PREMUS 2025: 12th International Scientific Conference on the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
About this meeting
Funding Acknowledgement
- The PREMUS 2025 Conference is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Projektnummer: 568578049. The funding depends on the number of postgraduate participants and may be up to 31.500 €
- The PREMUS 2025 Conference is funded by the German Social Accident Insurance (Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e.V., DGUV) with 10.000,- €
Welcome
Welcome Speech Opening Ceremony by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Rosemann
Former member of the German Bundestag - Committee on Labor and Social Affairs
The demographic change in our society, combined with the transformation of the world of work due to digitalization and the structural transformation of our economy, requires a proactive labour market and social policy that actively and individually supports employees throughout their working lives. This applies equally to the preservation of human capital through training and to maintaining the health of employees. My guiding principle is the welfare state as a partner that provides unbureaucratic and low-threshold assistance when needed. In recent years, I have been able to contribute to starting this path in Germany. In many respects, however, we are only at the beginning. To be successful, much closer cooperation is required between the various branches of social insurance. And those affected – employees and employers alike – must also be motivated to do so. Impulses from science are both necessary and valuable for this.
Welcome Address by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. (Dōshisha) Karla Pollmann
President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tübingen
Dear Scientists from Tübingen and around the world,
Dear international Guests,
Welcome to the 12th International Scientific Conference on the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders!
As President of the University of Tübingen, it is my pleasure and great honor to greet you all here today.
Let me first express my heartfelt thanks to the members of the Organizing Committee: Professor Dr. Steinhilber, Professor Rieger, Dr. Luger, Dr. Rind and Dr. Hildenbrand. Without you, this Conference would not be possible. Thank you very much for your outstanding committment!
I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Chairs of the contributing Scientific Committees of the International Commission on Occupational Health. I would like to express our sincere gratitude for your great dedication to the planning of the programme and for your active participation in the conference itself. Thank you Dr. Sharan, Professor Collie, Professor Nieuwenhuijsen, and Dr. Agaba!
Our sincere gratitude is also extended to the German Social Accident Insurance and the German Research Foundation for their financial support. It is truly valuable to have such reliable partners in pursuing our ambitious and promising research initiatives — not only in material terms, but also through their strong ideational and institutional backing.
Sincere thanks are likewise owed to the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the German Society for Work Science, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. This broad base of support reflects both the high regard in which this conference is held and the wide-ranging interest it inspires.
Dear guests, this broad support is ultimately directed toward all of you — the researchers, practitioners, and experts who bring life and substance to this event. It is a great pleasure to welcome so many of you here today.
On behalf of my University, I extend a warm welcome to all speakers of this conference. Many of you have undertaken a long journey – from Denmark, Brazil, or even Australia. Thank you very much for making time in your busy schedules to contribute to this important dialogue in Tübingen!
By contributing the expertise of internationally renowned researchers and practitioners, you are significantly shaping the future of the Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research at our Tübingen University Hospital. It is particularly fitting that this conference coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Institute.
Since 1965, it has been committed to developing sustainable approaches in occupational health – in research, teaching, and practice.
As part of our Excellence Strategy at the University of Tübingen, we aim to advance our collaborative research environment, to enhance global awareness in research, training and education, and to engage more fully with society.
In this light, I especially appreciate the international and interdisciplinary character of this conference – and of the Institute itself. The conference not only addresses the pressing challenges of an evolving world of work and of demographic change – both of which are among the major societal issues of our time – but also showcases the full spectrum of research within our Faculty of Medicine: from basic science to clinical research, health services, and implementation research.
Beyond what promises to be a very stimulating exchange of different approaches, viewpoints, and experiences, you will hopefully also have the chance to explore our beautiful town and its surroundings. We hope your stay with us will be both enjoyable and memorable. May this conference be an inspiration for your further research projects – here in Tübingen and beyond.
Thank you!
Welcome Address by Bärbel Bas
Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Member of the German Bundestag
Ladies and Gentlemen,
PREMUS 2025 participants,
Welcome to the “12th International Scientific Conference on the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders”. Even a cursory examination of the programme provides ample evidence that the topics you have chosen are at the forefront of today’s concerns. The spread of digital technologies, demographic developments and other current challenges in the world of work also raise new questions in the area of occupational disorders and their prevention.
Physical demands on the musculoskeletal system are essential for maintaining good health, but sometimes physical demands result in work-related disorders. Good preventative measures are required to ensure these problems do not arise. Physical demands should be limited to an intensity that activates the musculoskeletal system and keeps it healthy, but does not overtax it. Demands should always be kept to a minimum and health hazards should be avoided wherever possible.
The central instrument of prevention in Germany is risk assessment by employers. Employers must assess the risks to employees at work and determine which health and safety measures are required. This should be done together with employees or their representatives. The accident insurance institutions and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health provide various methods for assessing musculoskeletal stress. They help employers find the right health and safety measures. Technical, organisational and finally individual measures need to be developed. Occupational health care also plays a role. Its aim is to recognise work-related disorders at an early stage and, in the best case, to prevent them.
A good example is how heavy loads are handled: For activities involving significantly increased physical strain, such as lifting, holding, carrying, pulling or pushing heavy loads, employers must actively offer employees occupational health care before they start the activity and at regular intervals thereafter.
It is not always possible to prevent work-related disorders, however, even when good measures to that end have been taken. Musculoskeletal disorders have been included in Germany’s list of occupational disorders for many decades. Since it was first published exactly 100 years ago, this list has been constantly expanded. It currently contains eleven disorders relating to work-related damage to the musculoskeletal system. Many of these disorders are widespread. In such instances, accident insurance institutions are tasked with the challenging job of distinguishing between spinal column damage or knee joint arthrosis caused by work-related strain and that caused by other factors.
In order to make this important distinction, it is helpful to use the assessment recommendations that the umbrella organisations of the statutory accident insurance institutions developed in consensus with the relevant medical associations. Medical expertise, whether in the form of assessment recommendations or individual expert opinions, is indispensable in the field of occupational disorders to ensure that they are recognised and compensated by the statutory accident insurance.
However, it is equally important to consider the overarching research question of whether there are other disorders that meet the criteria set out in Germany’s legislation on occupational disorders. The field of epidemiological research has been generating a wealth of fresh insights in this area.
In Germany, the Medical Expert Advisory Committee on Occupational Diseases is responsible for monitoring the current state of scientific knowledge. It advises the Federal Government on the inclusion of new occupational disorders and on updating information for existing ones. On this basis, three new occupational disorders were added to the list with effect from 1 April 2025, including “lesion of the rotator cuff due to long-term intensive strain on the shoulder”.
Without the input of medical experts, it is inconceivable that legislation on occupational disorders can be advanced. Over 100 years, an enormous amount of expertise has been accumulated. This expertise needs to be utilised, but also kept up to date. With this in mind, I hope you enjoy lively discussions and build lasting connections at PREMUS 2025.
Welcome Address by Prof. Dr. Thomas Kraus, MD
President of the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (DGAUM)
Preventing work-related illnesses is becoming increasingly important in light of current social and health policy challenges. Facing demographic change, longer working lives, an increase in employees with reduced performance and a growing proportion of female professionals in formerly male-dominated occupations, innovative and effective prevention approaches are now more essential than ever.
Promoting healthy working conditions and maintaining employability are key tasks for society as a whole. Illnesses – regardless of whether they are work-related – have a significant impact on the entire lives of working people and thus have far-reaching effects on their private lives and on society as a whole.
As a preventive medical discipline, occupational medicine in Germany places particular emphasis on the early detection of employees at risk. Both work-related strain on the musculoskeletal system and individual factors – such as age, gender or pre-existing conditions – play a decisive role in this. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common cause of sickness-related absences from work in Germany, with a significant proportion directly related to work and working conditions. As these disorders often develop over years of cumulative stress, the underlying risks are not always easy to identify.
The Premus Conference plays a prominent role in this context: as the most important international platform for scientific exchange on the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, it takes place under the umbrella of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH). We, the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (DGAUM), very much welcome the fact that this important exchange will take place in Germany this year.
We would like to express our special thanks to the Institute for Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Health Services Research in Tübingen, which was founded 60 years ago and is thus one of the oldest occupational medicine institutes in Germany. It is hosting the Premus Conference this year – a testament to its many years of outstanding research work.
We would like to congratulate the institute on its 60th anniversary. The research conducted in Tübingen makes a significant contribution to the prevention of work-related illnesses – a core task of occupational medicine. Companies, employees and the healthcare system alike benefit from the research results obtained from the dedicated researchers at the Institute.
We wish you a successful congress with inspiring and constructive scientific exchange in the spirit of prevention.
Welcome Address by Dr.-Ing. Johannes Brombach
President of the German Society for Ergonomics (GfA)
Dear participants of the Premus Conference 2025,
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) represent one of the most prevalent work-related health issues in Europe, affecting millions of workers across various sectors. These conditions result in significant annual economic losses. Despite the increasing integration of technology and the modernization of the workplace, it cannot necessarily be assumed that working conditions have universally improved. The etiology of MSDs remains multifactorial, with both physical overexertion and insufficient physical activity. The subject continues to play a significant role.
The Epidemiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, constrained postures and the effect of an aging workforce and great diversity of circumstances are typical focus themes.
Targeted prevention and reduction of MSDs through innovative measures not only contributes to improving the health and quality of life of employees, but also leads to a reduction in sick leave and an increase in productivity. This means that investments in health protection makes sense both socially and economically. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of these topics and to identify directions for future research and practice. The topics of robotics and exoskeletons, risk assessment, return to work and rehabilitation, as well as wearable technologies for exposure detection and assessment, are of critical importance in the field of occupational health.
The GfA (i.e. Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft or the German Society for Ergonomics) continues to regard the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders as a topic of great importance within Germany. Our network is involved in both national and international activities in the field of work design with the aim of preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and these activities are the subject of ongoing current research. The Tübingen Institute, which was founded 60 years ago and is one of the oldest occupational health institutes in Germany, plays a prominent role in this field. It is therefore a pleasure and an honor for the Society for Ergonomics to contribute to the foreword of the Premus Conference. We are confident that the 12th International Conference on the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders will significantly contribute to the advancement of research in the field of musculoskeletal disorders and open up new perspectives for scientific discourse.
Welcome Address by Prof. Dr. Rolf Ellegast
Director Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV)
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the most common causes of incapacity for work in Germany, resulting in significant economic costs. In 2023, for example, MSDs accounted for 19% of all days of incapacity for work, resulting in production losses of €128 billion. The prevention of MSDs therefore is economically sensible. Yet, what is more: Tackling MSDs helps improve the lives of workers. Preventing these disorders is therefore a key priority for the statutory accident insurance institutions, their umbrella organisation DGUV und particularly its Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IFA).
With Western workforces growing older und sedentary work being an almost unavoidable result of the progressive digitalization of the world of work, MSDs are gaining in importance. The German accident insurance system has been involved in research on the prevention of MSDs in the workplace for almost three decades. This commitment bore and still bears fruit: There is a wide range of services to support the prevention of MSD in the workplace. These include, for example, ergonomic assessment methods and the design of human-machine interfaces, as well as guidance on age-appropriate workplace design. Practical tools, such as the MSD risk assessment checklist and the DGUV recommendation on ‘Musculoskeletal workloads, including vibrations’ help companies to implement occupational health and safety measures. A more recent approach in Germany the statutory accident insurance institutions and DGUV are supporting, is the so-called individual prevention. This approach targets employees with symptoms or an elevated risk of MSDs, with the aim of preventing the onset or progression of occupational diseases.
Scientific evidence is the prerequisite for any targeted prevention effort. The DGUV therefore conducts ongoing research into current and upcoming challenges, such as the physical inactivity associated with sedentary jobs, the effectiveness of exoskeletons, and the physical workload involved in working with mobile screens. One key tool in this research is the IFA’s CUELA system, which has been successfully used for many years to measure musculoskeletal workload in the workplace and which up to now has also been the subject of many international collaborations.
International cooperation and exchange, e. g. in the Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH), are precious and economically viable means of achieving faster and more effective research results by pooling resources and expertise. And MSDs are a global problem! Throughout Europe alone they affect millions of workers. This is why the DGUV takes great pleasure in supporting the PREMUS 2025 conference as an excellent opportunity to foster exactly this kind of exchange.
In this context, special thanks go to the Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research at the University of Tübingen, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. As one of the oldest institutes of occupational medicine in Germany, it combines research and teaching to a high standard. The fact that PREMUS 2025 is being held under its scientific leadership in Germany highlights the importance of occupational health research in our country.
The DGUV is proud to be part of this significant event and wishes all participants a fruitful exchange and valuable insights. Let’s all join forces to advance MSD prevention in the workplace!
