Work-related musculoskeletal disorders continue to be a serious health hazard for employers. Each year nearly two million workers suffer as a result of MSDs bone or muscle disorders. These injuries accounted for a third of those workers lost work time as a result of these disorders. These injuries place a burden on the workers as well as on the economy. These injuries cost the company an estimate $20 billion per year in worker’s compensation claims (U.S. Department of Labor, 2004). The Dow Chemical Company addressed ergonomic injuries by utilizing a method known as the “Six Stigma”. The result contributes to the Dow’s goal of reducing injury and illness among employees by 90%. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2004).
