Manual material handling work contributes to a large percentage of the more than half a million cases of musculoskeletal disorders reported annually in the United States, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
A manual material handling task means one that requires moving materials by hand by pushing, pulling, carrying, lifting, lowering or stacking.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 32 percent of injuries involving missed workdays in 2014 were the result of musculoskeletal disorders. Overexertion and cumulative trauma were the biggest factors in these injuries. And these injuries can happen in a variety of workplaces from offices to grocery stores to warehouses. (Have you ever tried lifting a case of copy paper or a case of one-liter soda bottles?)
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Rosalie Donlon
Rosalie Donlon is the editor in chief of ALM's insurance and tax publications, including NU Property & Casualty magazine and NU PropertyCasualty360.com. You can contact her at [email protected].
