July 4, 2007—After years of work, the voluntary consensus standard “Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction” (ANSI/ASSE A10.40-200x) will be submitted to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for final review. This standard is aimed at reducing musculoskeletal problems/disorders (MSDs) in construction workers.
Some of the potential solutions in the standard include risk elimination, substitution, use of engineering controls, administrative changes, training, use of protective equipment, and assessment of individuals’ physical capabilities.
The standard notes that construction workers and supervisors should be trained to recognize risk factors and ways to reduce the risk of MSDs through proper work techniques. Employee participation and an injury management program are also discussed.
In addition, the standard includes a risk assessment guide, a construction MSD problem reduction checklist, a return-to-work checklist, a list of resources, key terms and definitions, and a list of non-occupational risk factors associated with work-related MSDs, such as age, strength, and gender.
For more information visit ASSE’s Web site.
