What's New
We are working to continuously develop the Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Prevention Guideline. Watch for new content, including more resources and case studies. We depend on companies and practitioners to share case studies of MSD prevention interventions. Please contact us if you have a case study that would be helpful to share with others to prevent MSD!
Highlights
See our most recent resources below.
Preventing MSD to Reduce Opioid Use
A resource examining the association between MSD, mental health, and risk of opioid use in the working population.
Impact of MSD in Ontario Workplaces
This one page poster shows the financial impact of MSD in workplaces over the last 10 years and in 2023.
Introduction to the MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario Website Video
An overview of the sections and content of the MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario.
Author: Dr. Daniel Viggiani
Body discomfort and pain are common signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Pain is processed in the brain, which is distinct from the injuries that people often associate with pain. Understanding how we experience pain and the processes involved in the development of chronic pain can be complex. This CRE-MSD position paper breaks down the processes and key differences between acute and chronic pain.
Looking for an easier way to collect pain or discomfort scores? Are you evaluating the impact of an ergonomics intervention? The Electronic Visual Analog Scale (eVAS) iPad App allows researchers and workplaces to digitally track participants’ feedback through visual analog scores using slider channels. The App can be customized for use of your own body maps and images, and results can be easily exported and saved into table format. It can be used as a pain scale tracker or for any other application (i.e., demands, productivity, etc.) that requires user input tracking on a 10 cm visual analog scale.
This project was funded by CRE-MSD, which receives funding through a grant provided by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). This software application was coded in collaboration with an Engineering PhD student, Ryan Tennant, at the University of Waterloo.
Manual materials handling tasks are a major cause of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in industrial workplaces. In response to this issue, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) is conducting a year-long, workplace compliance initiative on material handling in industrial workplaces.
A webinar, jointly provided by MLITSD and Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), includes more information about the initiative.
MLITSD MSD Prevention Campaign in Health and Community Care
Hosted by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA) and CRE-MSD to help organizations prepare by sharing:
- Information on MSD and MSD prevention in healthcare
- What the MLITSD will focus on during their inspections in support of the campaign
- Where to access resources to support the OHSA compliance and MSD prevention
- Tips on how you can prepare for an inspector’s visit