What are musculoskeletal disorders

Learn about musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and understand how they can impact businesses and workers in NSW.

Understanding musculoskeletal disorders webinar

What are MSDs?

Watch this short webinar to learn more about what MSDs are, including their causes and impacts.

What is a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD)

A musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) means an injury to, or disease of, the musculoskeletal system, whether occurring suddenly or over time.

MSDs include, but are not limited to:

  • Sprains and strains of muscles, ligaments, and tendons
  • Back injuries involving muscles, tendons, ligaments, spinal discs, nerves, joints, and bones
  • Nerve injuries or compression, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Muscular and vascular disorders from hand-arm vibration

MSDs do not include:

  • Injuries caused by crushing or entrapment
  • Cutting caused by mechanical operation of plant

The impact of MSDs

Work shouldn’t hurt. But in NSW, MSDs are:

  • Highly prevalent: 52% of all serious claims are MSDs1.
  • Costly to businesses: The average cost of one serious MSD claim is $64,7591.
  • Hurting workers: 20 weeks on average is the lost time from work per person1.

Causes of MSDs

MSDs can result from sudden damage, gradual wear and tear or a combination of both. Sudden damage often occurs from immediate incidents at work, such as handling unstable loads or catching heavy objects. Gradual wear and tear result from repeated or continuous use of the same body parts, such as performing repetitive tasks, holding static positions or frequently lifting heavy objects.

Factors contributing to MSDs

The development of MSDs is influenced by several factors, including physical, psychosocial, and personal elements. Understanding these factors, including how they may interact, is crucial for prevention and early intervention of MSDs in the workplace.

Physical factors

Physical factors involve the work environment and physical load on the body, such as repetitive movements, forceful exertions, awkward postures, vibration and long durations. The work area or layout may have hazards, such as wet flooring or obstacles that could cause slips, trips or falls. Work tasks that involve manual lifting, pushing, pulling, or holding positions for prolonged periods can strain muscles, tendons, and joints, leading to MSDs.

Psychosocial factors

Psychosocial factors impact psychological functioning. Hazards such as lack of support, and high job demands can put excessive demands on workers, leading to distress and an increased risk of MSDs. These factors can be further categorised into:

  • Organisational factors: How work is structured and managed, such as high workloads, low job control, conflicting work demands, long working hours, and inadequate rest breaks. Poorly designed jobs that do not consider ergonomic principles also fall into this category.
  • Social factors: hazards arising from the social environment that influence workers' health, such as poor support, workplace behaviour and relationships.

Individual factors

Personal factors include individual characteristics such as age, gender, physical fitness, and pre-existing health conditions. Workers with prior injuries or those who are less physically fit may be more susceptible to MSDs.

Related information

Visit the Musculoskeletal Disorders Page for a full list of resources and guidance.

Reference:

  1. State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) Workers’ Compensation Insurance Data all serious MSD claims averaged over five years (2018-19 – 2022-23). Serious MSD claims are those requiring 1 or more weeks off work.
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