Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities and occupational activity

Statistics show that disorders of the musculoskeletal system and of the connective tissue have for many years been the largest single cause (regularly between approximately 25% and 30%) of working days lost due to incapacity for work. Approximately half of these complaints and disorders involve the upper extremities; employees from a range of occupational groups and performing the most diverse of tasks are affected. Occupational physicians and OSH professionals who are increasingly confronted with issues of exposure measurement and assessment and with prevention in relation to these conditions and disorders complain of an inadequate overview of validated findings and methods for exposure assessment.

For this reason, the IFA has been conducting intensive prevention work since 1998 on behalf of the BGs in the area of occupational musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities. In the course of an ongoing literature survey, insights from the international literature are retrieved and updated. They are consolidated and extended by practical experience gained from in-plant consultations and research projects. The results of these activities are summarized in a BGIA report, which is intended for both occupational physicians and OSH professionals. The report provides background information on the anatomy and physiology of the upper extremities, followed by a description of possible work-related risk factors and trauma mechanisms discussed in the latest specialist literature. Selected methods for measuring and assessing the risk factors are also presented. The benefits and drawbacks of the assessment methods are illustrated by examples from practical application.