The Institute for Work and Health has found that factory work tasks can affect soft-tissue injury rates more than smoking, obesity, and low physical activity combined. The problems, said the institute, are both physical and psychosocial. Physical factors are workstation design, weight of objects lifted and frequency of lifting, and how fast the tasks are performed. Fritzler worked as a temp at another cheese factory, and there they switched tasks every 20 minutes instead of every two hours. Switching tasks, reported the institute, is helpful.
Psychosocial factors involve support from coworkers and supervisors.
They comment when someone is working slower than usual.