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Comprehensive Summary of Subjects and Procedures for Musculoskeletal Hazardous Factor Surveys
2026.07.10 11:51
Work Environment · Musculoskeletal System · Popular Posts
Subjects of the musculoskeletal risk factor survey and
Summary of Implementation Procedures
The targets and procedures for the investigation of musculoskeletal hazard factors are standards designed to systematically identify work that poses a risk of musculoskeletal disorders, such as repetitive tasks, excessive force, improper posture, and handling of heavy objects.
A musculoskeletal hazard assessment is not merely a procedure for filling out paperwork. It is a process that verifies the actual postures workers maintain, the frequency of their movements, and whether they complain of pain or discomfort after work, ultimately leading to necessary corrective measures.
This article summarizes the targets and implementation procedures for musculoskeletal hazard investigations so that HR personnel, safety and health managers, health managers, and supervisors can review them.
A musculoskeletal hazard assessment is not merely a procedure for filling out paperwork. It is a process that verifies the actual postures workers maintain, the frequency of their movements, and whether they complain of pain or discomfort after work, ultimately leading to necessary corrective measures.
This article summarizes the targets and implementation procedures for musculoskeletal hazard investigations so that HR personnel, safety and health managers, health managers, and supervisors can review them.
The key to the musculoskeletal risk factor investigation is
It is not about “whether an investigation was conducted,” but “whether the burden was reduced based on the investigation results.”
It is not about “whether an investigation was conducted,” but “whether the burden was reduced based on the investigation results.”
📌 Short Answer
A musculoskeletal hazard investigation must be conducted when a worker performs musculoskeletal burden work.
Musculoskeletal strain work refers to tasks that can place a burden on the neck, shoulders, lower back, arms, wrists, and legs due to repetitive movements, improper work postures, the use of excessive force, handling of heavy objects, vibration, or physical contact. This is not limited solely to production or manufacturing jobs. Musculoskeletal strain can also occur in logistics, hospitals, nursing homes, call centers, office data entry, customer service, cleaning, cooking, driving, and warehouse work.
The person in charge must first verify whether there is any work involving musculoskeletal burden at our workplace. If such work exists, they must investigate the workplace situation, working conditions, and the presence of signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders; based on the investigation results, they should review improvements to the work environment, changes to work methods, provision of protective equipment and assistive devices, adjustment of rest standards, and support for education and counseling.
The key to a musculoskeletal risk factor investigation is not whether the investigation was conducted, but whether the burden was reduced based on the results.
🕒 When will it be applied?
The investigation of musculoskeletal hazard factors applies to workplaces involving musculoskeletal burden work. In particular, sites with frequent repetitive tasks or heavy handling must be checked regularly, and re-inspections must be conducted frequently if work methods change or if cases of musculoskeletal disorders occur.
For example, tasks such as repeatedly lifting boxes in a logistics center, assisting or moving patients in a hospital or nursing facility, repeating the same movements in manufacturing, and using a keyboard and mouse intensively for long periods in an office job can all be subject to verification.
| division | Items to check by the person in charge |
|---|---|
| Target work | Repetitive tasks, handling heavy loads, improper posture, vibration, physically demanding work |
| Regular inspection | Periodically investigate cases involving musculoskeletal burden work |
| Initial investigation | Initial investigation required when establishing a new workplace or relevant work. |
| Regular investigation | Re-inspection upon occurrence of illness, changes in work, equipment, or processes, or changes in workload |
| Key verifier | Safety and health manager, health manager, HR manager, supervisor |
| Key outputs | Survey form, symptom survey results, improvement plan, implementation record, training record |
The effectiveness of musculoskeletal hazard investigations is enhanced when supervisors familiar with the site and actual workers participate together, rather than leaving it as the sole responsibility of a specific department.
🔎 Tasks for the person in charge
When preparing for a musculoskeletal hazard survey, the first thing you need to do is not "where to obtain the survey form." You must first identify which tasks at your workplace are creating musculoskeletal strain.
In particular, HR personnel should not view musculoskeletal hazard assessments as the sole responsibility of the occupational safety and health officer. This is because musculoskeletal burdens can be linked to sick leave, industrial accidents, return to work, job reassignment, grievance counseling, and job stress. While the occupational safety and health officer identifies work hazards, HR must also oversee workforce placement, return-to-work support, counseling assistance, and managerial communication.
STEP 01
1. First, check whether the work involves a musculoskeletal burden.
The musculoskeletal hazard assessment is not a procedure that investigates all work in the same way. First, you must verify whether there is musculoskeletal burden work at our workplace.
The person in charge must observe the actual work scene rather than making judgments based solely on the job title. Even for the same packaging task, the level of burden can vary depending on the daily workload, product weight, workbench height, number of repetitions, and availability of breaks. Similarly, even for office jobs, the evaluation criteria may differ depending on whether the work involves simple document processing or long hours of data entry.
When verifying, it is a good idea to ask the following questions.
- Do you repeat the same action for a long time?
- Do you repeatedly adopt postures that forcefully bend or twist your waist, neck, shoulders, and wrists?
- Do you do a lot of work involving lifting heavy objects or pushing and pulling?
- Are the workbench height, chair, monitor position, and tool position unsuitable for the worker?
- Do you use vibrating tools or equipment that puts strain on your hands?
- Are there any workers who complain of pain, numbness, stiffness, or fatigue after work?
- Is recovery time insufficient due to increased workload or staffing shortages?
At this stage, it is not important to look for only “tasks that look dangerous.” You must identify tasks that workers endure on a daily basis but which actually lead to the accumulation of pain and fatigue.
STEP 02
2. Determine the subjects and work units.
The effectiveness of musculoskeletal hazard investigations decreases if the work unit is too broad. If grouped together as "the entire production team" or "the entire logistics team," it becomes difficult to identify which specific tasks actually cause the strain.
It is recommended to divide work units as closely as possible to the actual workflow. For example, in logistics, tasks can be divided into receiving, stacking, picking, packing, loading, and handling returns. In a hospital or nursing facility, tasks could be categorized into patient movement, bed making, material handling, and procedures requiring standing for long periods.
When selecting subjects for the investigation, do not limit yourself to regular employees; you must also include shift workers, part-time workers, subcontracted workers, elderly workers, reinstated employees, and new hires. In particular, reinstated employees and new hires may feel a greater burden even when performing the same tasks.
STEP 03
3. Investigate workplace conditions and working conditions.
In a hazardous factor investigation, both workplace conditions and working conditions must be considered. Workplace conditions refer to environmental factors such as equipment, workstations, movement patterns, space, material locations, workload, and work speed. Working conditions relate to how the body is actually used, such as working time, repetitions, posture, force usage, rest periods, and work methods.
If the person in charge merely fills out a survey form at a desk at this stage, it is easy to miss actual risks. It is necessary to directly observe the site and ask the worker, “Which movements are the most difficult?”, “When during the day is the pain most severe?”, and “Are there any discomforts with the workbench or tools?”
In organizations where workers find it difficult to voice their discomfort, anonymous surveys or simple symptom assessments can be helpful. However, survey results should not be attributed to individuals or used as evaluation data. The purpose of a musculoskeletal hazard assessment is not to manage workers, but to reduce the workload.
STEP 04
4. Check for signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders.
In musculoskeletal risk factor investigations, symptoms such as pain, numbness, stiffness, sensory abnormalities, weakness, and repetitive fatigue must also be checked. While the presence of symptoms does not immediately indicate an occupational disease, it can serve as an important signal for improving the working environment and health management.
Symptom verification must be handled with sensitivity. Trust can be undermined if employees face disadvantages for reporting pain or if specific individuals' health information is unnecessarily shared. HR and safety and health personnel must handle symptom survey results only to the necessary extent and manage personal health information separately from general HR data.
If many employees complain of pain, do not stop at individual counseling; the common work environment must be re-examined. If pain in the same area recurs, there may be structural issues regarding workbench height, repetitive movements, handling of heavy loads, staffing, or rest standards.
STEP 05
5. Define specific improvement measures.
The most frequently overlooked aspect in musculoskeletal hazard assessments is corrective measures. There are cases where assessment results are present but there is no improvement plan, or the plan is simply documented with phrases like "caution," "stretching education," or "wearing protective equipment."
Of course, training and stretching may also be necessary. However, to reduce the burden on the musculoskeletal system, measures to change the work itself must also be considered. For example, this could involve adjusting the height of the workbench, placing assistive devices for carrying heavy loads, changing the location of items, establishing a two-person work standard, or incorporating recovery time between repetitive tasks.
Improvement measures must be specific. Rather than simply writing "improvement of working environment," it is better to write them as "adjustment of packaging workbench height," "establishment of two-person work standards for heavy loads of 15kg or more," "guidance on a 10-minute break after 50 minutes of long-duration data entry work," and "review of replacing tools that strain the wrist."
STEP 06
6. Reconfirm the improvement results.
A hazardous factor investigation does not end with merely storing the survey form. It is necessary to verify whether corrective measures have actually been implemented, whether workers feel a reduction in burden, and whether the same symptoms are recurring.
If complaints of pain persist even after improvements, the measures may not have been sufficient. Conversely, if workers feel their burden has been reduced by even small improvements, that approach can be applied to other departments as well.
It is recommended that the person in charge document the investigation results, improvement plan, person in charge, completion date, before-and-after photos, training materials, employee feedback, and re-inspection results. While this is important for future labor inspections or internal audits, the more critical purpose is to prevent the same burden from recurring.
🧭 Procedure for Conducting Musculoskeletal Hazard Analysis
If you conduct a musculoskeletal hazard factor investigation following the flow below, it is easy to organize in practice.
- Check if there is musculoskeletal burden work in our workplace.
- Determine the tasks and subjects to be investigated.
- We investigate workplace conditions and working circumstances through on-site observation and gathering worker opinions.
- Check for signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders, such as pain, numbness, and fatigue.
- Identify risk factors and select tasks that require priority improvement.
- Establish improvement measures such as workbench adjustments, assistive devices, personnel placement, rest standards, and training.
- Designate the person in charge of the improvement measures and the deadline.
- After the improvement is complete, we re-check whether the actual burden has been reduced.
- We keep survey forms, symptom survey results, improvement plans, training materials, and re-inspection records.
The most important part of this procedure is what follows step 6. In many workplaces, investigations are conducted, but corrective measures and re-inspections are often weak. The investigation of musculoskeletal hazards must lead not merely to the “completion of the investigation,” but to “reduction of burden.”
✅ Practical Checklist
The items below can be used when preparing a musculoskeletal hazard investigation or reviewing existing investigation results.
| Confirmation items | inspection |
|---|---|
| I checked the departments and tasks involving musculoskeletal burden work. | ☐ |
| Work units were divided to match the actual workflow. | ☐ |
| Repetitive tasks, handling of heavy objects, improper posture, and vibration work were identified. | ☐ |
| New employees, reinstated workers, elderly workers, and subcontractor workers were also identified. | ☐ |
| I personally checked the workplace situation and working conditions on-site. | ☐ |
| Workers' opinions were listened to and reflected in the survey form. | ☐ |
| A survey was conducted on symptoms such as pain, numbness, and fatigue. | ☐ |
| Instructions were given not to use the results of the symptom survey as personal performance evaluation data. | ☐ |
| We drafted specific improvement measures for each risk factor. | ☐ |
| We set a completion deadline with the person in charge of the improvement measures. | ☐ |
| We reconfirmed whether the burden on workers had decreased after the improvements were completed. | ☐ |
| Survey forms, improvement plans, training materials, and re-inspection records were kept. | ☐ |
| Connected to HR in cases requiring sick leave, industrial accidents, reinstatement, or job adjustments. | ☐ |
| We introduced the EAP counseling channel to employees experiencing significant pain or anxiety. | ☐ |
⚠️ Common mistakes
The first case involves viewing the musculoskeletal hazard assessment as a procedure necessary only for manufacturing sites. Musculoskeletal strain can occur in office work, hospitals, nursing homes, logistics, cleaning, cooking, driving, and customer service roles. The assessment should be based on actual work posture, repetitiveness, force usage, and recovery time, rather than the job title itself.
Second, there are cases where only the survey form is completed without observing the site. Musculoskeletal strain can only be verified by observing the worker's body movements. Factors such as workbench height, item placement, back bending, wrist flexion, repetition speed, and the availability of rest are easily overlooked without on-site observation.
Third, there is the case where pain is viewed solely as a personal issue. When a worker reports neck, shoulder, back, or wrist pain, it should not be regarded solely as an individual physical condition; the work environment and workload must be considered in conjunction. If the same symptoms recur among multiple people, structural improvements may be necessary.
Fourth, this applies when corrective measures are addressed solely through training. While training on stretching or proper posture can be helpful, it is insufficient if the workbench height is incorrect or the handling of heavy objects is dangerous. Equipment, tools, workflow, personnel placement, and rest standards must be reviewed together.
Fifth, there are cases where reinstated workers and older employees are not treated separately. Even for the same work, reinstated employees, older workers, and new hires may feel a greater burden. HR must link the results of the musculoskeletal hazard survey with return-to-work support, job adjustments, and health counseling.
Sixth is the case where survey results are not shared. If survey results and improvement plans are not shared with the field, it is difficult for workers to understand what the survey is actually changing. Sharing results and communicating the progress of improvements increases participation and trust.
💬 When EAP support is needed
A musculoskeletal hazard assessment is a safety and health procedure designed to reduce physical strain and improve the working environment. An EAP does not replace a hazard assessment, medical diagnosis, determination of occupational injury, or improvement of the working environment.
However, musculoskeletal strain can also be linked to psychological burdens. Recurring pain may increase work anxiety, stress may be felt during the workers' compensation application process, or fear may arise regarding resuming previous duties upon returning to work. Managers may also experience communication burdens due to issues regarding staffing, work adjustments, and equity among colleagues.
In such cases, EAP can lead to psychological counseling, job stress management, reintegration counseling, manager coaching, and support for communication within the organization.
For example, you can review EAP guidance in the following situations.
- Cases where an employee feels anxious about continuing work due to recurring pain
- Cases where there is a significant psychological burden during the return process after industrial accident or sick leave
- Cases where conflict arises between colleagues during the work coordination process
- When managers have difficulty with job assignments and communication with returning employees
- When pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and job stress occur together
- Cases where distrust or anxiety regarding improvement measures has increased following the hazardous factor investigation
The guidance text can be used as follows.
Musculoskeletal hazard investigations and work environment improvements are conducted in accordance with safety and health procedures. Separately, if you experience recurring pain, anxiety about returning to work, job stress, or the psychological burden of the work adjustment process, you may utilize EAP counseling channels.
🔗 Related Posts
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Are all workplaces required to conduct a musculoskeletal hazard investigation?
Rather than applying this uniformly to all workplaces, you must first verify whether workers are performing musculoskeletal burdensome work. If there is work involving musculoskeletal strain, such as repetitive tasks, handling heavy objects, improper posture, or the use of excessive force, you must review whether it is subject to investigation.
Q2. Can office workers also be subject to musculoskeletal risk factor investigations?
It is possible. If you engage in prolonged data entry, repetitive keyboard and mouse use, improper monitor, chair, and desk environments, or maintain a fixed posture for extended periods, you may need to check for musculoskeletal strain.
Q3. Is it permissible to ask about employee pain during the hazardous factor investigation?
You can check for signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders. However, care must be taken to ensure that personal health information is not shared unnecessarily, and the results of the symptom survey must not be used for performance evaluations or disciplinary actions.
Q4. Is it mandatory to change the working environment after conducting a hazardous factor investigation?
If risk factors are identified as a result of the investigation, corrective measures must be reviewed. These measures may vary depending on the workplace situation and include adjustments to workbenches, introduction of assistive devices, changes in work methods, adjustments to rest standards, training, and work assignment adjustments.
Q5. Can EAP replace counseling for musculoskeletal disorders?
No. The diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, determination of industrial accidents, and improvement of the working environment require relevant procedures and expert review. EAP can be utilized as a supplementary channel to support anxiety caused by recurring pain, the burden of returning to work, job stress, and the burden of communication with managers.
👉 Next step
The investigation of musculoskeletal hazards is not merely a task of filling out survey forms, but a procedure to reduce the physical burden on workers and create a safe working environment. The person in charge must manage the process by connecting the identification of target tasks, on-site observation, symptom assessment, corrective measures, re-inspection, and record keeping.
If you wish to move beyond simple paperwork management for musculoskeletal hazard investigations and integrate them with support for industrial accidents and reinstatement, job stress counseling, manager coaching, and EAP counseling, review the support system tailored to your organization through a Nudge EAP implementation consultation.
If you wish to move beyond simple paperwork management for musculoskeletal hazard investigations and integrate them with support for industrial accidents and reinstatement, job stress counseling, manager coaching, and EAP counseling, review the support system tailored to your organization through a Nudge EAP implementation consultation.
📚 Source and Information
National Law Information Center, Definition under Article 656 of the Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards
National Law Information Center, Article 657 of the Rules on Industrial Safety and Health Standards: Investigation of Hazardous Factors
National Law Information Center, Notice on the Scope of Musculoskeletal Burden Work and Methods for Investigating Hazardous Factors
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency Industrial Safety Portal, Musculoskeletal Disorders and Hazardous Factor Survey
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Guidelines for Investigating Hazardous Factors in Musculoskeletal Burden Work
Korea Labor Welfare Network, Introduction to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
National Law Information Center, Article 657 of the Rules on Industrial Safety and Health Standards: Investigation of Hazardous Factors
National Law Information Center, Notice on the Scope of Musculoskeletal Burden Work and Methods for Investigating Hazardous Factors
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency Industrial Safety Portal, Musculoskeletal Disorders and Hazardous Factor Survey
Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Guidelines for Investigating Hazardous Factors in Musculoskeletal Burden Work
Korea Labor Welfare Network, Introduction to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
This content is intended to provide general information for corporate practitioners to refer to. Specific legal matters, labor relations, employment, occupational safety and health, industrial accidents, medical issues, and psychological counseling may vary depending on workplace conditions and the latest laws, so review by relevant experts may be necessary.
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