As an HR manager or safety officer, you are responsible for more than hiring and compliance paperwork. You are on the front line of your organisation’s health and productivity — and few things erode both as quietly and consistently as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
MSDs are conditions affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and joints — typically the back, neck, shoulders, wrists, and knees. They develop gradually, often without a single identifiable incident, and by the time a worker reports significant pain, the condition has usually been building for months.
Here are five signs that your workforce may already be at elevated risk.
Sign 1: Rising MC Rates for Musculoskeletal Complaints
If you look at your medical certificate data and see a pattern of MCs related to back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, or wrist problems — particularly among workers in the same department or doing the same tasks — this is not coincidence. It is a signal.
MSDs are the leading cause of work-related sick leave globally. In Malaysia, they consistently appear among the top reasons for outpatient medical visits. When multiple workers in a similar role are seeking treatment for the same complaint, the issue is the job design, not the workers.
What HR can do: Cross-reference MC data by job role and department. If you see clustering, arrange an ergonomic risk assessment for those work areas. Identifying and addressing the hazard is far less costly than the ongoing cycle of medical costs and lost productivity.
Sign 2: Workers Frequently Adjust Their Posture or Makeshift Their Workstations
Walk through your workplace and observe. Are workers placing cushions behind their backs? Propping screens up on boxes? Sitting sideways on their chairs? Resting wrists on folded A4 paper?
These self-initiated adjustments are workers communicating something important: the workstation does not fit them, and they are doing what they can to manage the discomfort. They may not report it formally — either because they do not want to be seen as complainers, or because they assume it is normal.
What HR can do: Create a culture where ergonomic concerns can be raised without stigma. Conduct a structured walkthrough with an Ergonomics Trained Person to assess workstation setup across departments. In many cases, simple, low-cost adjustments — monitor height, chair settings, keyboard placement — make an immediate difference.
Sign 3: Productivity Dips in Physically Demanding Roles
In manufacturing, logistics, and production environments, a gradual dip in output from experienced workers is sometimes attributed to motivation or management issues. But when a worker who previously performed well begins slowing down, making errors, or requiring more breaks, pain is frequently the underlying reason.
Workers in pain unconsciously modify their movements to avoid aggravating the discomfort. They may work more slowly, avoid certain postures, or recruit different muscle groups — all of which reduce efficiency and increase the risk of further injury.
What HR can do: When you notice performance changes in physically demanding roles, consider pain and physical capacity alongside motivational factors. A physiotherapist-led ergonomic assessment can identify whether the task demands are exceeding worker capacity, and recommend both task redesign and worker rehabilitation.
Sign 4: High Turnover in Specific Roles
If a particular role consistently sees high turnover — especially among workers who leave citing health reasons, physical difficulty, or vague references to “stress on the body” — the job design may be unsustainable for most people.
Exit interview data is often underutilised in this context. Workers may not explicitly say “I left because my back hurts,” but phrases like “it was too physically demanding,” “the hours were tough on my body,” or “I needed something less strenuous” all point to ergonomic issues.
What HR can do: Analyse exit interview data for physical health themes. For roles with consistent turnover, conduct an ergonomic assessment to determine whether the physical demands of the role can be reduced through task redesign, mechanical aids, job rotation, or workstation modification.
Sign 5: Your Workplace Has Never Had a Formal Ergonomic Assessment
This is the most straightforward sign of all. If your company has been operating for years — especially in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, or a large office environment — and has never commissioned a formal ERA, there is almost certainly unaddressed ergonomic risk in your workplace.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and the OSH (Amendment) Act 2022, employers have a legal duty to identify and manage ergonomic risks. DOSH’s Guidelines on Ergonomics Risk Assessment at Workplaces (2017) provide the formal framework for this, and assessment must be conducted by a DOSH-recognised Ergonomics Trained Person (ETP).
Non-compliance carries significant legal and financial risk. But more importantly, the human cost of avoidable MSDs — in pain, reduced quality of life, and lost work capacity — is a cost no employer should accept when the risk is identifiable and manageable.
What HR can do: Commission an Initial ERA for your highest-risk work areas. This provides a baseline of where your ergonomic risks lie, which tasks require priority attention, and what controls are needed. It also demonstrates due diligence in the event of a DOSH audit or worker compensation claim.
The Business Case for Ergonomic Risk Management
Investing in ergonomic assessment and control is not just a compliance exercise. The return on investment is well-documented internationally:
- Reduced medical costs and sick leave
- Lower staff turnover and recruitment costs
- Improved productivity and work quality
- Reduced risk of compensation claims
- Demonstrated duty of care that supports employer branding
For SMEs in Malaysia, the risk of a single DOSH enforcement action or a serious worker injury claim can be significant. A proactive ERA is a far more cost-effective approach.
How Trapy Physio Supports HR Teams and Safety Officers
Trapy Physio offers DOSH-recognised Ergonomic Risk Assessments (ERA) conducted by registered Ergonomics Trained Persons. Our team’s physiotherapy background means we bring clinical insight to workplace assessment — connecting ergonomic risks directly to the health outcomes your workers are experiencing.
We work with HR teams and safety officers across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to:
- Conduct Initial and Advanced ERA assessments
- Deliver DOSH and HRD Corp-compliant ergonomics training
- Provide integrated physiotherapy services for workers with existing MSDs
- Support OSHA 2022 compliance documentation
Contact us to discuss your workplace needs: 📞 011-2898 2889 🌐 trapyhq.com 📍 Skyawani 2, G-05, Jalan 2/12, Kampung Batu Muda, 51100 Kuala Lumpur
This article is intended for informational purposes. For specific occupational safety and health advice, consult a qualified OSH professional.