Over 100 employers have taken the MSD Pledge

Itasca, IL — More than 100 organizations have committed to improve workplace safety, reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and enhance worker well-being by signing a pledge to reduce MSDs by 25% by 2025, the National Safety Council has announced.

The most common workplace injury, MSDs – such as tendinitis, back strains and sprains, and carpal tunnel syndrome – affect nearly a quarter of the world’s population and are the leading cause of worker disability, early retirement and limitations to gainful employment, according to the nonprofit organization.

NSC, in collaboration with Amazon, launched the MSD Pledge on June 2. At the time, around 15 organizations had signed the pledge. In doing so, organizations promise to:

• Reduce risks by analyzing the causes of MSD injuries across operations, and investing in solutions and practices that reduce risks to workers.
• Innovate and collaborate by leveraging best practices, and sharing learnings and countermeasures to expand on innovations to improve safety practices.
• Build an organizational culture that values safety by promoting a workplace where safety excellence, transparency and accurate reporting are equally valued, and where everyone, at every level of the organization, is accountable for the safety and health of workers.

“While the business impact of MSDs is undeniable – amounting to billions of dollars every year in lost wages, compensation and productivity costs – the human toll of these injuries is even more significant,” NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin said. “We could not be prouder to have so many top organizations step up and join us in this vitally important effort to ensure workers everywhere return home safely every day.”

The MSD Solutions Lab – established more than a year ago as part of a five-year partnership with Amazon to develop new ways to prevent MSDs by engaging key stakeholders, conducting research, and sharing innovative solutions to benefit all workplaces and workers – developed the pledge.

In addition to having access to free resources, MSD Pledge members can participate in the MSD Solutions Index, an annual company index that analyzes the benefits of the pledge over time. The index will aggregate data on risk reduction strategies, workplace safety culture, and innovation and collaboration, while identifying areas for targeted action and uncovering trends to inform future approaches.