Musculoskeletal Disorders

Latest update: 2010/02/09
Click here for the 2007-2008 MSD Report
List of IEA TC on MSD Members

CHAIR

Enrico Occhipinti Research Unit “Ergonomics of Posture and Movement” EPM University of Milano and Foundation “Ca’ Granda” – Milan (Italy) Address: Via San Barnaba, 8 – 20122 Milano - Italy Phone: +39-0250320128 Fax: +39-0250320150 Email: epmenrico@tiscali.it ; Enrico.Occhipinti@unimi.it

CO - CHAIRS

Monique Frings Dresen (Netherlands)- Email: M.Frings@amc.uva.nl
Judith Sluiter (Netherlands)- Email: j.sluiter@amc.uva.nl
Wendy Macdonalds (Australia)- Email: W.Macdonald@latrobe.edu.au
Daniela Colombini (Italy)- Email: daniela.colombini@fastwebnet.it
Henk Van der Molen (Netherlands)- Email: h.f.vandermolen@amc.nl

OBJECTIVES

To collect, review and share with all ergonomists and OSH in the world, methods, “best” practices and “best experiences” for risk assessment and management of WMSDs, including aspects related to job/task design and to workplace/work tools design.

MAIN TOPICS IN TRIENNIAL PLAN 2009-2012

Prevention of WMSDs in the healthcare sector.
In cooperation with IEA TC “Healthcare Ergonomics” .
Referent for the group Enrico Occhipinti (epmenrico@tiscali.it)

International Standards and guidelines relevant for WMSDs prevention.
As a lot of members of the TC are involved in preparing those standards, the task of the group has been: -To have a “lobby” of experts supporting the standards on physical ergonomics; - to spread the knowledge of those standards; - to verify their usefulness and applicability also for giving some impulse to other national and international guidelines on the matter.
Referents for the group Enrico Occhipinti (epmenrico@tiscali.it), Karlheinz Schaub (Schaub@iad.tu-darmstadt.de ) and (for U.S.A.) Tom Armstrong (tja@engin.umich.edu)

Methods and experiences of risk assessment, management and of positive ergonomic intervention for WMSDs prevention
 in different working sectors with special focus on some “neglected” sectors (agriculture, fishing, building, SME, etc). In cooperation with other TC  (Building and Construction; Primary Industries; Agriculture). Referents for the group: Judith Sluiter (j.sluiter@amc.uva.nl) and Henk Van der Molen (h.f.vandermolen@amc.nl) for building sector; Daniela Colombini (daniela.colombini@fastwebnet.it) for fishing and agriculture

WHO-IEA initiatives “TOOLKIT for MSD prevention”
(referents: Wendy MacDonald - W.Macdonald@latrobe.edu.au; Enrico Occhipinti - epmenrico@tiscali.it;  )
Two parallel actions will be developed:
1) Defining a general “holistic” model in pathomechanism of WMSDs with the key elements that the toolkit should consider (Referents: Wendy Macdonalds and Tom Armstrong).
2) Collection and review of simple risk assessment and management tools also defining respective potential user and respective training needs (Referents: Daniela Colombini and Marjolein Douwes).

Other topics.
   • MSD aspects in office work
     (referent: Monique Frings Dresen; M.Frings@amc.uva.nl)
   • Development of softwares and tools
     for the application of ergonomics methods given in standards and  
     guidelines (referent Karlheinz Schaub; Schaub@iad.tu-darmstadt.de)
   • Cooperation with the ICOH SC on MSD
     (referent Enrico Occhipinti; epmenrico@tiscali.it)

Latest update: 2010/02/09