Webinar series
Emergency service responders and healthcare workers are often faced with physically demanding tasks that include lifting and moving people and/or objects in unpredictable, unmodifiable settings; this makes training a critical component of a comprehensive injury prevention strategy. The excessive physical effort, repetitive movements, and awkward postures these workers encounter daily are a likely cause of the majority of their injuries.
This free webinar series will begin with a webinar summarizing our current understanding of the effectiveness of manual handling training for injury prevention and management; the best available research will also be used to make general recommendations for training program development, implementation and evaluation. This introductory webinar will be followed by webinars that offer more specific summaries and recommendations for three different sectors: Firefighters, Paramedics, and Healthcare workers. The final webinar will be an interactive discussion with all webinar speakers.
In this webinar
Firefighters are at an elevated risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and several associated health conditions in comparison to the general population. Research shows that exercise can help. But emerging evidence also highlights the need for behavioural solutions to improve firefighters’ physical activity habits and reduce their risk of MSD. This webinar will provide an overview of the framework being used by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to improve firefighters’ health, safety and overall wellness.
About the presenters
Dr. David Frost is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Master of Professional Kinesiology Program in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. He is also a Registered Kinesiologist and the lead technical advisor for the International Association of Fire Fighters’ Peer Fitness Trainer program. Dave completed undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering, health studies and physical and health education at Queen's University, received a Master’s in sport biomechanics from Edith Cowan University, and a Doctorate in biomechanics from the University of Waterloo. His research interests include sport, exercise and occupational biomechanics, musculoskeletal health and injury prevention, acute and long-term adaptations to exercise, and firefighter wellness and fitness. Dave’s current research is focused on helping physically active populations people prepare for the demands of sport, work and life, and the application of theory to practice in exercise-related settings.
Dr. Tyson Beach is an Assistant Professor and Knowledge Broker in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. He also directs research in the Biomechanics and Sports Medicine Laboratory, which focuses on creating and translating knowledge about health and performance in work and sport. Current projects are focused on designing, implementing and evaluating exercise-based performance enhancement and injury prevention strategies for athletes and firefighters.
Webinar resources
Webinar recording (Webex)
Password: Training2020
Other resources
To complement this webinar series, CRE-MSD has developed three infographic/poster resources on body positioning for the knee, low back, and shoulder for reducing MSD injury risk when performing non-modifiable tasks. These resources are now available as part of the Ontario MSD Prevention Guideline and can be found in the Resource Library, under the Hazard Control category.
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Positioning the Body to Reduce MSD Injury Risk: Focus on the Knee
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Positioning the Body to Reduce MSD Injury Risk: Focus on the Low Back
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Positioning the Body to Reduce MSD Injury Risk: Focus on the Shoulder
CRE-MSD researchers have also developed a position paper sumarizing current best evidence on this topic: Improving Workplace Manual Handling Training Programs.
For assistance, please contact Betina Butler at bbutler@uwaterloo.ca.
Disclaimer: CRE-MSD receives funding through a grant provided by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. The views expressed are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre nor of the Province of Ontario.