Safety Matters

Back injuries are the number one type of workplace injury in Nova Scotia.

Over 2,000 Nova Scotians suffer a serious back injury on the job every year. And back injuries account for 30 per cent of all lost time injuries and cost millions annually. Every single back injury can be avoided. 

Back injuries are part of an injury category called musculoskeletal injuries, or injuries that involve the muscles and the skeleton – the parts of the body that make us move. Other kinds of musculoskeletal injuries are muscle strains, joint inflammation, tendonitis, ligament sprains, pinched nerves, carpal tunnel syndrome or rotator cuff syndrome. 

Musculoskeletal injuries, or sprains and strains, are the most common type of workplace injury in Nova Scotia. And they’re caused by hazards associated with the way work is designed and carried out.

Sprains and strain hazards involve the effect some working tasks have on the body – usually over long periods of time. 

• Awkward body posture, or working in the same body posture for long periods 
• High body force, such as lifting or carrying heavy loads
• High task repetition for long periods

Once you learn to spot these hazards, often a few simple changes can reduce the likelihood of injury. And correcting these hazards doesn’t just reduce injury. It also improves the job, allowing quality work to
be completed safely and easily.

Click to learn more about strains and sprains and identifying workplace hazards.

Click to become a Back Protection Agent.