Health and Safety Program Development: How to Include Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Prevention

Policy and Management Commitment

A commitment to protecting workers’ health & safety based on OH&S. 

Workplaces with 6 or more workers are required to write, post and maintain the following: 

• Health and safety policy 
• Workplace violence prevention policy 
• Workplace harassment prevention policy 

Step 1:

Management creates a MSD Prevention Policy as an important aspect of the organization’s strategy and commitment to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of workers, as well as improve productivity, quality and organizational performance.

Assign roles and responsibilities based on the Internal Responsibility System (IRS): 

• Employer/Manager 
• Supervisor 
• Worker 
• Health & Safety Representative (H&S Rep.) for >5 workers 
• Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) for >19 workers

Step 1:

Include the specific MSD prevention roles for workplace parties in the IRS.

Plan

Provide Training: 

• Worker health and safety awareness in 4 steps 
• Supervisor health and safety awareness in 5 steps 
• Specific to Health and Safety Representative and Joint Health and Safety Committee 
• Workplace hazards and control (i.e., WHMIS and specific hazard training where applicable) 
• Safe work practices and procedures when performing assigned tasks 
• Maintain records of training completed and provide proof of completion

Step 2:

Training by a competent person on MSD, MSD hazards and controls, and safe work practices for MSD prevention.

Worker Participation: ensure that workers feel comfortable to: 

• Identify and report hazards 
• Share concerns and suggestions 
• Report workplace injuries and discomfort

Step 2:

Use MSD hazard sheets, discomfort surveys, injury tracking to help collect valuable information from workers.

Communicate: with all workplace parties 

• Roles and responsibilities 
• Process, activities and schedules 
• Encourage open discussion to improve safety culture

Step 2 & Step 3:

Communicate MSD prevention roles, MSD Prevention Plan and Inspection Teams.

Establish a Process: review all jobs 

• Allocate time and resources for Health & Safety activities, including monthly inspections and JHSC meetings (as applicable) 
• Create goals, schedules and reasonable targets 
• Develop plans for managing changes to the workplace

Step 3:

Create MSD Prevention Plan to outline the objectives, methods and expectations of MSD prevention activities.

Do 

Continuous Hazard Intervention (RACE Model)

Ongoing process to understand health and safety risks and control them to protect workers

Recognize Hazards

• Observe workers and the work environment 
• Conduct workplace inspection checklists, hazard checklists 
• Collect worker feedback

Step 4:

Use Workplace Inspection Checklist, feedback surveys and MSD hazard checklists from the Resource Library.

Assess Hazards

• Determine root cause of hazards 
• Determine level of risk

Step 4:

Perform root cause analysis and prioritize hazards. A trained and experienced person performs in-depth MSD risk assessments.

Control Hazards 

• Follow the hierarchy of controls 
• Develop solutions to eliminate or control hazards 
• Trial controls with worker feedback

Step 5:

Use examples from the hazard controls and feedback surveys.

Evaluate Controls

• Implement feasible solutions and monitor effectiveness 
• Measure impact of solutions 
• Provide training on control measures

Step 6 & Step 7:

Use worker feedback survey. 

Identify training needs on an ongoing basis.

Check

Evaluate the Process 

• Was there sufficient time and resources allocated? 
• Did the Health & Safety activities achieve goals and targets?
• Percentage of hazards eliminated and controlled

Step 8:

MSD hazards eliminated and controlled.

Act

Communicate with all workplace parties 

• Acknowledge all parties involved in the process 
• Share results of the process 
• Report on successes and areas for improvement 
• Encourage open discussion to improve safety culture

Step 9:

Document and communicate evaluation results and lessons learned.

Review the Program at least once a year 

• Identify strengths, gaps, barriers and lessons learned 
• Continuous improvement

Step 10:

Successes and failures should be reviewed to identify areas for improvement. Update policies and procedures accordingly.