Historical Trend of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Meatpacking and Auto Industries, 1980s–Present

Occupational Applications

This paper provides a historical overview of the rise of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) in the U.S. from the 1980s to the present, with a special focus on the two industries with the highest recorded rates: Meatpacking and Auto Assembly. The activities underlying this account amount to a major occupational health success story (although still incomplete) in the recognition of these disorders and the development of a nation-wide effort for prevention. An obstacle in creating the data presented here was that the system of recordkeeping changed in multiple ways, making it difficult to compare WMSD rates over time. The work summarized here evaluated the effect of these changes and combined temporal segments that were judged to be the most accurate to create an overall trend line. These results can aid in: 1) showing the overall history of the recognition and prevention of WMSDs, 2) understanding the effects of the recordkeeping changes, and 3) allowing international comparisons of the trends.

Keywords:

• Ergonomics
• musculoskeletal disorders
• meatpacking
• auto assembly
• temporal trends

Acknowledgments

Staff members in the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics provided prompt and helpful assistance in multiple ways.

Conflict of Interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.