The February 2012 safety blitz will focus on Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) in the Industrial, Construction, Mining and Health Care Sectors. MSD’s are injuries and disorders of the muscles, tendons and nerves. They can develop as a result of ongoing exposure to such things as repetitive work, forceful exertions such as heavy lifting and carrying, awkward postures, and vibrating equipment that can affect the bones, joints, ligaments and other soft tissues.  

MSD’s can occur in any type of workplace. They account for 44 per cent of all lost-time injury claims in Ontario. In 2009, these resulted in:

·         More than 900,000 working days lost, and ·        

More than $111 million in Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) costs.  

If an MOL inspector arrives at your organization, here's what you can expect. The inspector will perform an administrative review including but not limited to:

·         How your workplace lives up to its roles under the Internal Responsibility System

·         Your MSD injury statistics

·         Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) minutes

·         Written procedures and training on MSD hazards, signs, symptoms and controls. 

Source: Ministry of Labour (MOL) and Health & Safety Ontario – Your Partners in Prevention