The Quick Start, Basic and Comprehensive Guidelines provide a step-by-step process to help employers prevent MSD using specific risk assessment process, methods and approaches.
The Recognize, Assess, Control, Evaluate (RACE) process may be useful to some employers. The process is compatible with the risk assessment process in the basic and comprehensive guidelines.
Organizations need to set up a process for recognizing jobs with hazards, including MSD hazards even if no MSD, worker concerns, or reports of discomfort have been recorded. Workplaces need to plan to take advantage of information that they may already collect and review to help recognize jobs that expose workers to MSD hazards.
Risk Assessment is the process of identifying hazards, performing preliminary risk assessment, eliminating hazards if possible, performing further assessments as necessary, and choosing and implementing controls. A goal is to decide if hazard elimination or a control is required. If an MSD hazard is not clearly identified or understood and a root cause cannot be determined, then more studies are needed.
The progression from Preliminary Risk Assessment to Simple Risk Assessment to Full Risk Assessment minimizes the resources required for a decision on an MSD hazard.
If control of MSD Hazard is later needed, then in order to control it an in-depth Root Cause Analysis will be essential in eliminating hazards and controlling risks in a sustainable way.
RACE is a collaborative effort in which all internal stakeholders including workers need to be involved. Therefore, it is essential to create a Risk Assessment and Inspection Team to do the job.
Risk Assessment and Inspection Team, choose the appropriate method(s) for MSD hazard identification and risk assessment. The team should:
Risk Assessment is the process of identifying hazards, performing preliminary risk assessment, eliminating hazards if possible, performing further assessments as necessary, choosing and implementing controls.
A goal is to decide if hazard elimination or a control is required. If an MSD hazard is not clearly identified or understood and a root cause cannot be determined the more studies are needed.
The progression from Preliminary Risk Assessment to Simple Risk Assessment to Full Risk Assessment minimizes the resources required for a decision on an MSD hazard.
If control of MSD Hazard is later needed, then in order to control it, an in-depth Root Cause Analysis will be essential in eliminating hazards and controlling risks in a sustainable way.
Consider collecting information to help in a later control stage during the risk assessment process.
This refers to “Recognize” in RACE. Typically identified by basic or advanced screening tools, workers’ and other feedback and monitoring of injury and illness. Risk Assessment is the process of identifying hazards, performing preliminary risk assessment, eliminating hazards if possible, performing further assessments as necessary, and choosing and implementing controls. A goal is to decide if hazard elimination or a control is required. If an MSD hazard is not clearly identified or understood and a root cause cannot be determined, then more studies are needed.
The progression from Preliminary Risk Assessment to Simple Risk Assessment to Full Risk Assessment minimizes the resources required for a decision on an MSD hazard.
If control of MSD Hazard is later needed, then in order to control it, an in-depth Root Cause Analysis will be essential in eliminating hazards and controlling risks in a sustainable way.
It is important to find the root cause(s) of the identified MSD hazard. The following resources help you to better recognize MSD hazards in the workplace:
Decision: Can the MSD hazard be eliminated immediately?
If an MSD hazard and its root cause is well recognized and agreed by management, workers, and a practicable control for the root cause of the MSD hazard that can be put in place soon is available, proceed to control and do not proceed to risk assessment yet.
Can the MSD hazard be eliminated immediately?
YES: Go to Follow-up Risk Assessment Step 8.0 of the basic or comprehensive guidelines.
NO: Continue with Simple Risk Assessment Process
Not Sure: Continue with Simple Risk Assessment Process
This refers to “Assess” in RACE. If MSD hazards cannot be eliminated and if a more detailed assessment needs to be done, then simple risk assessment might help organizations to identify hazards and assess the risk.
Typically uses Screening or Observational tools. The following resources help you to identify MSD hazards and assess the risk:
Decision: Is control of the MSD hazard required?
If an MSD hazard cannot be eliminated, is not clearly identified or understood, or the root cause is unclear, move on to more in-depth MSD risk analysis.
Is control of hazard required?
YES: Go to Hazard elimination in Step 6.0 of the basic or comprehensive guideline.
NO: Go to monitoring Step 8.0 of the basic and comprehensive guideline.
Not Sure: Continue with Full Risk Assessment Process or ask for help.
Typically uses Observational or Comprehensive Assessment Methods. The following resources help you to identify MSD hazards and assess the risk:
Decision: Is control of the MSD hazard required
If an MSD hazard is not clearly identified or understood and a root cause cannot be determined after performing the in-depth MSD risk analysis, consider asking for help.
Can the MSD hazard be eliminated immediately?
YES: Go to Identification, evaluation and choice of controls in Step 5.0 of the basic or comprehensive guideline or the next step of RACE.
NO: Go to monitoring Step 8.0 of the basic or comprehensive guideline.
Not Sure: Ask for help.
This refers to “Control” in RACE. The organization should have a process for identifying, and implementation of appropriate controls to address MSD hazards. This is the most critical step in prevention of MSD. These control actions then need to be prioritized as a set of targets and goals. (Note: employers have the obligation to control all recognized hazards, including those related to the development of MSD). For more information refer to Step 5.0 of basic or comprehensive guideline.
Before proceeding to identification of controls, check if:
If not, obtain the required information and participation
Although attractive to some, worker focused actions such as “lift training” have NOT been shown to be effective for prevention of MSD. An in-depth Root Cause Analysis and the guidance of the Hierarchy of Controls below is essential in eliminating hazards and controlling risks in a sustainable way.
The organization need to identify training and education needs for successful prevention of MSD.
Level in Hierarchy |
Description |
Strengths |
Limitations |
Examples |
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Eliminate hazard |
After MSD hazard is identified, the best solution is to eliminate it |
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Substitute hazard |
The hazard can be substituted with another approach that creates smaller MSD risks |
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Engineering controls |
Design of the physical workplace to reduce MSD hazards by machinery, tools or equipment |
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Administrative controls |
Changes to work organization such as
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Training and awareness |
Designed to change a workers’ knowledge or behaviour such as
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) |
Barriers between the individual and the hazard that are worn by a worker |
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Use tools such as 5 Why and Fishbone Diagram to help determine the root cause(s) of the MSD hazard.
Use brainstorming sessions with workers to identify solutions that eliminate the root causes of MSD hazards or reduce their effects.
Use the resources provided in this website: MSD Hazard Control. [UNDER DEVELOPMENT]
Use other resources on the internet, trade associations and other similar workplaces to identify solutions that others have found effective in eliminating reducing or reducing MSD related hazards.
If you require additional support, ask for help.
The organization needs to Implement control actions and necessary changes to achieve goals and targets related to MSD and monitor the progress towards implementation of control actions.
Unless controls are implemented, the previous steps will be ineffective. Regardless of the type of control action to be taken, the organization needs to implement any necessary changes as outlined in targets and goals. For more information visit basic or comprehensive guideline.
This refers to “Evaluate” in RACE. Follow-up and evaluation are essential to ensure the effectiveness of control actions taken to prevent MSD. You should be prepared to try a few fixes to find the right one for workers, the work process and the workplace. The organization should also conduct regular follow-up evaluations to ensure that all control actions have been implemented as planned, are being used correctly and consistently and are continuing to eliminate or mitigate any MSD hazards as planned.
The organization should conduct a new risk assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of controls. The organization should:
Use checklists and multiple workers’ feedback sessions to check whether the changes have removed the original hazards and improved the work.
Re-evaluate the changed jobs/tasks using the same checklists and tools as previously used in the Risk Assessment steps.
Use the Quick Employee Feedback Survey with multiple workers to help evaluate the controls implemented.
Decision: Are there new hazards?
YES: Go back to hazard recognition or Step 4.0 of the basic or comprehensive guideline.
NO: Go to monitoring in Step 8.0 of the basic or comprehensive guideline.
Decision: Is there poor control of hazards?
YES: Revisit hazards and root cause analysis in Step 4.0 and revisit Identification, evaluation, and choice of controls in Step 5.0
NO: Go to monitoring in Step 8.0 of the basic or comprehensive guideline.
We are working to continuously develop the MSD Prevention Guideline. Watch for new content, including more resources and case studies.
Read success stories and case studies about preventing MSD. These stories may apply to your workplace and help you make the right decision.
Frequently asked questions. There are lots of myths about preventing MSD at work. With good information and actions, MSD can be prevented.
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DISCLAIMER: CRE-MSD receives funding through a grant provided by the Ontario Ministry of Labour. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Province.