|
Musculoskeletal Injury is the number one cause of injury among healthcare workers according to WCB statistics. In 2005, the overall injury rate for workers in the British Columbia healthcare industry was higher than the provincial average for all other industries combined.
This causes hundreds of thousands of days lost from work and WCB claim costs in the tens of millions of dollars. These WCB claims show that patient handling activities cause most of the musculoskeletal injuries among caregivers.
Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention (MSIP) programs should be established in all worksites. A good MSIP program contains tools and direction for recognizing early signs and symptoms of MSIs, outlines reporting procedures, and establishes participatory processes to implement control measures and evaluate their effectiveness. Early signs and symptoms of MSIs should be reported promptly so that changes might be made in the workplace.
The BCNU works with OH&S committee members and stewards to ensure programs are in place for the prevention of MSI’s. The employer is required to provide education on recognizing the early warning signs of MSI and the prevention of injury. All of this must be done in consultation with the joint OH&S committee.
The BCNU has developed a MSI toolkit to assist in understanding and changing workplace issues. For a copy of the MSI toolkit, contact
Pam Piddocke.
For further information on prevention of MSI please check the following links:
|
