requirements that employers are forced to abide by.
This agency is called the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA.
One of the most common work related injuries that OSHA works to prevent is the work related musculoskeletal disorder.
WMSDs are a group of disorders that affect the muscles, tendons and nerves.
These disorders are very painful and are typically caused by repetitive actions done at work that require awkward postures.
The majority of actions preformed in the workplace require the use of the arms and hands.
As a result, the majority of WMSDs affect the legs, hips, ankles and feet.
Common disorders that fall beneath the WMSD umbrella include: oCarpal tunnel syndrome-this is a painful disorder caused by the cramping of one of the main nerves in the wrist.
It often strikes employees who types all day or employees who work in assembly lines putting together objects with small parts.
oTendonitis-this disorder is similar to carpal tunnel in that it is a repetitive stress injury but the main cause is inflammation of the tendons rather than nerve cramping.
oThoracic outlet syndrome oTension neck syndrome Common Movements that Can Lead to WMSDs Many of the repetitive motions that can cause WMSDs are not normally considered dangerous movements.
It is when these movements are done over and over for many hours on end that they can be damaging.
The human body is not meant to stay in the same position without change for hours and hours.
In fact, things that seem completely normal, such as standing, can even become a serious hazard.
Standing, as is required in most retail jobs, for very long periods of time can put a large amount of strain on joints.
It can result in severe back pain and a variety of foot disorder.
Other motions often preformed by workers that can be dangerous include: oBending forward oReaching above the shoulder level oReaching behind the body oRotating the arms oBending the wrists
Severe and sometime disabling work related injuries among workers in the United States became so severe that the federal government created an agency to oversee work place conditions and enact a series of rules and requirements that employers are forced to abide by.
This agency is called the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA.
One of the most common work related injuries that OSHA works to prevent is the work related musculoskeletal disorder.
WMSDs are a group of disorders that affect the muscles, tendons and nerves.
These disorders are very painful and are typically caused by repetitive actions done at work that require awkward postures.
The majority of actions preformed in the workplace require the use of the arms and hands.
As a result, the majority of WMSDs affect the legs, hips, ankles and feet.
Common disorders that fall beneath the WMSD umbrella include: oCarpal tunnel syndrome-this is a painful disorder caused by the cramping of one of the main nerves in the wrist.
It often strikes employees who types all day or employees who work in assembly lines putting together objects with small parts.
oTendonitis-this disorder is similar to carpal tunnel in that it is a repetitive stress injury but the main cause is inflammation of the tendons rather than nerve cramping.
oThoracic outlet syndrome oTension neck syndrome Common Movements that Can Lead to WMSDs Many of the repetitive motions that can cause WMSDs are not normally considered dangerous movements.
It is when these movements are done over and over for many hours on end that they can be damaging.
The human body is not meant to stay in the same position without change for hours and hours.
In fact, things that seem completely normal, such as standing, can even become a serious hazard.
Standing, as is required in most retail jobs, for very long periods of time can put a large amount of strain on joints.
It can result in severe back pain and a variety of foot disorder.
Other motions often preformed by workers that can be dangerous include: oBending forward oReaching above the shoulder level oReaching behind the body oRotating the arms oBending the wrists