NSC summit equips organizations with solutions to prevent MSDs
Itasca, IL — In another effort to help organizations prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the National Safety Council’s MSD Solutions Lab conducted its inaugural MSD Pledge: Small Business Summit on Oct. 13.
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 NSC.
Conducted during National Ergonomics Month, the summit focused on the challenges these pervasive, complex injuries pose to organizations, while giving safety leaders and entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn more about creative, attainable MSD solutions.
“Every employee deserves to work in an environment where MSD risks are evaluated and minimized, yet feedback we have received shows financial constraints are the most common barrier organizations across low-margin industries face to investing in safety technology,” MSD Solutions Lab Director Corinne Towler said. “Our mission is to help every employer, whether they are a multinational corporation or a family-owned business, create safer outcomes for their workers, and the inaugural Small Business Summit ensures everyone in our safety community has a seat at the table in advancing scalable MSD solutions.”
The summit is the latest initiative of NSC and the lab aimed at preventing MSDs before they start and builds on the previously launched MSD Pledge. Launched in collaboration with Amazon in June, the pledge is an industry-first call-to-action that unites organizations in reducing work-related MSDs worldwide by 25% by 2025. To date, more than 100 organizations have signed the pledge, two-thirds of which are small businesses.
During the summit, NSC unveiled its Small Business Guide for MSDs – a manual that offers proven, turnkey MSD solutions to help small-business owners save time and money while keeping their workers safe.
“Small businesses aren’t just the anchor of the nation’s economy, making up 99.9% of all U.S. firms,” Anthony Harris, CEO and medical director of HFIT Health, said in an NSC press release. “They’re also the linchpin of the communities where employees live and work, which is why fostering safe and healthy workplaces is crucial.
“We … are proud to be among this network of small businesses looking to advance and share MSD prevention efforts, so workers everywhere can go home safely each day to their loved ones.”