On June 11, the National Safety Council (NSC) released research findings from the 2023–2024 MSD Solutions Lab Research to Solutions (R2S) and MSD Solutions Pilot Grant programs.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common workplace injury, according to the NSC, which said its grant recipients were able to show practical applications and measurable progress toward reducing MSDs.
The grant programs launched by the NSC’s MSD Solutions Lab enabled researchers and employers to explore and pilot new solutions for preventing MSDs. The MSD Solutions Lab is the NSC’s initiative, established in 2021 with funding from Amazon, to develop and implement solutions to workplace MSD hazards.
The grant program, now in its third cycle, has awarded nearly $850,000, including $275,000 to 9 organizations during the inaugural 2023–2024 cycle.
“The 2023-2024 grantees have made remarkable progress in turning innovative concepts into actionable solutions,” Katherine Mendoza, senior director of workplace safety programs at the NSC, said in a statement. “By investing in both academic research and employer-led pilot projects, we’re advancing scalable strategies that can help protect workers across any industry.”
The 2023–2024 R2S grant recipients reported the following accomplishments:
- Rutgers University implemented an automated image captioning system, designed to help employers better identify ergonomic risk factors and real-time solutions.
- Virginia Tech developed camera-based markerless sensors along with machine-learning models to assess worker physical exposures and MSD risks more efficiently, accurately, and comprehensively.
- Iowa State University developed a predictive model and artificial intelligence (AI)-based ergonomics app for risk assessment and mitigation that enables employers in high-risk industries to understand shoulder MSD risk in different scenarios.
- The University of Waterloo in Ontario generated evidence-based guidance on computer vision-based MSD risk assessment technology in the workplace.
- Solutions providers in the MSD Solutions Pilot Grant program reported the following results:
- Burlington Hydro used TuMeke Ergonomics to assist with conducting ergonomic assessments of the company’s powerline technicians.
- Guarantee Electrical Company worked with TuMeke Ergonomics to detect unsafe postures and glean data-driven insights to optimize its workplace safety programs.
- Amerisure Insurance worked with both computer vision provider TuMeke Ergonomics and HeroWear, which specializes in passive back-assist exosuits to prevent MSDs.
- General Electric Aerospace partnered with HeroWear to better understand the operational benefits and worker impact of using exosuits to unload cargo trailers.
Workers can experience pain and discomfort with MSDs. Globally, back pain is responsible for more years lived with a disability than any other condition.
While there’s no federal ergonomics standard (Congress rescinded a 2000 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rulemaking) MSDs are among the costliest injuries for employers, resulting in billions of dollars in workers’ compensation claims for medical reimbursements and lost wages. According to insurer Liberty Mutual’s latest Workplace Safety Index (WSI), “overexertion involving outside sources” (lifting heavy loads) cost employers $12.49 billion a year; awkward positions (“other exertions or bodily reactions”) cost employers $3.68 billion; and “repetitive motions involving microtasks” cost employers $1.54 billion.
The NSC is a not-for-profit organization focused on preventing injuries and deaths in the home, in the workplace, and on the roadways.