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Concept of Margin of Manoeuvre in Return to Work

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Handbook of Return to Work

Abstract

Part of workplace-based return to work programs, a need for a margin of maneuver, exists throughout the process. Margin of maneuver is defined as the possibility that a worker may develop different ways of working in order to meet production targets, without having adverse effects on his or her health; it was first developed in ergonomics and recently adapted to rehabilitation. In our view, the presence of margin of maneuver is a prerequisite for workers staying at work in good health and helps clinicians better achieve effective interventions for ensuring a sustainable return to work. In this chapter, we will first define the concept of margin of maneuver. Its types, dimensions, and indicators in a work rehabilitation context will be presented followed by steps to create this process within a return to work context. Finally, these steps will be illustrated by a case history.

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Acknowledgments

The projects on the development of the MM were funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Fonds de recherche du Québec–Santé (FRQS), and the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST).

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Correspondence to Marie-José Durand .

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Durand, MJ., Vézina, N., Richard, MC. (2016). Concept of Margin of Manoeuvre in Return to Work. In: Schultz, I., Gatchel, R. (eds) Handbook of Return to Work. Handbooks in Health, Work, and Disability, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7627-7_3

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