Safety First: Preventing musculoskeletal disorders in your warehouse
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Sprains and strains account for almost 40 percent of injuries registered with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. That’s why it makes sense to take a close look at potential hazards within your warehouse that could lead to musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs.
MSDs are injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles, tendons, nerves and other soft tissues. Many body parts can be affected. The back is the most common, but the shoulders, neck, elbows, hands, and wrists are also frequently involved.
Simple, low-cost solutions are often all that’s needed to offset the impact of these hazards on both the employee and the organization.
MSDs can occur in the workplace when the demands of the job exceed the capabilities of the worker. They’re usually associated with these three main hazards:
1 Force when moving product and equipment;
2 Repetition when using the same body parts repeatedly, with few breaks or chances to rest;
3 Awkward posture when the muscle tissue is put at a mechanical disadvantage.
One of these hazards alone may not result in an injury, but the combined effect of all these hazards can create the perfect storm for a soft tissue injury. In a warehouse, we often see these hazards at play with sub-standard conditions, poor lifting techniques or habits that threaten the soft tissues over time. For example:
Fortunately, many of these hazards can be managed by taking a few key steps, many of which require little or no cost to implement. Try implementing these measures:
MSD hazards pose a significant threat to warehouse staff. Having just one person off work with a back injury could significantly impact your operation. You could run into scheduling issues with other team members who have to backfill.
Or, you could run into challenges with respect to re-integration because once an MSD has occurred, the chance of recurrence is higher. And that doesn’t even take into account how debilitating it can be for the employee who has been injured.
Prevention of these types of injuries is key. I’ve outlined a few things companies and employees can do to recognize and reduce the risk of MSDs but if you are unsure, consider an ergonomic assessment of your workplace. A qualified ergonomist can isolate the specific hazards and offer solutions to ensure your staff are working smarter, not harder.
After all, work shouldn’t hurt.