Specialist Advice — 7 minutes

Musculoskeletal health at work: All professions are concerned

Hugo Le Bire, B. Sc. Kin.
Hugo Le Bire, B. Sc. Kin.
Kinesiologist

While it’s easy to imagine a mover straining his back or a professional tennis player twisting her ankle, we don’t often realize that a cashier or florist also runs the risk of being injured at work. The danger is sometimes less obvious in some industries than in others, but that doesn’t mean it’s negligible. In fact, all jobs and tasks have their share of risks and to prevent them, everything usually starts with one essential factor: observation.

Know how to observe your environment to avoid injuries

To talk about prevention in the workplace, it may be enlightening to start by mentioning the decision cycle known as the OODA model, which has four stages:

  1. Observe (what people observe from the start)
  2. Orient (how they orient their thinking afterward according to their personality, knowledge, beliefs, etc.)
  3. Decide (what they choose to do)
  4. Act (what they do)

We can see that this process begins with an observation phase from which all subsequent actions will take place. This is a crucial moment that workers should never underestimate when they arrive at their jobs.

Whether in the office, a factory, a mine, or on a boat, workers must learn to observe their environment carefully and make sure it is adapted to their physiognomy and the task to be performed.

When you start working without having optimized the environment for you, you increase the chances of taking shortcuts or physically compensating to perform your task. This can be the trigger for an injury in the short, medium or long term.

What to look for to prevent workplace accidents

To optimize this observation phase, the CNESST provides a hazard identification tool to all persons concerned with occupational health, from employers to employees to prevention professionals. This document outlines the various aspects to be evaluated when entering a workplace or workstation:

  • Chemical (Reaction, combustion, decomposition, etc.)
  • Biological (Fungi, insects, toxins, plant dust, etc.)
  • Physical (Noise, electricity, temperature, etc.)
  • Ergonomic (Handling, posture, repetitive movements, etc.)
  • Psychosocial (Harassment, incivility, high work load, etc.)
  • Safety-related (Confined spaces, working at heights, moving objects in the environment, etc.)

The use or lack of use of adequate protection can also be added to these factors.

Office work and the risk of musculoskeletal injuries

Obviously, working in front of a computer is not as risky as running into a burning building to save a family. However, as a result of the pandemic and the increase in telework, headaches, back strain, neck pain, and elbow and wrist problems have increased dramatically among the employees concerned.

Many workers found themselves suddenly propelled into a home environment that was not always optimal ergonomically. The problems that arose were often the result of a screen that’s too low, a table that’s too high or a chair that’s too wobbly. In short, a computer station not adapted to the user.

Human beings will try to adapt to any situation in order to provide the necessary effort for the work they wish to accomplish. To do so, they force the body to compensate and expose it to potential pain or injury. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that a workstation is adjusted to a person’s physiognomy before the start of his or her workday.

Tips to know

For your work space, you can refer to CNESST’s checklist (in french only) to help you arrange your office to optimize your posture.

Vision is also affected in an unsuitable office environment. When people work from home, there is often less movement around them and their eyes tend to focus solely on their screens. This causes them to get tired much faster.

When telecommuting, it’s important to look out the window often or alternate your vision between short and long distances regularly to preserve your eyesight, otherwise you risk developing ​​computer vision syndrome. [1]

Know how to communicate to promote prevention at work

Even after carefully identifying the various risks associated with one’s workstation, it’s not always possible to correct the situation by oneself. Similarly, the solutions and responsibilities aren’t exclusively in the hands of the employer.

It’s up to each member of an organization to establish a constructive dialogue and find the best communication channels to do so. Each viewpoint helps establish an overall picture that’s essential in order to implement the most appropriate corrections.

The employer must also inform the staff of what’s expected of them. It happens that team members work on a part of a project without really knowing what the final objective is. This is similar to working with blinders on and can lead to mistakes that result in accidents. By knowing the tasks of those who follow them, these workers can anticipate potential problems and remedy them.

Safety is everyone’s business. This is why collaboration is essential, as every observation or action can reduce the risk of accidents or injuries on the job.

For professional support, we’re here for you. 

We offer a range of services that can help you or your employer provide faster access to testing and health care professionals.

If you have any questions or would like more information about any of these services, call our occupational health specialists at 1 833 590-2716.

Sources1
  1. Canadian Association of Optometrists (March 27, 2023), “Computer Vision Syndrome (Digital Eye Strain),” https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/computer-vision-syndrome-digital-eye-strain
Hugo Le Bire, B. Sc. Kin.
Hugo Le Bire, B. Sc. Kin.
Kinesiologist
A national-level athlete in two disciplines, Hugo initially studied kinesiology. Later, as a fitness trainer, he helped people of all ages achieve their athletic goals for more than 20 years. During this time, he trained in performance optimization with a focus on neurology, a program recognized by major American sports associations, including the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Since 2017, as a member of Biron Health at Work, he has focused on protecting the health of workers by ensuring that they meet the physical demands of the tasks they perform at work.