FACTS

1. Lifting, handling, or carrying objects at work can result in musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs), including sprains and strains and other injuries. The risk of injury increases when bending, twisting, heavy loads, and awkward postures are involved. Effective ergonomic controls can reduce the risk and prevent injuries.

2. Injury to any of the elements of the musculoskeletal system can cause acute (short term) or chronic (long term) pain, or both.

3. Workers are at risk from lifting and carrying injuries particularly when:

• a load is too heavy, it’s difficult to grasp, or it’s too large.
• the physical effort is too strenuous.
• they are required to bend and twist when handling heavy loads.

4. When a person reaches for items above shoulder height, their back becomes arched and their arms act as long levers. This makes the load difficult to control and significantly increases the risk of injury.

STATS

• Back injuries account for about 20% of all workplace injuries in Canada.
• In 2019, there were approximately 25,500 accepted claims for back injuries in Canada.
• In the healthcare industry, back injuries are the most common type of injury, accounting for approximately 40% of all reported injuries.
• Back injuries are the second most common type of workplace injury in the United States, after sprains and strains.
• Each year, back injuries account for approximately 20% of all workplace injuries in the United States.
• In 2019, there were approximately 187,500 non-fatal workplace injuries involving the back in the US.
• The healthcare and construction industries have some of the highest rates of back injuries in the US workplace.