February 6, 2012

Ontario labour blitz to focus on musculoskeletal disorders

TORONTO

Hazards involving manual materials handling that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the focus of a provincial blitz this month.

Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspectors will target workplaces in the construction, health care, industrial and mining sectors.

They will focus on the manual lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying of materials that can lead to MSDs such as injuries to muscles, tendons, nerves and spinal discs. They will also check on the handling of clients in health care workplaces.

In the construction sector, inspectors will check on masonry, rod working, roofing, and electrical work in the homebuilding (low-rise and highrise) and the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sectors.

They will focus on the moving and storage of materials, housekeeping, access and egress to work locations, work being done on ladders and maintenance of vehicles, machinery, and equipment that could lead to extra physical demands.

MSDs are injuries and disorders of the muscles, tendons, nerves and spinal discs, etc. They can develop as a result of ongoing exposure to such things as repetitive work, forceful exertions such as heaving lifting, carrying and awkward postures that can affect the bones, joints, ligaments and other soft tissues.

In 2010, MSDs accounted for 42 per cent of all WSIB lost-time injuries, 40 per cent of new claim costs and 43 per cent of days lost at work in Ontario.

“We are taking the prevention of these disorders very seriously, not only because they are so commonplace but also because they are so debilitating. Employers must identify the hazards and then work with the employees to eliminate those hazards. Safe and healthy working environments are in everyone’s best interest,” said Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour, in a release.

The blitz is part of the province’s Safe at Work Ontario strategy to ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. Since 2008, ministry inspectors have conducted more than 266,000 field visits, 36 inspection blitzes and issued more than 426,000 compliance orders.

DCN NEWS SERVICES

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