Prevention is Better Than the Cure

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN THE CURE

 

With musculoskeletal disorders becoming a common feature of working life, and with MSD prevalence increasing, Bill Pace (Cardinus) and Donna De Falco (The Health Enhancement Company) look at how prevention can be better than the cure.

 

For employers, the future poses many ergonomics-related risks and that means that many more employers will be paying out on reactive medical and technological interventions to minimize those risks. That might mean redesign spaces, bringing in new equipment or increasing healthcare costs.

Millennials, who have been in the workplace for over a decade now, have presented and continue to present a grave threat to the balance sheet. They are the first generation to enter the workforce having been on the screen since the age of five. Significantly, they have handled computer mice and keyboards from an early age, played with mobile devices and touchscreen equipment since they came on to the market. That means by the time they came into the workforce they entered with pre-existing MSD conditions that will only become exacerbated by 8-hour long days at the workstation.

Employees across all industries now spend long work hours (in addition to many hours at home) in front of a multitude of screens — desktops, laptops and mobile devices of all kinds — increasing the likelihood for neck and back pain.

There have been a number of changes in the workplace too, that have had an impact, either good or bad, on the health outcomes of its employees. We’re now used to open offices, hot-desking, home working, lounge and coffee-house-type seating areas, designed to save space, foster collaboration and achieve greater equity among employees. However, these are all risk factors that could contribute to increased MSD prevalence.

All of these changes make the future of employee health difficult to assess. However, we are aware that reported MSD cases have increased over the last 20 years and that means more expense for the employer.

One of the primary methods of reducing this risk is through assessing individual risks and putting in place methods to mitigate them. Traditionally, this has been done through paper-based or spreadsheet-based assessments that are often rolled out individually and managed centrally through a large database, often to the bewilderment of employee safety managers. Now, this can be done in a staggered way with automated software that eases the process for the employee safety manager.

However, the question remains, how do you engage employees, and in particular millennial employees, with programs and services designed to prevent MSD risk?  The effectiveness of prevention programs is a direct function of employees’ willingness to engage, which can be fostered by building trust, a perception of need and utility, the intrinsic appeal of the program and the ease of access to the program.

User-friendly offerings, including online training and risk assessments, workplace design and on-site training all contribute to decreasing the incidence and prevalence of MSD and minimize healthcare costs.

https://www.cardinus.com/prevention-is-better-than-the-cure/