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Using ISO 45001 Systems Approach

for Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention

Lower back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in workplaces across the globe, affecting millions of workers, from manual labourers to office staff.

While working at Auditor Training Online (ATOL), a relatively low-risk environment, I’ve personally experienced the impact of sitting for long periods. Even in an office setting, sitting down all day—or standing for too long—can lead to discomfort and strain on the body. In my case, I’ve had to manage persistent back and hip pain that flares up when I sit for extended periods. Regular visits to my massage therapist have become a crucial part of my routine to help alleviate the discomfort and prevent long-term injury. 

Recently, I invested in a stand-up desk, which allows me to alternate between three positions throughout the day—standing, sitting, or leaning on a stool, in addition to sitting normally. This flexibility has been a game-changer for my back and hips, allowing me to avoid the strain that comes from sitting for too long in the same position.

At Auditor Training Online, we also conduct self-risk assessments of our workstations to identify any OH&S hazards and risks. This process is carried out annually or whenever someone’s workspace changes, ensuring that our environment stays safe and ergonomic. By regularly assessing our workstations, we can catch potential issues early and make adjustments before they turn into long-term problems.

A Systems Approach to Managing Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

The article on Safe Work Australia's website, A Systems Approach to Managing Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), emphasizes the importance of integrating MSD risk management into broader workplace systems. It highlights how MSDs are often the result of multiple factors, such as physical demands, work design, and organizational processes.

The systems approach involves identifying and addressing these contributing factors at various levels, ensuring proactive measures like ergonomic design and regular risk assessments. This aligns perfectly with ISO 45001, which promotes a structured approach to health and safety management, focusing on identifying hazards and implementing controls to protect workers.

Expert Strategies for Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders:

Explore key insights from top experts on how a systems approach can effectively prevent musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. These videos offer practical strategies and expert advice to help you improve workplace health and safety. Watch & Learn from Industry Leaders!

The MSD Systems Approach Model

In The MSD Systems Approach Model, each layer works together to manage musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in an integrated way. Leadership sets the strategic direction and provides necessary resources, which flow through planning and support to ensure effective operations that minimize MSD risks. Worker participation helps align actions with the organization's safety objectives.

Feedback from performance evaluation and improvement activities refines the system. Lessons learned are incorporated into future planning and leadership decisions. This interdependence means leadership influences the quality of planning, support, and operations, while performance evaluation and improvement keep the system responsive to emerging risks.

1. Leadership and Worker Participation (Clause 5)

• Role: Leadership and Worker Participation form the foundation of the system. Management’s commitment and active engagement of workers in identifying hazards and solutions are essential for the successful implementation of health and safety measures, particularly for managing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
• Interaction: Leadership sets the tone for effective planning, support, and operations, ensuring that all actions are aligned with the organization's health and safety objectives. Worker participation ensures that practical insights are included, improving the accuracy of risk assessments and the effectiveness of interventions across all other layers.

2. Planning (Clause 6)

• Role: Planning involves identifying hazards, assessing risks, and establishing objectives to manage and prevent MSDs. It requires proactive measures to reduce risks related to ergonomics, manual tasks, and work design.
• Interaction: Planning relies heavily on input from leadership and workers (Clause 5) to identify MSD risks and design appropriate interventions. It also supports the operational implementation (Clause 8) by providing clear objectives and risk management plans.

3. Support (Clause 7)

• Role: Support includes providing the necessary resources, such as training, communication, and access to ergonomic tools, that enable workers to carry out their roles safely. This clause ensures the system is well-supported with the right competencies, awareness, and infrastructure.
• Interaction: Support enables the operation of the system by providing workers with the knowledge and tools needed to safely perform tasks. It interacts with planning by ensuring that adequate resources are available to meet safety objectives, and with performance evaluation (Clause 9) to ensure ongoing training and resources are available as new risks or gaps are identified

 4. Operation (Clause 8)

• Role: Operation is where the plans are put into action. It focuses on implementing the identified controls to eliminate or reduce risks, such as ergonomic improvements or process changes to prevent MSDs.
• Interaction: Operation requires the output from planning (Clause 6) and support (Clause 7) to be effective. Leadership involvement and worker participation (Clause 5) guide how operations are implemented on the ground, ensuring that interventions are practical and effective.

5. Performance Evaluation (Clause 9)

• Role: Performance evaluation involves monitoring and measuring the system’s effectiveness in managing MSD risks. This includes audits, reviews, and assessments to ensure that the preventive measures in place are working as intended.
• Interaction: Performance evaluation feeds back into planning, support, and leadership to highlight areas for improvement. It identifies where the system is performing well or where gaps exist, thus influencing future planning (Clause 6) and ensuring continual improvement (Clause 10).

6. Improvement (Clause 10)

• Role: Improvement ensures that the health and safety system continues to evolve by responding to new risks or shortcomings identified during performance evaluations. It focuses on continual refinement of the processes and controls in place to prevent MSDs.
• Interaction: Improvement relies on feedback from performance evaluation (Clause 9) to drive changes. Leadership plays a key role in endorsing and implementing changes. Improvements may include updating training (Clause 7), revising operational procedures (Clause 8), or adjusting planning objectives (Clause 6).

Next Steps for a MSD Systems Approach

1. Conduct an MSD Risk Assessment: Review your workplace for potential musculoskeletal disorder risks, including repetitive tasks, poor ergonomics, or heavy lifting. Identify areas that need improvement.
2. Engage Leadership and Workers: Facilitate discussions between leadership and employees to gather input on MSD risks and prevention strategies. Ensure everyone understands their role in promoting a safe work environment.
3. Implement Ergonomic Solutions: Start integrating ergonomic tools and practices, such as adjustable workstations or proper lifting techniques, to reduce strain and prevent MSDs.
4. Monitor and Evaluate Performance: Regularly review the effectiveness of your MSD prevention measures through audits and employee feedback. Use this information to make necessary improvements.
5. Promote Continual Improvement: Ensure that MSD management is an ongoing process by integrating lessons learned from evaluations into future planning and workplace safety strategies.

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