Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their prevention and control

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are chronic and cumulative disorders that are affected by multiple ergonomic factors. They are widespread in occupational populations and have a high prevalence. They have caused a substantial economic and social burden, which has become a major occupational health problem worldwide. The mechanism of WMSDs needs to be clarified. More authoritative and unified diagnostic criteria and specific therapeutic drugs are required. Therefore, an in-depth epidemiological investigation on WMSDs involving occupational ergonomics is of great scientific value and practical significance, which aims to improve hazard identification and ergonomic load risk assessment and to facilitate the prevention, control, and intervention of WMSDs. This article introduced the concept, status report, risk factors, ergonomic assessment methods, and preventive measures of WMSDs. This special column on "occupational ergonomics and work-related musculoskeletal disorders" presented the prevalence and related risk factors of WMSDs in different industries, as well as working condition simulation studies for specific tasks, aiming to provide objective and detailed scientific data for the prevention and control of WMSDs.