Understanding the potential health effects of MSIs among topics of discussion
WorkSafeBC is holding a free webinar discussion on musculoskeletal injury (MSI) and how to prevent it on May 26, 2021.
Set at 2:00-3:00 p.m., the Introduction to Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) Prevention will include information on:
- recognizing the signs and symptoms of MSIs
- understanding the potential health effects of MSIs
- identifying factors that place workers at risk for MSIs
“MSIs are strains, sprains, and inflammation caused or aggravated by work activities. MSIs are common in all industries and result from factors like forceful exertion, repetitive motion, and awkward postures,” according to WorkSafeBC.
The webinar is designed for joint health and safety committee members, employers, and workers. Those who want to attend must register here.
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are associated with work patterns that include fixed or constrained body positions; continual repetition of movements; force concentrated on small parts of the body, such as the hand or wrist; and a pace of work that does not allow sufficient recovery between movements, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
“WMSDs arise from arm and hand movements such as bending, straightening, gripping, holding, twisting, clenching and reaching. These common movements are not particularly harmful in the ordinary activities of daily life,” said CCOHS. “What makes them hazardous in work situations is the continual repetition, often in a forceful manner, and most of all, the speed of the movements and the lack of time for recovery between them.”
Musculoskeletal conditions have the most impact on employers’ overall health-care costs, according to 53 per cent of respondents to a survey in Canada and the United States released in December 2019.
Musculoskeletal injuries continue to make up the highest percentage of time-loss injuries in Nova Scotia at 63 per cent in 2020, according to a recent report.
WorkSafeBC’s Human Factors team can respond to stakeholders’ questions about MSI, according to the organization.
