ABSTRACT
The significant health concern that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) pose in industrialised nations has led to substantial research concentrating upon work-related risk factors. The literature shows that certain jobs and certain physical workplace factors are associated with the manifold risk of experiencing MSDs, compared with working populations not exposed to these risk factors (Merllie & Paoli, 2001), though their overall effect-size seems modest (Carter & Birrell, 2000). More recently it has become clear that attention to physical workplace risk factors is not enough to protect or enhance workers’ health and well-being (Westgaard and Winkel, 1997), and more attention is now being focussed on the psychosocial work environment.
