HomeAbout UsSafety Matters Blog
By: Shawn Budden
Shawn Budden is an Ergonomist with WCB Nova Scotia. He works with employers and industry groups to help prevent workplace injuries.
February 29 (a fitting, non-repetitive day), or February 28 on non-leap years, is the international day to promote awareness and prevention for repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), also known as musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs).
In 2023, sprains and strains accounted for 3,309 (or 63.4 per cent) of all time-loss claims registered with WCB Nova Scotia.
The good news is, most MSIs are easily preventable. Learn more about the risks and how to prevent them in your workplace below.
The term MSI is used to classify injuries caused by excess demand on the soft tissues of the body. This includes tendons, muscles, or nerves, with injuries regularly involving the neck, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Common injuries are carpal tunnel syndrome and lateral epicondylitis or “tennis elbow”.
Any physical task that is performed regularly has a degree of risk for developing an MSI. In Nova Scotia, these types of injuries are common for workers in health care, construction, fishing, or any field where lifting, exertion or repetitive tasks are integral to the job.
Movements such as reaching, gripping, and lifting occur every day and do not typically result in injury, but risk of injury increases when these movements involve one or more of the following factors:
In addition to understanding the risk factors for MSIs, it’s important to identify the warning signs early. Work adjustments and treatments are more successful when applied during the initial stages of injury. Signs and symptoms can include:
If you are experiencing signs or symptoms of an MSI, talk to your employer or health and safety representative about making accommodations as soon as possible, and seek medical attention if necessary.
Most MSIs are preventable with a few simple adjustments to your workspace and routines.
Awareness is the first step to reducing the occurrence and severity of MSIs. Talk with colleagues and employees about the risk factors and warning signs. WCB Nova Scotia has lots of great resources to help facilitate conversations about the importance prevention in your workplace.
Workstations and jobs can be assessed to minimize or eliminate risk factors through design (i.e. mechanical lifts) or controls such as job rotation to reduce worker fatigue. Our Risk Mapping Tool will help you identify problems areas and possible solutions.
Employees should understand controls and how to adjust workstations to reduce the likelihood of fatigue and injury. Download our MSI Prevention Guide to get started. You can follow along as I take you through the guide and show you how to apply simple and effective changes in your workplace:
To learn more about MSIs and how they can be prevented, please visit: Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety WCB Nova Scotia Association of Canadian Ergonomists