Brussels, 19/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), concerned at the rise in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) “which affect all industries”, called, on Tuesday 19 June, on the European Commission to swiftly bring forward proposals.
After almost ten years preparing a comprehensive directive on MSDs, the Commission should make use of preparation of the Community strategy on occupational health and safety for 2013-2020 to speed matters up, the ETUC says. The European approach continues to be too fragmented (several directives make reference to MSDs and national legislations vary considerably). “A global Community legislation on musculoskeletal risks would represent added value for the member states and boost prevention policies in a more effective manner”, argued Judith Kirton-Darling, Confederal Secretary of the ETUC.
In highlighting the importance of MSDs, the ETUC refers to the European survey of 2010 on working conditions which shows that musculoskeletal disorders are the source of most complaints by workers when asked about the effect of their work on their health. MSDs are the cause of “the highest number of recognised and compensated occupational diseases”, and are responsible for a significant proportion of absences due to illness and sometimes can prevent workers from keeping their jobs. “The worsening situation is related to the intensification of work, to the still very strong prevalence of repetitive work and to the interaction of physical factors (such as inadequate equipment) and psycho-mental factors”, states the ETUC press release. (JK/transl.rt)