Musculoskeletal Disorders

Painful disorders of muscles, tendons, and nerves that develop over time from tasks that repeatedly cause stress and injury to tissues

Common causes

Symptoms

MSDs do not happen overnight. Watch for signs.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most frequent type of lost-time injury and the single largest source of lost-time costs in Canada.

What employers can do

Hazards are best eliminated at the source. Employers should focus on avoiding repetitive patterns of work through job design changes:

If elimination of repetitive patterns of work is not possible, prevention strategies can focus on:

Being aware of the causes and developing a prevention program is essential. Inform and train workers, encourage early reporting of symptoms, and identify and control job-related risk factors.