Musculoskeletal Disorders

A report commissioned from European Commission’s DG Employment to independent consultant Matrix&Ramboll showed the necessity of a new and stringent directive on health and safety on workplaces, which should update the 90/269/EEC directive by introducing new obligations to employers.

The adequacy of the current directive, dating from 1990 and focused mainly on the minimum health and safety requirements to prevent the risk of back injuries connected with manual handling of loads (i.e. workstations equipped with lifting devices and information and training to the workers), had already been questioned by EU Commission in 2008 and 2009.

The consultant’s report, however, recognizes that a new directive would impose an excessive burden on SMEs, creating new legal constraints for employers, and baffling the pursuit of simplification and reduction of the administrative burden.

Yet the directive needs to be updated, considering that MSD is reported to be the most significant work-related problem, with an estimated cost at over €163 billions over two years (in the EU27); considering the working population ageing trend, it is fairly predictable that these costs will get even higher.

Furthermore, while worsening the workers’ quality of life, work-related MSD deeply affects SMEs, in terms of losses of productivity and income, turnover costs and unemployment- related services.

A more comprehensive impact assessments document is now in progress, and Directorate General of Employment is aiming to present a new proposal for directive on MSD by the beginning of 2012.