Services

Burden

Many services sector workers are required to complete repetitive tasks and often exert considerable force in sometimes awkward postures, which have been associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The incidence rate for musculoskeletal injuries resulting in days-away-from-work for the services sector is 28.9 per 10,000 equivalent full-time workers compared to an incidence rate of 29.8 for all private establishments [BLS 2015]. Data from both the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation and BLS indicated that building maintenance and repair, janitorial, cleaning, garbage collection, automotive repair workers, and hotels all have elevated rates of MSDs. [BLS 2015; Meyers et al 2017].

Smaller businesses, such as many found in services subsectors, are recognized as having fewer human and capital resources available to devote to the prevention of workplace illnesses, injuries, and fatalities. Managers in smaller businesses often work in isolation without sufficient access to peer opinion and industry best practices. These factors not only reduce prevention activities, but may also reduce the reporting of illnesses and injuries to government agencies, insurance companies, and other organizations.

Many of services industries employ workers that are vulnerable due to age, ethnic background, language, gender, education level or lack of long-term job stability. These workers may not report injuries or suggest job aids because of their vulnerabilities. They may be more likely to be required to do some of the most physically challenging jobs which could lead to back injuries.

Need

In the services sector, 89% of the 3 million firms have less than 20 employees, and these small businesses typically have limited access to health and safety specialists [U.S. Census Bureau 2011]. Therefore, these small businesses do not provide the same outreach, interventions, and proactive committees to reduce these exposures as, for example, manufacturing environments. Interventions that are targeted to specific populations within the services sector are needed to reduce the prevalence of MSDs in these subsectors. Intermediary organizations may be used for outreach and could include trade associations, worker groups, insurance companies, chambers of commerce, small business development centers, professional organizations, small-business-focused media, and public health and other government agencies. Some interventions for reducing back injuries are well known and utilized in other industries that could be adopted by Service sector industries. Intervention effectiveness studies using traditional and sensor related methods are needed. Translation work is needed to inform Service sector industries of these interventions and show how they could be adopted by these industries.