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First of all, the condition of musculoskeletal disorders covers a broad group of clinical disorders that impact the musculoskeletal system and include a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative conditions affecting muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, peripheral nerves and supporting blood vessels. The intensity of these disorders and the associated impact on those affected vary greatly.

Skeletal disorders include fractures; fracture of vertebral column with or without mention of spinal cord lesion; dislocation; arthropathies (disorders of joints); dorsopathies (disorders of the spinal vertebrae and intervertebral discs); osteopathies (disorders of the bones); chondropathies (disorders of the cartilage); and acquired musculoskeletal deformities. Besides, muscular disorders typically include strains and sprains of joints and adjacent muscles; disorders of muscle, tendons and other soft tissues; and hernia.

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Second of all, mental disorders that result from work-related mental stress can be caused by events such as exposure to a traumatic situation, exposure to violence, harassment, bullying or work pressure. There may be many factors that affect whether or not an individual feels mental stress. Perhaps, some of these factors are external like those relating to aspects of their work, while others are internal and relate to the way people think and behave.

In Australia, for instance, the occupations with the highest rates of workers’ compensation claims for mental disorders over the three-year period 2008/2009 to 2010/2011 include train drivers & assistants; police officers; ambulance officers & paramedics; prison officers; welfare associate professionals; welfare & community workers; fire fighters; social workers; secondary school teachers; and special education teachers. Bottom line, many of these occupation groups are characterized by high levels of personal responsibility for the welfare of others or being witness to extreme or traumatic situations.

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Finally, occupational hearing loss is a hearing impairment arising from exposure to excessive noise at work. The degree of hearing loss is generally cumulative, increasing with both the length of time exposed and the level of noise. While occupational hearing loss is almost entirely preventable, the damage is irreversible once acquired. Because hearing loss occurs naturally with ageing, the effects of occupational noise exposure among older workers can be difficult to distinguish from. For this reason, the workers’ compensation claims for hearing loss in Australia, for example, are limited to those caused by long-term exposure to sounds and excludes hearing loss related to trauma.