Safety MattersOur blog discussing workplace safety opportunities in Nova Scotia and around the world.https://www.worksafeforlife.ca/safetymattersblogGlobal Ergonomics Monthhttps://www.worksafeforlife.ca/safetymattersblog/PostId/225/global-ergonomics-monthGeneralFri, 07 Oct 2016 12:21:10 GMT<em>by guest blogger, Matt Ross, Ergonomist Process Leader, WCB Nova Scotia</em> <div><br /> </div> <div>October is Global Ergonomics Month. It is an international outreach for promoting human-centered design through the science, application and profession of Ergonomics/Human Factors.&nbsp;</div> <div><br /> </div> <div>Ergonomics/Human Factors is the discipline that is focused on optimizing system performance and human well-being. Simply put, &ldquo;fitting the job to the worker.&rdquo; This is achieved through proactively designing work and work systems that improve efficiency, productivity, health, safety and comfort. <a href="http://www.worksafeforlife.ca/LinkClick.aspx?link=%2fHome%2fAbout-Us%2fSafety-Matters-Blog%2fpostid%2f98%2fergonomic-solutions&amp;tabid=327&amp;portalid=1&amp;mid=934" target="_self">Ergonomics is ultimately good for business and good for people.</a></div> <div><br /> </div> <div>In Nova Scotia in 2015, Musculoskeletal Injuries (MSIs), more commonly referred to as sprains and strains, accounted for 64 per cent of all time-loss injuries. The vast majority of these injuries were to the back and shoulders and were the results of lifting.&nbsp;</div> <div><br /> </div> <div>Often the risk for MSIs can be reduced or eliminated through simple changes. The best place to start looking for ideas for those changes is through conversations with your colleagues and employees.</div> <div><br /> </div> <div>For more information about the Ergonomics/Human Factors profession and to learn more about Global Ergonomics Month, visit these websites:</div> <div><br /> </div> <div><a href="http://www.iea.cc/" target="_self">International Ergonomics Association</a> <p><a href="https://www.ace-ergocanada.ca/" target="_self">Association of Canadian Ergonomists</a><br /> <a href="https://hfes.org/web/Default.aspx" target="_self">Human Factors and Ergonomics Society</a>&nbsp;<br /> <br /> </p> </div>225Back Injuries, Sprains & Strainshttps://www.worksafeforlife.ca/safetymattersblog/PostId/60/back-injuries-sprains-strainsGeneralThu, 06 Jun 2013 12:46:00 GMT<p>Back injuries are the number one type of workplace injury in&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Nova Scotia.</span></p> And they are 100 per cent avoidable.<br /> <br /> <p>Over 2,000 Nova Scotians suffer a serious back injury on the&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.6;">job every year. And back injuries account for 30 per cent of all lost time injuries&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">and cost millions annually. Every single back injury can be avoided.&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Back injuries are part of an injury category called musculoskeletal&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.6;">injuries, or injuries that involve the muscles and the skeleton &ndash; the parts of&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">the body that make us move. Other kinds of musculoskeletal injuries are muscle&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">strains, joint inflammation, tendonitis, ligament sprains, pinched nerves,&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">carpal tunnel syndrome or rotator cuff syndrome.&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Musculoskeletal injuries, or sprains and strains, are the&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.6;">most common type of workplace injury in Nova Scotia. And they&rsquo;re caused by&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">hazards associated with the way work is designed and carried out.</span></p> <p>Sprains and strain hazards involve the effect some working&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 1.6;">tasks have on the body &ndash; usually over long periods of time.&nbsp;</span></p> Hazards include:&nbsp;<br /> <ul> <li><span style="line-height: 1.6;">Awkward body posture, or working in the same&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">body posture for long periods&nbsp;</span></li> <li><span style="line-height: 1.6;">High body force, such as lifting or carrying&nbsp;heavy loads</span></li> <li><span style="line-height: 1.6;">High task repetition for long periods</span></li> </ul> <p>Once you learn to spot these hazards, often a few simple&nbsp;changes can reduce the likelihood of injury. And correcting these hazards&nbsp;doesn&rsquo;t just reduce injury. It also improves the job, allowing quality work to<br /> be completed safely and easily. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://worksafeforlife.ca/LinkClick.aspx?link=150&amp;tabid=327&amp;mid=934" target="blank" re_target="_self">Click </a>to learn more about strains and sprains and&nbsp;identifying workplace hazards.</p> <p><span style="line-height: 1.6;"><a href="http://worksafeforlife.ca/LinkClick.aspx?link=327&amp;tabid=327&amp;mid=934" target="blank" re_target="_self">Click</a> to become a Back Protection Agent.&nbsp;</span></p>60