Workplace management of musculoskeletal and mental health risks: translating evidence into practice

Abstract

There is a large body of research evidence identifying the biomechanical and psychosocial hazards that can affect work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and stress-related mental health problems (MHPs). The APHIRM Toolkit was developed to facilitate more effective translation of this evidence into workplace risk management practices. Using APHIRM survey data from three occupations in the healthcare sector, this project compared hazard ‘riskiness’ profiles: (a) at occupational versus local workgroup levels, and (b) using hazard constructs versus individual hazard items. It was concluded that effective risk management is likely to require: risk assessment and prioritisation of control actions separately for each local workgroup; assessment of specific hazards rather than the generic constructs used by researchers. Results highlight the value of managing MSD and MHP risks together, because both were affected by both psychosocial and biomechanical hazards in combinations that varied widely between workgroups.