Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), often related to workplace ergonomic concerns, accounted for 33 percent of lost day workplace injuries and illnesses, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Interestingly, not only are MSDs common among US workers, they also result in longer periods away from the job than do more traumatic injuries. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), for example, resulted in an average of 32 lost days, while fractures and amputations resulted in 30 lost days, and falls to a lower level resulted in 15 lost days. Repetitive motion injuries resulted in 22 lost days.
Certain industry sectors experienced relatively high MSD rates. The service sector reported the highest rates, recording 71 percent of all cases of this type. Within this service category, the sub-sectors of the health care and social services industry reported the highest number, at 83,100 MSD cases, or 19 percent of all MSD cases in the data set.
Source: Occupational Hazards