Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders Updated

Description

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for a significant proportion of lost time injuries, and are a leading cause of lost-time injury claim costs and lost-time workdays in Canada. MSDs are often painful and disabling, and in severe cases, can result in permanent disability. Prevention is critical to reducing the incidence of workplace injuries, promoting the overall health and well-being of workers, and improving the ergonomics of workplace activities.

This manual is a resource for employers and workers to help identify, eliminate, and control the sources of MSDs in the workplace.

Objectives

This manual outlines how to develop a musculoskeletal disorder prevention program and implement techniques to eliminate and control risk factors in the workplace.

It will help you to:

• Identify and understand the risk factors causing MSDs for manual material handling tasks
• Provide guidance and tools for developing an MSD prevention program

Scope

This manual explains what musculoskeletal disorders are, how and why they occur, and how to identify the risk factors that cause them. It outlines how to develop a program that is focused on the elimination and control of MSD risk factors from the workplace, with an emphasis on manual materials handling which includes lifting, pushing, pulling and other tasks.

Note: The information in this publication is based on good practice principles and techniques. The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance. It is not intended to replace the requirements outlined in occupational health and safety legislation.

Target Audience

Everyone at the workplace will benefit from protecting against risk factors related to musculoskeletal disorders.

• Employers can reduce the likelihood and severity of work-related MSDs by implementing an MSD prevention program.
• Health and Safety Committee members and representatives, and health and safety professionals can use this manual as a resource for identifying risk factors and helping to develop strategies to prevent MSDs in the workplace.
• Supervisors will find this manual helpful in educating workers on the risks and prevention strategies by observing work practices and modifying tasks or workstations to eliminate or control hazards.
• All workers can use the information in this manual to understand the risks and adopt good practices so that they can actively participate in minimizing MSD-related injuries.

Each publication produced by CCOHS undergoes several stages of review. As part of this review, representatives from government, employers, and labour are requested to comment on draft copies of CCOHS documents for technical accuracy and readability.

Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy and completeness of the information, it is understood that CCOHS makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and assumes no liability for any damages or loss suffered as a result of any inaccuracy or incompleteness therein.

Publication date: December 2024