"This study, which is the largest ever conducted in the UK on the relationship between work-related stress and MSD, took over three years to complete and involved 8000 workers in 20 companies across 11 industrial sectors nationwide.
Contrary to the popular belief held by some managers, the study showed that factors such as age, gender, neuroticism or a negative mood had little or no part to play in the development of MSD. However, the study did show that both physical and psychological aspects of work were directly involved in the development of these disorders.
The main new revelation is that work-related stress plays a role in the onset of these disorders. Both work-related stress and MSD are signs of an imbalance between people and processes in work organisations. Cultural change is needed in organisations to avoid stressors in the workplace brought about by this imbalance. This requires communication, organisational trust and employee participation in strategic management decisions and operations."

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