Supervisor – monitor and improve ways to promote MSD health

As a supervisor, you have a decisive role in shaping the attitude towards employees’ workloads and the physical workload factors at your workplace. Systematically implement and monitor work ability support measures and their impacts. Deepen your collaboration with occupational health services.

Monitor and evaluate systematically

Systematically monitor your success in supporting your employees’ work ability and return to work.

In the shorter term, monitor and evaluate the following, for example

  • the coverage and impacts of orientation and training that contain information on ergonomics 
  • the implementation and impacts of the measures proposed to prevent and decrease musculoskeletal disorders and injuries in workplace surveys and occupational safety risk assessments 
  • smooth flow and quality of work 
  • the occupational health services’ reports on musculoskeletal symptoms and medical visits based on them 
  • work accidents and near misses 
  • successes and impacts of work accommodation 
  • work ability negotiations 
  • successful returns to work after sick leave 
  • absences due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). 

In the longer term, monitor and evaluate at least the following

  • the number of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders and injuries 
  • your employees’ experiences and opinions about the level of strain caused by the work and the impact of new work methods, tools and arrangements on the workflow, quality of the work and workload.

Collect employees’ observations on daily management and hold discussions with them on how the opportunities for performing the work could be improved.

Deepen collaboration with occupational health services

The occupational health services and especially the occupational health physiotherapist can help you. Participate actively in the workplace surveys, maintain a dialogue with the occupational health services and organise work ability negotiations, i.e., occupational health negotiations. Monitor the implementation and impacts of the measures proposed in them. Together, come up with ideas on how to improve your collaboration.

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