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Following a multi-national tender process, the Institute of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, was selected to carry out the Literature Review. This element of the project reviewed the causes of MSD among telecommunications workers to establish the evidence base for future practice guidelines.
A pre-defined systematic process was followed to identify, review and rate scientific publications relating to MSD in the telecommunications industry and analogous work. The aim was to answer, as far as possible, a set of practical questions by producing evidence based statements of good practice and to identify major gaps in knowledge. The key questions to be answered were as follows:
- Which MSD are likely to be associated with telecommunications working including specifically underground cabling operations and portable DSE use in vehicles?
- Which functional activities in the telecommunications sector are particular risk factors for the development of MSD?
- How important are psycho-social factors in the development of MSD?
- Can these physical and psycho-social risk factors be quantified?
- What predictive factors are there for the development of MSD in this type of work?
- What measures are effective in the prevention of MSD in this type of work?
- Is health surveillance of benefit in preventing or modifying the progression of MSD?
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