Evaluation of workforce perceptions as a means to identify and mitigate the causes of musculoskeletal disorders.
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Summary
This study investigates workforce perceptions to identify and mitigate causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) field employees. The research was motivated by an analysis of five years of workers’ compensation data, which revealed that five job classifications accounted for over 93% of injury cases, with sprains and strains comprising 48% of all claims. Furthermore, 70% of these sprain/strain cases were attributed to over-exertion or awkward work postures. Recognizing that effective injury reduction programs require worker input, the study aimed to ascertain employee risk perceptions and potential corrective actions rather than imposing top-down safety measures. The methodology involved qualitative data collection through telephone interviews with 50 randomly selected transportation generalists and mechanics from Mn/DOT District 1. Conducted between July and September 2009, the interviews utilized an open-ended script covering six areas: primary injury causes, current mitigation strategies, perceived management and co-worker commitment to safety, desired job changes, and interest in wellness programs. Responses were voice-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by reducing language into common response categories. Each question yielded 15 to 21 distinct categories, with total response counts ranging from 63 to 123. Data were sorted by demographic variables including region, job tenure, and job classification to identify trends. Key findings indicate that the most frequent safety concern was exposure to public traffic in work zones, cited by 64% of participants. Other significant concerns included heavy or awkward lifting, the pressure to rush jobs, and typical construction hazards like uneven terrain. Workers identified general awareness, proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and planning ahead as primary methods for injury prevention. Regarding safety culture, 76% of respondents perceived management as committed to safety, while 68% viewed co-workers similarly. Workers suggested that injuries could be reduced through better planning, more time to complete tasks, improved equipment availability, and enhanced communication. Notably, over 65% of participants expressed interest in participating in and promoting a workplace wellness program to improve health and fitness, despite some concerns about scheduling conflicts during busy seasons. The study concludes that efforts to reduce musculoskeletal injuries must incorporate worker concerns and ideas. The authors recommend that Mn/DOT management address specific employee concerns regarding traffic exposure, the perceived need to rush, and heavy lifting. Potential interventions include implementing wellness and fitness programs to improve worker conditioning, alongside ergonomic strategies such as job redesign, use of mechanized lifting equipment, teamwork, proper lifting training, and scheduled breaks from prolonged awkward positions. The research underscores the importance of integrating employee perception into safety program design to ensure practicality and engagement.
Key finding
Exposure to public traffic on road projects was the most frequently cited safety concern among workers, followed by heavy or awkward lifting and rushing to complete jobs.
Methodology
mixed_methods
Sample size: 50
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
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| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 24 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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- Empirical Findings: self report data