NSC honors MākuSafe for advancing MSD prevention with wearable technology and data-driven insights.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for nearly a third of all worker injuries and illnesses and cost U.S. businesses billions each year. These numbers represent individuals whose health, livelihoods and quality of life are impacted.
That’s why the MSD Solutions Lab Safety Innovation Challenge is so important. Each year at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo, it shines a spotlight on breakthrough technologies designed to reduce MSD risks and make work safer. I’m proud to share after being a finalist last year, MākuSafe was named this year’s Challenge winner for our connected worker wearable and analytics platform.
The Safety Innovation Challenge is about recognizing new tools and driving meaningful change. By bringing together innovators and safety leaders, NSC is creating a platform where technologies that once felt futuristic can now be implemented in real workplaces. These solutions help address the biggest MSD drivers, including overexertion, awkward postures and repetitive motion.
At MākuSafe, we wanted to participate so we could show how innovation improves safety for those at risk. Winning reinforces our mission to combine technology with worker protection.
MākuSafe’s wearable armband and artificial intelligence/machine learning-powered analytics platform provide real-time, worker-centric insights on motion, exertion, ergonomics and environmental conditions like heat, noise, light levels and air quality. Rather than tracking individuals or assigning blame, the multi-function solution measures how work is performed in real-time — capturing data on posture, repetitive movement, forceful exertion and more. This information enables safety leaders to:
● Identify ergonomic risk hotspots
● Redesign tasks, tools and workflows
● Deliver timely, targeted coaching
● Intervene proactively before injuries occur
The platform has already delivered measurable results across industries such as manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, logistics and construction. For example, one national distribution company recorded its lowest number of strain and exertion injuries in more than a decade, with one site going a full year without a single incident. Other organizations have eliminated back and shoulder injuries across multiple sites for consecutive years and reduced overall injuries by more than 70% at pilot locations. Still, others have reduced workers’ compensation costs by 60%.
This recognition is about the impact on workers. Every data point collected and insight delivered is about sending people home safe, healthy and ready to enjoy life beyond the job, while intentionally avoiding worker privacy concerns by not monitoring any biometric data or PII, or tracking people. When workers know their employer invests in cutting-edge safety technology, it builds trust, reduces stress and fosters a stronger culture of care.
Winning the Challenge affirms that innovation can and should serve workers first. Technology has the power to make physically demanding jobs safer, less painful and more sustainable over time.
The MSD Solutions Lab Safety Innovation Challenge has become a catalyst for advancing safety technology. We’re proud to be part of this movement. For MākuSafe, this victory isn’t the finish line — it’s motivation to continue scaling solutions that proactively reduce MSD risks and help build safer workplaces everywhere.
Together with NSC, industry partners and workers, we are proving that innovation can help eliminate preventable injuries. Learn more about the Safety Innovation Challenge and preventing MSDs at nsc.org/msd.
With a century-long legacy, the National Safety Council is a global center for safety expertise. Let's work together to align resources. We look forward to learning about ways we can join efforts to expand safety everywhere!
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