Musculoskeletal Disorders on Decline, According to BLS.THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS missing work due to musculoskeletal disorders Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can affect the body's muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Most-work related MSDs develop over time and are caused either by the work itself or by the employees' working environment. is continuing to decline. Yet, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) A research agency of the U.S. Department of Labor; it compiles statistics on hours of work, average hourly earnings, employment and unemployment, consumer prices and many other variables. notes that 1999 data shows MSDs accounted for more than one out of three workplace injuries and illnesses involving recuperation recuperation /re·cu·per·a·tion/ (-koo?per-a´shun) recovery of health and strength. recuperation, n the process of recovering health, strength, and mental and emotional vigor. away from work. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the bureau, 582,300 cases of MSDs requiring time away from work were reported in 1999. This represents a 1.7% decline from 1998 and a 25.7% drop since 1992, when 784,100 work-related MSD (MicroSoft Diagnostics) A utility that accompanied Windows 3.1 and DOS 6 that reported on the internal configuration of the PC. A variety of information on disks, video, drivers, IRQs and port addresses was provided. cases were reported. Industry groups duly noted the bureau's declining number of MSD cases in voicing their opposition to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's ergonomics rule. The ergonomics rule was scrapped by congressional votes in March. Total Injuries Down, Too A total of 1,702,500 injuries and illnesses causing an employee to miss at least one day of work, were reported in 1999, down 1.6% compared to 1998. The number of lost-time accidents has dropped 27.0% since 1992, the bureau reports. Some of the highlights of the 1999 findings include: * Operators, fabricators and laborers led all other occupational groups, accounting for 42% of the case total. * Sprain sprain, stretching or wrenching of the ligaments and tendons of a joint, often with rupture of the tissues but without dislocation. Sprains occur most commonly at the ankle, knee, or wrist joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in moving the involved joint. and strain was by far the leading nature of injury in every major industry division, ranging from 33% in agriculture, forestry and fishing to nearly 50% in services. * The average number of lost workdays for all cases was six days, with one-fourth of the cases resulting in 21 days or more away from work. * Among major disabling injuries and illnesses, average days away from work were highest for carpal tunnel syndrome carpal tunnel syndrome: see repetitive stress injury. carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) Painful condition caused by repetitive stress to the wrist over time. , 27 days; fractures, 20 days; and amputations, 18 days. * Repetitive motion, such as grasping tools, scanning groceries and typing, resulted in the longest absences from work among the leading events and exposures -- an average of 17 days. * Injuries to the wrist resulted in the longest absences from work -- an average of 12 days. Injuries to the knee and shoulder had the next longest absences from work -- an average of 10 days each. [Graph omitted] |
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