Ergonomics in Numbers: what does the data say?

Although this may be the first time you have heard of ergonomics consultancies and corporate wellness companies, but the need for these proactive health and wellness services has always existed in the corporate and office world. In this article, we outlined the most significant statistics related to work-related injuries and to the impact that services like WellFit Consultancy’s can provide. These numbers are not intended to intimidate the reader, but to raise awareness over the need to create healthier workspaces and work environments.

Data on Musculoskeletal Injuries:

The World Health Organization (WHO) conducts a yearly Global Burden of Disease (GBD) report, which provides data on causes of death, illnesses, disabilities, and other health data metrics along with their causes and risk factors. We compiled the most recent and relevant data pertaining to musculoskeletal health and ergonomics from the GBD report, as well as data from other individual scientific studies. As shown in the statistics and figures below, musculoskeletal injuries are one of the most significant causes of disabilities which can impede the person’s ability to work and be productive.

• According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME (2019), musculoskeletal disorders (disorders affecting the muscles, bones, or joints) ranked first as the top cause of years lived with disabilities (YLDs) since 1990 till 2019, and the sixth cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) as presented in the figure below:

Figure 1. Musculoskeletal disorders ranking for years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), Ref: Musculoskeletal disorders—Level 2 cause. (2020, October 15). Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. http://www.healthdata.org/results/gbd_summaries/2019/musculoskeletal-disorders-level-2-cause

• According to the Global Burden of Disease Study (2017), Lower back pain has been the leading cause of disability since 1990 and this data hasn’t changed ever since.

Figure 2. Leading causes of disability of 1990 and 2017. Ref: James, S. L., Abate, D., Abate, K. H., Abay, S. M., Abbafati, C., Abbasi, N., Abbastabar, H., Abd-Allah, F., Abdela, J., Abdelalim, A., Abdollahpour, I., Abdulkader, R. S., Abebe, Z., Abera, S. F., Abil, O. Z., Abraha, H. N., Abu-Raddad, L. J., Abu-Rmeileh, N. M. E., Accrombessi, M. M. K., … Murray, C. J. L. (2018). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1789–1858. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32279-7

Figure 3. Leading causes of years lived with disability of both genders according to location. Ref: James, S. L., Abate, D., Abate, K. H., Abay, S. M., Abbafati, C., Abbasi, N., Abbastabar, H., Abd-Allah, F., Abdela, J., Abdelalim, A., Abdollahpour, I., Abdulkader, R. S., Abebe, Z., Abera, S. F., Abil, O. Z., Abraha, H. N., Abu-Raddad, L. J., Abu-Rmeileh, N. M. E., Accrombessi, M. M. K., … Murray, C. J. L. (2018). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1789–1858. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32279-7

• According to the Global Burden of Disease Study (2017), lower back pain is the second top cause of death and disability combined in high socio-demographic index (SDI) countries.

Figure 4. Top five causes of death and disability in low and high socio-demographic index countries. Ref: James, S. L., Abate, D., Abate, K. H., Abay, S. M., Abbafati, C., Abbasi, N., Abbastabar, H., Abd-Allah, F., Abdela, J., Abdelalim, A., Abdollahpour, I., Abdulkader, R. S., Abebe, Z., Abera, S. F., Abil, O. Z., Abraha, H. N., Abu-Raddad, L. J., Abu-Rmeileh, N. M. E., Accrombessi, M. M. K., … Murray, C. J. L. (2018). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 392(10159), 1789–1858. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32279-7

• According to the Global Burden of Disease Study (2019), low back pain ranks as the fifth cause of combined death and disability in UAE.

Figure 5. Top 10 causes of death and disability of all ages in 2019, and the percent change between 2009 and 2019. Ref: United Arab Emirates. (2015, September 9). Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. http://www.healthdata.org/united-arab-emirates

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60-70% of adults are affected by lower back pain in industrialized countries.

Figure 6. Leading causes of disability in high income countries. Ref: Vos, T., Abajobir, A. A., Abate, K. H., Abbafati, C., Abbas, K. M., Abd-Allah, F., Abdulkader, R. S., Abdulle, A. M., Abebo, T. A., Abera, S. F., Aboyans, V., Abu-Raddad, L. J., Ackerman, I. N., Adamu, A. A., Adetokunboh, O., Afarideh, M., Afshin, A., Agarwal, S. K., Aggarwal, R., … Murray, C. J. L. (2017). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet, 390(10100), 1211–1259. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32154-2

• It is estimated that around 80% of adults will experience lower back pain at least once in their lifetime.

data on ergonomics

• According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME (2019), ergonomic factors are the leading risk factors for disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Disability-adjusted life years stand for how many living years can a certain disability impact. The graph below represents the top three risk factors for DALYs:

Figure 7 Percentage of DALYs attributable to top risk factors for both sexes combined. Ref: Musculoskeletal disorders—Level 2 cause. (2020, October 15). Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. http://www.healthdata.org/results/gbd_summaries/2019/musculoskeletal-disorders-level-2-cause

• According to the Global Burden of Disease Study (2019), occupational (work-related) risks rank as the tenth highest risk factor for death and disability combined, whereas high body-mass index has ranked as the leading risk factor in 2009 and 2019.

Figure 8 Top 10 risk factors contributing to disability- adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2009 and 2019  for all ages. Ref: United Arab Emirates. (2015, September 9). Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. http://www.healthdata.org/united-arab-emirates

• According to the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, 1 in 5 regular computer users are diagnosed by musculoskeletal disorders affecting the upper limbs.

• According to the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, poorly designed indoor work environments account for a 3% reduction in productivity on average.

• The prevalence of upper limb (neck, shoulders, elbow, and wrist) work-related injury in an office extends from 30% to 48%.

• According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (2013), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) accounted for 33% of all worker injury and illness cases.

• Work related  MSDs are considered the second biggest reason for sick leaves in the UK, and account for more than 52% of total lost work days in the USA.

• According to the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (USA) (2016-2017), poor ergonomic practices are the leading source of expenses in workplace injuries.

Figure 9. The Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (USA) in 2016-2017 expenses in workplace injuries.

Data on implementing an effective ergonomic program

• According to the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, effective office ergonomics interventions on average reduce the number of musculoskeletal problems by 61%, reduce lost workdays by 88% and reduce staff turnover by 87%. The Cost to Benefit Ratio is on average 1:1.78 with a payback period of 0.4 years.

• Research has shown that effective office ergonomics interventions on average reduce the number of musculoskeletal problems by 61%, they reduce lost workdays by 88% and reduce staff turnover by 87%.

Figure 10. Effect of ergonomic training on lower back injuries. Ref: Mahmud, N., Kenny, D. T., Md Zein, R., & Hassan, S. N. (2015). The effects of office ergonomic training on musculoskeletal complaints, sickness absence, and psychological well-being: A cluster randomized control trial. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(2), NP1652-1668. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539511419199

• According to the Institute for Work & Health in Canada (2017), ergonomic interventions may reduce up to 62% of workers’ compensation claims, rates of injuries by two thirds, and hours lost by 35%.

Figure 11. Effect of ergonomics training on neck pain. Ref: Mahmud, N., Kenny, D. T., Md Zein, R., & Hassan, S. N. (2015). The effects of office ergonomic training on musculoskeletal complaints, sickness absence, and psychological well-being: A cluster randomized control trial. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(2), NP1652-1668. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539511419199

• Several studies show that education and ergonomic training can reduce and prevent work related injuries and pain, including neck, back, upper, and lower extremities, and can even improve the mental state of office workers.

Figures 12, 13, 14. Effect of ergonomic training on anxiety, depression, and stress among office workers. Ref: Mahmud, N., Kenny, D. T., Md Zein, R., & Hassan, S. N. (2015). The effects of office ergonomic training on musculoskeletal complaints, sickness absence, and psychological well-being: A cluster randomized control trial. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(2), NP1652-1668. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539511419199

conclusion

All the above data have been taken from scientific studies which are hyperlinked in each relevant statement. This information is not intended to create fear, but to raise awareness on the significance and impact of musculoskeletal issues in the workplace, and the effectiveness of ergonomic awareness and training on battling this ongoing epidemic. If you are ready to take the decision to improve your work health, you can start by reading our articles How Important is Sitting Posture and How Are We Different, to understand why ergonomics and musculoskeletal health at work is not about sitting straight, what you can do instead as a simple tip to improve your work habits and productivity, and what we can do to help you optimize your workspace, workstation, and improve your work habits pertaining to your health. We are one call away and keen to support you in working well and prospering!