In the current context of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of European workers have had to work from home full-time to cut down the risk of contracting the virus, and it’s becoming a new reality that can take its toll on our health.

Long periods of sedentary work, lack of physical exercise, working in isolation, blurring boundaries between paid work and private life and stress are some of the risks associated with telework that may have an impact on the musculoskeletal and mental health of workers.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has released a MSD database of practical tools and guidance to make it somewhat easier to assess and manage many MSD risks, including those from teleworking.

It contains links to resources from all across Europe, such as publications, case studies, guidance, practical tools, audio-visual materials. So far, more than 550 entries are available and regular updates will follow during the the 2020-22 Healthy Workplaces Campaign ‘Lighten the Load’.

Check out the database entries on MSDs and telework

Read the OSHwiki article with practical tips for home-based telework