English version - Fit for Work Europe

Work and MSDs in Japan
18
3.2
Definitions
and available
data
Figure 3.2. Proportion of respondents reporting health issues that have affected work or
productivity, by type
Pain
Including: Chronic back or neck
shoulder pain
Including: Arthritic pain
Mental illness
Physical injury or disability
Non-infectious chronic disease
Infectious disease
15.3%
14.7%
23.7%
23.7%
27.1%
31.6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
The lack of standardisation and validation of the terminology and classification of MSDs is
one of the reasons for the contradictory findings in the literature regarding the diagnosis,
epidemiology, treatment and rehabilitation of these conditions (WHO, 2003).
55.3%
Source: American Chamber of Commerce Japan (ACCJ, 2011b)
The list of occupational diseases in Japan, specified under the Ordinance for Enforcement of
the Labour Standards Act of 1947, includes among others the following illnesses associated
with jobs which involve extreme physical tension:
a. Muscle, tendon, bone, or joint illness or prolapse of internal organs due to strenuous
jobs;
b. Low back pain resulting from work that involves handling heavy objects, work done in
unnatural postures, or work which involves excessive tension to low back;
c. Peripheral circulatory failure, peripheral nerve disorder, or motive organ disorder
of fingers, forearms etc., associated with vibrations of the body due to the use of
equipment or machinery, such as rock drills, rivetters, or chain saws;
Fit For Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Japanese Labour Market