National Safety Council report shows progress in safety cultures, gaps in risk reduction and innovation

The National Safety Council released the 2024-2025 MSD Solutions Index Pledge Community Report, highlighting efforts to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the most common workplace injury. Now in its third year, the MSD Solutions Index shows steady progress in strengthening safety culture but calls for greater investment in risk reduction and innovation.

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Developed by the NSC MSD Solutions Lab, established in 2021 with funding from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), the MSD Solutions Index evaluates how organizations address MSDs across three key areas: risk reduction, safety culture and innovation, and collaboration. Among the participating organizations in this year's cycle, most (76%) were rated proactive or advancing in their MSD prevention strategies. However, progress remains slower in measurable risk reduction and the adoption of MSD prevention tools and technologies.

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of organizations that have completed the MSD Solutions Index for the last three years improved their overall scores, demonstrating that continuing participation in the MSD Pledge and an increased focus on MSD prevention leads to workplace safety progress.

"We're encouraged to see organizations' continued commitment to improving workplace safety through proactive culture-building and worker engagement," said Paige DeBaylo, PhD, director of the MSD Solutions Lab at NSC. "Still, the data show there's more work to be done in setting risk reduction goals, addressing non-physical risk factors like job stress and colleague support, and leveraging emerging technologies to drive lasting MSD prevention."

Key findings from the 2024-2025 report include:

-- Nearly 90% of organizations have an ergonomics orMSD prevention program

-- More companies are now tracking leading indicators, signaling a shift toward proactive prevention

-- Almost all (98%) organizations acknowledge the impact of non-physical risk factors, yet only half measure those factors

-- Three-quarters are engaging withMSD prevention technology, though one-quarter report limited knowledge of available solutions

The MSD Solutions Index is part of the MSD Pledge, a global initiative launched by the MSD Solutions Lab in 2022 to unite organizations in reducing workplace MSDs by fostering innovation, collaboration and data-driven safety improvements. To date, hundreds of companies have signed the pledge, committing to measurable progress and transparent reporting.

The report offers several recommendations to help organizations advance their MSD prevention efforts, including setting clear goals, involving frontline workers in safety decisions and adopting higher-level interventions beyond personal protective equipment, such as engineering controls and technology-enabled solutions.

Download the 2024-2025 MSD Solutions Index Pledge Community Report at nsc.org/pledge-report.

About the National Safety CouncilThe National Safety Council is America's leading nonprofit safety advocate - and has been for over 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.

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(C)2025 National Safety Council

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SOURCE National Safety Council

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