RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In via of the progressive emergence in Italy of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the EPM Research Unit decided to set up a national working group with the aim of producing a Consensus Document including methods and criteria as an initial attempt towards managing such diseases as true "listed" work-related diseases as is already done in the other European Union countries. The working group includes experts from INAIL, ISPESL, welfare assistance institutions, local prevention and health protection services: The group's research activity was included in ISPESL's funded research plan. CONTENTS: The Consensus Document includes a review of epidemiologic issues reported in the international literature, comments on the application of current legislation, observations on the guilt profiles of employers and occupational physicians, as well as medical-legal issues. The document proposes an analytical list of musculoskeletal disorders of upper (and lower) limbs and the operational criteria for identification of working activities involving a risk from upper limb biomechanical overload. In this case, more than on other occasions, it was realized how difficult it is to adopt consolidated task/risk/damage matrices since the same task may or may not be at risk depending both on the way the task is done and on the technical aspects (lines, work parts, procedures, tools) and organization (rate, rotas, breaks). CONCLUSIONS: For the specific aims of the present document, it is possible to identify, though not exhaustively and with some limitations, a series of jobs and working conditions where the risk may be reasonably presumed and for which it is possible to adopt a list system (at least as regards "significant exposure"). The document also includes a chapter on health surveillance recommendations for the occupational physician.