Development and Test of a Short Message on Manual Materials Handling Hazards and Controls in Small and Micro Businesses

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Small and micro businesses generally face challenges during occupational health and safety processes such as hazard identification and control, often more so for hazards related to musculoskeletal disorders. ‘Store it off the Floor’, a message based on mitigating a major risk factor for development of low back pain, was well received by owners and managers in 40 small businesses. Conceptual and instrumental knowledge utilization was demonstrated following the distribution of a dual-purpose poster/toolbox talk handout containing the noted message. Such an approach has the potential to reduce a major hazard for developing or aggravating low back pain in large numbers of workers. This dissemination method may also be applicable to reduce other risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and improve working conditions.TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: To reduce the substantial burden of low back pain, there is a need to identify workplace hazards, evaluate them, prioritize tasks for inte...