Biomechanical Hazards at Work and Adverse Health Using Job-Exposure Matrices

Occupational risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are mainly related to the effect of biomechanical exposures on bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves that are caused and/or exacerbated by the working conditions. Biomechanical exposures increase risk for MSD based on their intensity (or level), frequency, and duration. Exposures can be estimated through expert judgments, systematic observations, direct measurements, or through use of a job exposure matrixes (JEMs). JEM have strengths that allow to study working history associated with some chronic MSDs. In the last decades some biomechanical JEM have been developed. Some JEM will be detailed as example: two Danish JEMs and JEM Constances. In the future, such JEMs will allow to be used for other disorders and even other field than occupational health (considered work as a confounder) to consider work exposure through the life course perspective.