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Location: Ministry of Labour > News Releases > 2008

Backgrounder
Document d'information

WORKPLACE ERGONOMICS-RELATED INJURIES

Workplace ergonomics-related injuries develop because of the cumulative effects of repetitive, stressful or awkward movements on bones, joints, ligaments and other soft tissues. Ergonomics (the science of fitting the work to the worker) is considered a key to injury prevention.

These types of injuries and disorders include:

• Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
• Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
• Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) and
• Repetitive Motion Injury (RMI).

Key facts:

• Workplace ergonomics-related injuries are responsible for more than 40 per cent of all lost-time injuries, causing serious pain and suffering for Ontario workers and economic loss for employers.
• In the last 10 years, Ontario employers paid more than $19 billion in direct and indirect costs related to this problem, according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).

Pains and Strains Campaign

In January 2006, Ontario launched the Pains and Strains Campaign to implement six recommendations of the Minister of Labour’s Ergonomics Advisory Panel:

1. Increase education and awareness of MSDs and their prevention
   • The ministry created a resource sheet to help workers and employers identify and prevent ergonomics-related injuries in the workplace.
   • The ministry launched the Pains and Strains website.
2. Focus on MSD prevention during inspections
   • Ministry of Labour inspectors are raising awareness of ergonomic-related injuries and risk factors by providing employers and workers with information about ergonomic hazards.
   • MSD enforcement activities are now conducted in all workplaces.
3. Enhanced training for inspectors on MSD prevention
   • Ministry of Labour inspectors have received ergonomics training to allow them to identify ergonomics-related hazards and take appropriate action.
4. New resource materials
   • The ministry released the MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario and the Resource Manual for the MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario.
   • The MSD Prevention Toolbox that accompanies the guideline is being released today.
   • MSD prevention resource material has been collected and a website launched to present this information.
5. Improved tracking of ergonomics-related inspections
   • The ministry has implemented new mechanisms to track ergonomics-related inspections.
6. Increased ergonomic expertise
   • The position of Provincial Ergonomist has been reinstated. The Provincial Ergonomist leads the Pains and Strains campaign and acts as the senior ministry expert on ergonomics.

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For further information:

Media enquiries:

Bruce Skeaff Ministry of Labour 416-326-7405

See also:

• News Release
• Backgrounder: Muskoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Prevention Toolbox