IntroductionWork-related musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a highly prevalent condition and one of the main contributors to disability and loss of work capacity. Current approaches to the management and prevention of work-related MSK pain do not consistently integrate current evidence-based knowledge and seem to be outdated. The Prevent4Work (P4W) Project aims to collect and spread evidence-based information to improve the management and prevention of work-related MSK pain. P4W will longitudinally investigate (1) risk factors associated with the prevalence of work-related MSK pain, (2) predictive factors for new events of work-related MSK pain in the short term and (3) the modification of pain beliefs after participating in evidence-based e-learning courses.Methods and analysisThis project employs a mixed-methods design with international cohorts of workers from Spain, Italy and Denmark. All participants will be assessed using self-reported variables at baseline (ie, cross-sectional design) with follow-up after 3 and 6 months (ie, prospective–predictive design). Throughout the first phase (0–3 months), all participants will be offered to self-enrol in e-learning courses on work-related MSK pain. Changes in pain beliefs (if any) will be assessed. The dataset will include sociodemographic characteristics, physical and psychological job demands, lifestyle-related factors, MSK pain history and pain beliefs. At baseline, all participants will additionally complete the P4W questionnaire developed to detect populations at high risk of suffering work-related MSK pain.Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and analysis of variance will be used to identify the significant factors that influence the history of work-related MSK pain, evaluate the short-term prediction capacity of the P4W questionnaire, and investigate whether workers’ participation in e-learning courses will modify their pain beliefs.Ethics and disseminationThe study received ethical approval from the Ethical Committee of San Jorge University (USJ011-19/20). The results will be made available via peer-reviewed publications, international conferences and P4W official channels.

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Historically, the role of professionals specialized in occupational health and safety (OHS) has emerged from the need to protect employers working in major risk industries such as nuclear plants and large-scale chemical industries in Europe. More recently, a few studies highlighted that the range of activities linked to safety management responsibilities includes monitor and prepare reports, inspection and auditing, regulatory compliance, emergency response, incident investigation, hazard and risk assessment, and training. Additionally, there are some supplementary non-safety related duties, such as including environmental responsibility. Considering that work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD) are a major burden worldwide, adding up to 1.3 billion cases, more than 100 million years loss of disability-adjusted life years and that such disorders are common causes of disability and sick leave, this topic is highly relevant to OHS professionals. In EU Member States for which data are available, a large majority of all workers report complaints related to musculoskeletal disorders as their most serious work-related health problems. The percentage of workers reporting such complaints as their most serious health problem ranges from 40 % in Luxembourg to 70 % in Czech Republic and Finland. Furthermore, more than half of workers with musculoskeletal disorders reported taking time off work in a 12-month period. In the EU, 26 % of workers with musculoskeletal long-lasting disorders, that is lasting over 3 months, combined with other health problems report more than 8 days of absence per year. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have a key role in disseminating and increasing accessibility to the most up-to-date evidence available regarding the impact and management of musculoskeletal disorders, to facilitate translation of knowledge to implementation in practice. This way, the Knowledge Alliance Prevent4Work for Preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders has elaborated this document with the most recent and relevant knowledge within the topic. HEI that offer courses within OHS as well as graduation and post-graduation courses for health professionals that work within the area, may benefit from the recommendations presented here.

Le azioni volte a migliorare la salute e la sicurezza sul lavoro sono nate dalla necessità di proteggere dagli incidenti i dipendenti che lavorano nelle industrie europee, come le centrali nucleari o le grandi industrie chimiche. Oggi, questo campo si è evoluto in molte direzioni, e la prevenzione e la gestione dei disturbi muscoloscheletrici (DMS) è una delle sue principali linee d'azione, dato che sono la ragione principale per cui i lavoratori si assentano dal lavoro. In particolare, la prevalenza dei DMS rappresenta più di 1,3 miliardi di persone e una perdita di più di 100 milioni di anni di vita a causa della disabilità; sono una causa comune di inabilità e di assenza per malattia. Storicamente, l'approccio ai DMS sul posto di lavoro si è concentrato sull'adozione di misure ergonomiche, che in alcuni casi sono state positive. Tuttavia, nonostante le misure ergonomiche e biomeccaniche siano ampiamente implementate sul posto di lavoro, la crescente prevalenza dei DMS su scala globale indica che non sono misure sufficienti da sole, quindi sono necessari nuovi approcci olistici che tengano conto degli aspetti biologici, psicologici e sociali per affrontarli. L'Alleanza europea Prevent4Work per la prevenzione dei DMS sul posto di lavoro ha sviluppato questo documento come guida basata sulle più recenti e rilevanti conoscenze scientifiche. Sia le aziende che i loro dipendenti possono beneficiare delle raccomandazioni di questa guida.

Actions to improve occupational health and safety arose from the need to protect employees working in European industries, such as nuclear power plants or large-scale chemical industries, from accidents. Today, the field has evolved in many directions, with the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) being one of its main lines of action. MSDs are the main reason for workers to take time off work. Specifically, the prevalence of MSDs represents more than 1.3 billion people and a loss of more than 100 million years of life due to disability; they are a common cause of disability and sick leave. Historically, the workplace approach to MSDs has focused on adopting ergonomic measures, which has been positive in some cases. However, despite ergonomic and biomechanical measures being widely implemented in the workplace, the increasing prevalence of MSDs globally indicates that they are not sufficient measures on their own. Therefore, new holistic approaches that take biological, psychological, and social aspects are needed to address them. The European Prevent4Work Alliance for innovative measures to prevent MSDs in the workplace has developed this document as a guide based on the most recent and relevant scientific knowledge. Both companies and their employees can benefit from the recommendations of this guide