NSC Releases New Guidance to Help Prevent the Most Common Workplace Injury

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With 2.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses reported in 2023 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, remain the most common workplace injury in the United States. These injuries are also costly, amounting to nearly $18 billion a year for U.S. businesses in the private sector. To address this critical safety challenge, the National Safety Council released a new resource, The Importance of Musculoskeletal Disorder and Related Injury Surveillance: An Organizational Approach.

“MSDs are entirely preventable, and prevention starts with understanding where and how these injuries occur,” said Katherine Mendoza, senior director of workplace safety programs at NSC. “This new resource equips safety professionals with research-backed strategies to identify risks early and take action before injuries occur.”

Published through the MSD Solutions Lab, a groundbreaking NSC initiative established in 2021 with funding from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) to solve work-related MSDs, this resource draws from 50 academic sources to provide practical guidance for preventing MSDs through effective injury surveillance systems. Key features include:

• Standardized recordkeeping: Guidelines for consistent injury classification and data collection, helping organizations better identify risks and target prevention efforts.

• System implementation: Best practices for designing and maintaining effective injury surveillance frameworks that adapt to an organization's size and capabilities.

• Technology integration: Guidance on leveraging IoT devices, AI analytics and automated systems to enhance workplace monitoring and early intervention, with practical considerations for implementation.
• Real-world application: Use cases and interactive exercises to help organizations implement these strategies effectively in their own workplaces.

NSC encourages organizations across all industries to make injury prevention and surveillance a cornerstone of their safety programs. By implementing these evidenced-based strategies, businesses can create safer environments and reduce the occurrence of MSDs.

To learn more about this resource and the MSD Solutions Lab, visit nsc.org/msd.

About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.