According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2012 these six occupations suffered the worst of hand and arm musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) injuries, requiring the longest recuperation time:
- Laborer and freight, stock and material movers
- Nursing assistants
- Janitors and cleaners – except maids and housekeepers
- Heavy and tractor trailer truck drivers
- Registered nurses
- Maintenance and repair workers
It’s no surprise that shoulders and backs accounted for 54.8 percent of MSD cases for these six high-risk occupations. Wrist MSDs accounted for 5.6 percent of the MSD cases among the six high-risk occupations, and arm MSDs accounted for 4.5 percent.
Maintenance and repair workers suffered the highest percentage of MSD arm injuries requiring days away from work – 7.3 percent.
Truckers suffered the highest percentage of MSD wrist injuries requiring days away from work – no surprise here either given their long hours at the wheel – 5.9 percent.
Nursing assistants and Registered Nurses took the biggest hit by far in MSD cases involving the back and requiring days away from work – 56.2 percent of days away from work injuries involved the back for nursing assistants, and 51.4 percent of days away from work injuries involved the back for RNs.
Patient lifting and handling is the leading cause of bad backs among nurses assistants and RNs, according to union studies.
