MSD Prevention Strategies in the Transportation Sector

Summary

The Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) and the Transportation Health & Safety Association of Ontario (THSAO), now the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA), hosted a conference on the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the transportation sector. At the conference, results of a collaborative two and a half year research project involving six transportation companies - two courier companies, three for-hire trucking companies, and one waste company - were shared with attendees, and feasible and effective countermeasures that had been identified throughout the project were discussed.

Steve Mahoney, the chair of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), opened the conference. He emphasized the importance of the contribution of research to the prevention of MSD and that all industries must continue to focus initiatives on preventing injuries. The conference included presentations from researchers and guest speakers on how injuries occur, how injuries can happen from entering and exiting trucks, the implications of new Federal legislation, the perspective of the Ontario Ministry of Labour, and the business case for reducing MSD.