Step 3: Assess MSI Risks

This is Step 3 of a six-step approach to preventing musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). Each step builds on the one before it to help employers identify hazards, assess risks, implement controls, and create safer workplaces.

This step focuses on assessing the level of risk ergonomic hazards present and determining which jobs and tasks should be addressed first.

Assess the level of risk

A risk assessment helps you identify which jobs and tasks should be addressed first. It also helps you select effective controls. Like any workplace hazard, ergonomic hazards should be assessed and managed as part of your organization's occupational health and safety program.

If you already have a workplace risk assessment process, ergonomic hazards can be assessed using the same approach.

Consider frequency

When assessing risk, consider how often workers are exposed to the hazard.

Ask:

• How often is the worker exposed to the risk factor during a shift?
• How often is the task performed?

Consider likelihood

Review information from multiple sources to determine how likely an injury is to occur.

This may include:

• Hazard identification activities
• Incident reports and investigations
• Workplace inspections
• Worker reports
• Discomfort surveys

Consider severity

Consider the potential impact of the hazard and the level of exposure.

Ask:

• How long is the worker exerting force, such as lifting or gripping an object?
• How long has the worker been performing a repetitive task?
• How long is the worker holding an awkward posture?
• How long is one part of the body in contact with a hard or sharp surface?
• How much force is required?
• How severe is the awkward posture?
• How much pressure is being applied to the body?

Risk assessment tools

Additional risk assessment tools may be useful to get a better understanding of the level of risk or when assessing more complex jobs and tasks. Ergonomic tools, such as those below, are specialized assessment tools developed to evaluate the risk level for tasks that involve manual material handling.

Examples include:

• Quick Exposure Checklist (QEC)
• WorkSafeBC Lifting Calculator
• Liberty Mutual Manual Materials Handling Equations

These tools can be integrated into your organization's occupational health and safety program to support ongoing MSI prevention efforts.

Involving workers

Workers who perform the task should be involved throughout the risk assessment process.

• Include workers who perform the task. Do not rely solely on supervisor or management observations.
• Consult workers from different shifts and with different physical characteristics and levels of experience.
• Share assessment results with participating workers and invite feedback before finalizing risk ratings.
• Ask workers whether the assessment captures all the ergonomic hazards they experience.
• Communicate assessment findings to all affected workers. Workers have the right to know about the risks in their workplace.

Key performance indicators

• Percentage of identified high-risk tasks assessed
• Percentage of MSI assessments completed with worker involvement
• Percentage of new equipment, tools, or processes reviewed for MSI risks before implementation
• Number of MSI concerns reported and addressed annually