Overview
Keywords: MSD; Hazards; Assessment; OHSMS; IMS
Timeline: 2012-Present
Researchers: Richard Wells (Principal Investigator, University of Waterloo), Philip Bigelow (University of Waterloo), Daniel Imbeau (Ecole Polytechnique Montreal), Patrick Neumann (Ryerson University), Mark Pagell (York University), Nancy Theberge (University of Waterloo), Amin Yazdani (University of Waterloo): Project Coordinator
Funder: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
Project type: External grant
Partners: Multiple corporations and key informants
Sector/Workplace type: All sectors
Themes:
Theme
3
Risk
assessment
and
hazard
identification
Theme
4
Interventions
Theme
5
Implementation
Background/rationale
An Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) is a framework that helps organizations reduce or prevent injuries, occupational diseases and fatalities in the workplace. It uses a systematic approach to identify and control health and safety hazards. While there are many (ergonomic) techniques that organizations can use to assess risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), they do not seem to fit well into the assessment methods widely used within OHSMS. Because ergonomic assessments lie partially outside of the main management process, MSD hazards may not be addressed effectively as might be possible. As companies are folding their OHSMS into other management systems such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and implement integrated management systems (IMS), it becomes more important for MSD prevention activities to be integrated into these systems.
Research question/objectives/methods
The main goal of this research is therefore to develop and test a systematic and harmonized approach to identify, assess and evaluate MSD hazards and to prioritize MSD hazard elimination or control actions within management systems. This allows MSD prevention to be incorporated into techniques and approaches used by other parts of the organization, resulting in improved prevention of MSD in practice.
This research project consists of five studies and the specific objectives of this research project are to:
- Identify and summarize the research evidence on embedding the prevention of MSDs within management systems (Study 1).
- Contrast the program elements described in well-cited PE literature with the requirements in OHSMS standards such as OHSAS 18001 (Study 2).
- Explore health and safety key informants’ perspective, experience, and perception in prevention of MSDs within an organization’s management systems (Study 3).
- Document the techniques used by companies to address MSD hazards and how they integrate these with their management systems (Study 4).
- Explore workers’ involvement in addressing health, safety and MSD hazards within an organization’s current practices and approaches (Study 4).
- Develop practical, systematic and harmonized tools and techniques to identify, assess and evaluate MSD hazards and prioritize control actions within an organization’s management system (Study 5).
Key findings/progress to date
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A formal scoping review was used to identify and summarize the research evidence on preventing MSDs within OHSMS. The review paper was submitted to the Journal, Applied Ergonomics, for publication in April 2013.
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The research team conducted a review contrasting the elements described in well-cited participatory ergonomics program literature (as the most widely used ergonomics program) with the requirements in OHSMS standards. The manuscript was submitted to the Scandinavian Journal of Work Environmental and Health in July 2014.
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For the case study component of the project, multiple contacts were made with organizations to recruit them for the project. We have one major multinational company enrolled and are working with corporate and plant management. Data collection for study 4 was completed. We are in the process of data processing and analysis.
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Key informants, representing researchers, health and safety managers, consultants, policy makers and union representatives were interviewed for the 3rd study. The interviews were transcribed and coded. We are in the data extraction stage.
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The research team started to extract information about the current risk assessment techniques used by different stakeholders within organizations in quality and health and safety. The literature is being reviewed to better understand each technique and how MSD prevention can be integrated to these standard techniques.
Implications for the prevention of MSDs
The findings will help companies better integrate MSD prevention into their management systems.
For more information
Contact: Richard Wells, Principal Investigator; Amin Yazdani, Project Coordinator