New: Small Business Guide to MSD Solutions

Itasca, IL — A recently published guide from the National Safety Council is intended to help small businesses reduce the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

MSDs – including tendinitis, back strains and sprains, and carpal tunnel syndrome – are the most common workplace injury. They affect nearly a quarter of the world’s population and are the leading cause of worker disability, early retirement and limitations to gainful employment, according to NSC.

The Small Business Guide to MSD Solutions is divided into three sections: creating a culture of safety, constructing an MSD solutions program, and innovating and collaborating with other businesses.

The release of the guide coincided with an inaugural small business summit, conducted by the council’s MSD Solutions Lab, on Oct. 13.

“Small businesses aren’t just the anchor of the nation’s economy, making up 99.9% of all U.S. firms,” Anthony Harris, CEO and medical director of HFIT Health and a summit panelist, said in an NSC press release. “They’re also the linchpin of the communities where employees live and work, which is why fostering safe and healthy workplaces is crucial.”

The council offers additional resources, including posters and infographics. The nonprofit also highlights grants that are available to small businesses, colleges and universities, and students “to fund research and innovation that help companies of all sizes achieve impact.”

Added MSD Solutions Lab Director Corinne Towler: “Every employee deserves to work in an environment where MSD risks are evaluated and minimized, yet feedback we have received shows financial constraints are the most common barrier organizations across low-margin industries face to investing in safety technology. Our mission is to help every employer, whether they are a multinational corporation or a family-owned business, create safer outcomes for their workers.”