MSD Prevention Safety Meeting Series

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MSD PreventionSafety Meeting Series
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What are MSDs?

• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• MSD is an umbrella term for many different
  medical diagnoses
• MSDs are injuries / disorders of
• Muscles
• Tendons Tendon sheaths
• Spinal discs
• Ligaments
• Nerves
• Blood vessels

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MSD Facts

• In Ontario, MSDs account for
• 42 of all lost-time claims and claim costs
• 50 of all lost-time days
• 039 Pulp and Paper
• 041 - Corrugating

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MSD Hazards - Force

• Force
• Excessive force is a concern because it can
  overload muscles, tendons and other tissues
• Different types of force
• Force exerted by the muscles when doing a task
• Force on hands, wrists, knees, elbows, etc. due
  to tools, edges, etc.

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MSD Hazards - Posture

• Posture
• Posture describes the relative position of
  various body parts
• For most joints, good (neutral) posture means
  that the joints are in the middle of their range
  of motion
• The farther a joint moves away from neutral the
  more strain there is on the muscles, tendons,
  ligaments, etc.

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MSD Hazards - Repetition

• Repetition
• Repetitive tasks may not provide enough rest for
  muscles and tendons to recover
• Repetitive forceful activities and awkward
  postures
• Speed of movement effects ability of muscles to
  generate force
• Generally the faster muscles move the less force
  they can generate

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Recognize MSD Hazards

• Your eyes and ears are the best tools you have
• Talk to and listen to the workers
• Difficult / time consuming tasks
• Pain and discomfort
• Surveys are a good way to get feedback and
  information

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Recognize MSD Hazards
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MSD Risk Assessment

• Simple Risk Assessment
• Will probably work for most MSD hazards
• Uses workers opinions and experiences to
• Verify that there is a problem
• Clarify which hazard contribute to discomfort
• Establish root causes of the hazards
• Use when
• MSD hazards are very clearly understood
• Agreement on the root cause of the hazards

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MSD Risk Assessment

• Identify Root Causes

• Process
• Little task variety
• Pace set by upstream
• equipment

• Equipment
• Work height not adj.
• Broken rollers not fixed

MSDs (Poor quality productivity)

• Materials
• Poor quality materials
• No handles on
• packaging

• Environment
• Cold draft from
• shipping area in winter

• Human
• Reluctant to rotate
• Not using standing
• platforms

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MSD Hazard Controls

• Involve workers
• Brainstorm controls
• Review / investigate control ideas
• Select preferred control options
• Implement controls

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Solutions for Force

• Eliminate
• Automate, mechanize, lifting aid
• Improve the Task
• Reduce weight, size and handling frequency
• Add handles to loads
• Improve Technique
• Use larger muscle groups
• Get help

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Solutions for Posture

• Keep items below shoulder height
• Keep items above knee height
• Design for better gripping
• Use adjustable height tables, chairs

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Solutions for Repetition

• Eliminate
• Automate the task
• Reduce
• Job rotation
• Job Enlargement
• Improve
• better tools
• better posture
• less force

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MSD Hazard Controls
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MSD Hazard Controls
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For More Information

• MSD Prevention Guideline
• MSD Resource Manual
• MSD Prevention Toolbox
• Available at www.pphsa.on.ca