Work Injury Risk Reduction Tool for Detection of MSDs

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) is an umbrella term that describes a variety of physical injuries affecting the muscles, spinal disks, nerves, joints, cartilage, tendons and/or ligaments resulting in high l evels of pain, lost productivity and disability. Injuries for workers who use computers are the source of the fastest growing disability in the U.S. Workforce. There injuries, along with other MSDs are the cause of 2.7 million doctor visits each year and r epresent 65% of recorded occupational illnesses. While there has been considerable research on factors that contribute to computer related injuries, there are only a hand-full of diagnostic tools designed to enable computer users to manage the range of risk factors associated with these injuries. Furthermore, the existing products are too limited in their scope to allow computer users to proactively control the conditions which have been found to trigger MSDs. In this Phase I research project, Promani s will assess the feasibility of developing an interactive desktop computer program that continually assesses the risk exposure of the computer user to upper extremity MSDs by monitoring their keying, mousing, equipment use, posture, discomfort levels and vision practices. The proposed Work Injury Risk Reduction (WIRR) system is intended to combine the best features of automated monitoring with periodic self-assessments (Specific Aim #1) and empower computer users with personalized training and coaching to minimize their risk exposure and change their work behavior. (Specific Aim #3) The new WIRR product will be tested in the workplace and validated against MSD risk assessments by an independent ergonomist (Specific Aim #2). The workplace test protocol and r esults will be published, and may serve as a model for comparative WIRR product testing and improvement in the future. The goal of this research is to develop a WIRR program that alerts computer users and suggests countermeasures if they become suscepti ble to MSDs. The WIRR's desktop platform will be designed to operate on any system and therefore be widely assessable to the more than 18 million people who are likely to use a computer. The outcome will encourage users to modify their work habits and seek professional help early, both of which will reduce the cost and productivity loss associated with workplace MSDs.