New EU-OSHA report highlights musculoskeletal risks in Health & Social Care (HeSCare) Sector

A new report carried out by Panteia for the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) reveals that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain a pervasive and costly challenge for workers in the health and social care (HeSCare) sector. The report, Musculoskeletal health and risk factors in the the health and social care sector – a review of existing information, synthesises evidence from across Europe to map risk factors, health outcomes and good practices — and issues policy pointers for a safer, healthier care workforce.

Musculoskeletal disorders are already well known as among the most frequent work‐related health problems — affecting muscles, joints, tendons, and related tissues such as the back, neck, shoulders and limbs. In the health and social care sector, the consequences are particularly severe: increased sickness absence, staff turnover, reduction in capacity and productivity, greater costs for health systems, and in some cases early exit from the profession. Because the HeSCare sector involves intense physical load, patient handling, shift work, and high workloads, the prevalence and impact of MSD risk factors is arguably higher than in many other sectors.

The report identifies multiple interrelated risk domains that elevate musculoskeletal hazard in the HeSCare environment:

• Manual handling of patients — a central risk in hospitals, elderly care, home care settings, where lifting, transferring, repositioning patients is common.
• High workload and time pressure — long shifts, understaffing, overtime, and poor scheduling intensify physical strain and reduce opportunities for rest or recovery.
• Repetitive hand/arm movements — tasks such as administering injections, handling instruments, repetitive movements in laboratories or care procedures contribute additional strain.
• Working posture & awkward positions — bending, twisting, reaching, sustained awkward postures (e.g. during wound care, procedures, patient examination) increase biomechanical load.
• Poor ergonomics of the workplace — inadequate design of facilities, low-quality or ill-adapted equipment, poorly fitted workstations, limited assistive tools contribute significantly.
• Inadequate training / awareness — lack of sufficient instruction on safe handling practices, failure to refresh or adapt training for newer techniques, or for aging staff.
• Ageing workforce & lack of age management strategies — as many care workers age, susceptibility to MSDs increases; the sector often lacks targeted policies to accommodate this.
• Psychosocial stressors — violence, harassment, high emotional demands, low autonomy, and burnout also interact with physical risks, aggravating MSDs and hindering recovery.

The report emphasizes that these risk factors are rarely isolated; they compound each other and must be tackled through integrated, systemic interventions.

Good Practice, Innovations & Case Studies

To accompany its review, EU-OSHA has collected and published numerous case studies, tools and examples of promising approaches. These include:

• The “ALM approach” for safer patient handling and transfer operations;
• The Ergonomic Patient Handling Card®, as an instrument to promote better practices in care settings;
• The BGW Ergo-Coach programme, which trains internal coaches to support ergonomic improvements;
• FirstFit method (assessing physical capacity of paramedics);
• Swedish guidelines for safe patient handling, and tools like “TilThermometer©” that map exposure severity.

These practical examples are meant to support adoption in real work environments, demonstrating how risk can be assessed, mitigated, monitored, and how awareness can be raised.

Based on the evidence synthesis and stakeholder input, the report presents policy pointers at EU, national, and sectoral levels. Some key recommendations:

• Ensure systematic risk assessments in HeSCare workplaces, considering both biomechanical and psychosocial factors, and update them periodically.
• Promote integrated prevention strategies that combine technical, organisational and behavioural measures — e.g. safer equipment, staffing models, training, job rotation.
• Encourage ergonomic design of facilities and procure appropriate assistive devices (patient lifts, adjustable beds, exoskeletons) to reduce manual handling burden.
• Support capacity building and training programmes tailored for the care sector, including ongoing refreshers and adaptation to evolving work demands.
• Embed age management policies to account for the ageing workforce – e.g. adjusted workloads, health screening, adaptation schemes.
• Strengthen data collection, monitoring and evaluation to close research gaps, enabling evidence-based policy and practice.
• Foster cross-sectoral collaboration (health, social affairs, labour, occupational safety agencies) to align objectives.

The report notes that while many member states already have initiatives in place, gaps in implementation, resource constraints, and limited awareness persist — particularly in smaller care providers or home care settings.

The EU-OSHA review shines a spotlight on an under-appreciated but critical challenge in the health and social care sector: musculoskeletal disorders. Its strength lies not just in diagnosing risks, but in offering a roadmap — rather than a one-size remedy — of actionable practices and policy directions. If the health of care workers is safeguarded, the ripple effects extend to system resilience, care quality, and long-term sustainability.

“This study underscores the sheer scale and urgency of the musculoskeletal health challenge facing the health and social care sector. Day after day, care professionals are exposed to physical and psychosocial strains that not only compromise their wellbeing, but also threaten the long-term sustainability of the workforce. What makes this report so valuable is its comprehensive view—bringing together evidence, practical tools and policy insights that can genuinely guide systemic change. At Panteia, we have seen first-hand through our earlier research in the HeSCare sector and on musculoskeletal disorders that these risks are deeply embedded in everyday practice. This publication builds on that growing body of knowledge and offers a much-needed impetus to turn awareness into action. If we want to safeguard the quality and continuity of care, we must place worker health at the centre of policy, organisational strategy and workplace design.” – Martin Clarke, Panteia

The full report can be found here.