Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries remain one of the most persistent, costly, and disruptive challenges in today’s workplaces. Despite advances in automation, ergonomics, and safety technology, injuries related to lifting, pushing, carrying, and repetitive tasks continue to sideline workers and strain organizations.
The difference in 2026 is this: the emphasis has shifted to recognize safe movement as a system, a skill, and a culture that must be coached and reinforced every day.
This playbook is designed to help leaders, safety professionals, and frontline supervisors understand why safe movement matters, how MSK injuries develop, and what practical body mechanics and coaching strategies can be implemented to reduce risk before discomfort turns into disability.
By the end of this guide, you will be able to:
Workplace injuries are not just a safety issue—they are a business issue.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC) Injury Facts, work-related injuries and deaths cost employers $176.5 billion in 2023. The average cost per injury was $43,000, while the average cost per workplace fatality exceeded $1.46 million.
These numbers are not abstract. They show up as lost productivity, overtime costs, higher insurance premiums, employee turnover, and reduced morale.
Non-Fatal Workplace Injuries (2023)
The most common causes of these injuries included:
Many of these incidents are preventable through consistent adherence to safe movement practices.
A musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) is an injury or disorder that affects the body’s movement or musculoskeletal system, including muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and supporting structures. The terms "MSD" and "MSK injury" are often used interchangeably in conversations about ergonomic injuries and disorders related to musculoskeletal health.
Unlike traumatic injuries, MSDs typically:
Common risk factors include repetitive movements, forceful exertions, awkward postures, and insufficient recovery time.
MSDs often follow a predictable pattern:
Muscle tightness/ fatigue → discomfort → pain →disability
When early warning signs are ignored, minor issues escalate into lost-time injuries and long-term conditions. This is why early symptom reporting, intervention, and movement coaching are essential components of an effective injury prevention strategy.
Biomechanical risk refers to physical stressors placed on the body during work tasks that exceed the body’s capacity.
These stressors include:
Biomechanical risk is about the mechanical demands placed on the body and how those demands accumulate over time. Tasks such as lifting heavy loads, working in sustained static positions, or performing rapid repetitive motions can lead to tissue breakdown and injury if not properly managed.
The key takeaway: Biomechanical risks are observable, measurable, and coachable.
Preventing MSK injuries starts long before an incident occurs. Early identification and proactive intervention are critical.
Checking in with employees
Regular conversations help identify discomfort before it escalates. Creating a culture where employees feel safe reporting symptoms is foundational.
Pre-shift warm-ups
Short warm-up routines increase blood flow, activate muscles, and prepare the body for physical demands. These routines don’t need to be complex. Consistency matters more than perfection.
Job-specific coaching
Ongoing feedback tied directly to real tasks helps workers refine mechanics in context, not just in theory.
Early symptom intervention
Providing OSHA-approved first aid care and early support can prevent minor discomfort from becoming recordable injuries.
Traditional training and ongoing coaching serve different purposes and both are necessary.
Training:
Coaching:
Training introduces concepts. Coaching changes behavior.
Efficient positioning that allows the body to generate force while minimizing strain is the key to safe movement in the workplace.
The power stance is the most efficient working position for stability and force production. It typically includes:
This stance creates a stable base for lifting, pushing, pulling, and reaching.
There are three power zones where the body is strongest and most efficient. Keeping tasks within these zones reduces strain on the back and shoulders while improving control and balance.
Working in neutral joint positions—where joints are aligned and not at end ranges—reduces stress on muscles and connective tissue. Neutral does not mean static; it means efficient.
Muscle fatigue is one of the biggest contributors to break down in body mechanics, especially during repetitive or static tasks.
Fatigue can be reduced through:
The goal is not to eliminate physical work, but to manage load intelligently.
Working at an urgent pace often leads to divided attention. Distraction and rushing make it difficult to apply safe movement principles consistently.
Research suggests that up to 92% of workplace injuries involve tasks not being performed properly. Hurried pace, multitasking, and environmental hazards increase risk not only for the individual worker, but for coworkers nearby.
Awareness sets the stage for safe movement.
Even well-intentioned coaching can backfire if delivered poorly. Employees are often in the middle of tasks or may be distracted when a coaching opportunity is noticed. It is necessary to find the right time to coach, one that keeps employees away from distraction while still reducing the risk that comes from not correcting an issue. Common mistakes include::
Coaching should always be approached with the mindset that mistakes will happen no matter what, and that distractions will occur. Coaching is not a punishment. It is an opportunity to improve the workplace and the workers comfort. Approaching with that in mind is a key strategy to success.
Lastly, explain the why behind you decisions. Effective coaching is supportive, consistent, and grounded in real-world context.
As organizations look ahead to 2026, the most successful injury prevention programs will not rely on posters or one-time training sessions. They will focus on daily habits, early intervention, and a shared understanding that safe movement is a skill worth investing in.
When people move better, they hurt less. And when injuries go down, everything else, from productivity to morale, moves in the right direction.
Briotix Health providers, Nick Stassin and Lauren Powers, recently presented a 60-minute webinar on this topic. Watch the full webinar here!