From these data, it appears that both the number and incidence ofbody stressing cases is decreasing, except for those attributed toRepetitive movement, low muscle loading, for which incidence rates are increasing. However, based on epidemiological data such as the above, it is not possible to determine the causes for shifts in the incidence rates of this mechanism. It is important to bear in mind that the validity of ‘injury mechanisms’ documented in the above datasets is highly questionable. Validity of the data about causal mechanisms is limited first by workplace respondents’ knowledge of the full range of likely WMSD hazards and associated injury mechanisms (as outlined in Section 3). For example, many people would be more likely to attribute their
back pain to an immediately obvious ‘cause’ such as lifting a heavy box, rather than to factors such as long working hours spent driving a truck with a poorly designed seat that does little to ameliorate
whole-body vibration, in a sedentary posture that is maintained for long periods with few breaks. In fact, research evidence indicates that the latter factors are likely to be more significant hazards.
Second, the validity of current data is limited by the design of reporting forms, and perhaps also by the circumstances in which they are completed, such that most people would be inhibited from
recording anything other than very brief and simplistic information about injury precursors. Therefore, there is a need for the collection of more ‘in depth’ data concerning WMSDs and their work-related precursors, to provide a more reliable basis for identifying the effects on WMSDs in Australian workplaces of the different types of hazards and risk factors identified by researchers and outlined in Section 3. Only with higher quality data will it be possible to determine the underlying causes for the trends in incident rates described above. For example, are these attributable to changes in industry practice that have reduced heavy ‘manual handling’ requirements but increased the incidence of work entailing low force, high frequency movements? Or to higher workloads, time pressures and other such stressors? Or to more sophisticated and accurate reporting of mechanisms of injury? Bearing in mind the significant limitations of the current data, it is still worthwhile to review injury patterns and reported causal mechanisms in relation to different industries and occupations. These are described in the following sections.
From these data, it appears that both the number and incidence ofbody stressing cases is decreasing, except for those attributed toRepetitive movement, low muscle loading, for which incidence rates are increasing. However, based on epidemiological data such as the above, it is not possible to determine the causes for shifts in the incidence rates of this mechanism. It is important to bear in mind that the validity of ‘injury mechanisms’ documented in the above datasets is highly questionable. Validity of the data about causal mechanisms is limited first by workplace respondents’ knowledge of the full range of likely WMSD hazards and associated injury mechanisms (as outlined in Section 3). For example, many people would be more likely to attribute theirback pain to an immediately obvious ‘cause’ such as lifting a heavy box, rather than to factors such as long working hours spent driving a truck with a poorly designed seat that does little to amelioratewhole-body vibration, in a sedentary posture that is maintained for long periods with few breaks. In fact, research evidence indicates that the latter factors are likely to be more significant hazards.Second, the validity of current data is limited by the design of reporting forms, and perhaps also by the circumstances in which they are completed, such that most people would be inhibited fromrecording anything other than very brief and simplistic information about injury precursors. Therefore, there is a need for the collection of more ‘in depth’ data concerning WMSDs and their work-related precursors, to provide a more reliable basis for identifying the effects on WMSDs in Australian workplaces of the different types of hazards and risk factors identified by researchers and outlined in Section 3. Only with higher quality data will it be possible to determine the underlying causes for the trends in incident rates described above. For example, are these attributable to changes in industry practice that have reduced heavy ‘manual handling’ requirements but increased the incidence of work entailing low force, high frequency movements? Or to higher workloads, time pressures and other such stressors? Or to more sophisticated and accurate reporting of mechanisms of injury? Bearing in mind the significant limitations of the current data, it is still worthwhile to review injury patterns and reported causal mechanisms in relation to different industries and occupations. These are described in the following sections.
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