Implementation of a Participatory Ergonomics Intervention to Reduce Musculoskeletal and Stress-Related Mental Health Risks in Australian Retail Workers: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The study recruited 18 retail stores total, split equally between intervention and control conditions, with 332 participants enrolled.

• 9 control and 9 intervention stores were recruited through random selection of eligible stores.
• A total of 332 participants have been recruited to the study.
• Response rates have averaged 46% across control and intervention groups.
• Stores were drawn from the online order fulfillment department of a large retail organization in Australia.

The trial uses a cluster quasi-randomized controlled trial design comparing the APHIRM toolkit intervention to usual safety risk management practice.

• The design is described as a 'cluster quasi-randomized controlled trial.'
• The intervention is facilitated by the organization's safety team, as is typical for workplaces.
• Quantitative data are collected at baseline and 12-month follow-up.
• Qualitative data to enable a process evaluation are collected over the duration of the study.

Primary outcome measures are physical and psychosocial hazard severity scores, to be analyzed by variance-weighted cluster-level ANCOVA.

• Secondary outcomes include self-rated pain and discomfort scores and action plan implementation measures.
• Managers' progression through Stages of Change (SoC) is an additional outcome measure.
• The primary outcome measures will be analyzed by 'variance-weighted cluster-level ANCOVA.'
• The Stages of Change framework is used for tailoring ergonomics interventions to managers' receptiveness.

The study timeline spans from mid-2025 to anticipated primary findings publication in Spring 2028.

• Ethics approval was granted by the La Trobe University Human Research Ethics Committee (HEC25088).
• Funding was provided in June 2025.
• Recruitment and randomization concluded in early August 2025.
• The intervention and data collection commenced in late August 2025 and is expected to conclude in September 2026.
• As of January 2026, no data analyses have been conducted.

The study aims to evaluate how managers' readiness to act, framed through the Stages of Change framework, influences outcomes of a participatory ergonomics program.

• Previously identified barriers to participatory ergonomics include securing long-term management support to implement risk reduction measures.
• Few studies evaluate how a manager or decision maker's readiness to act influences outcomes of a participatory ergonomics program.
• The Stages of Change framework 'has been suggested for tailoring ergonomics interventions to managers' receptiveness in a workplace setting.'
• Findings are expected to 'further inform tailoring of interventions to managers' and decision-makers' SoC.'

The study targets both work-related musculoskeletal disorders and stress-related mental health problems as dual outcomes in a retail worker population.

• Worker participation has been identified as important for managing the risks of both WMSDs and stress-related mental health problems.
• The APHIRM toolkit is evaluated specifically in the online order fulfillment department of a large retail organization.
• Findings are intended to 'provide additional insight on how to implement the toolkit in large organizations to reduce WMSD and stress-related MHP risk.'
• The study is registered on OSF Registries (10.17605/OSF.IO/82R9G).