Safe body mechanics

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## OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, 2020 S-15.1 REG 10 - (c) vibration; - (d) mechanical compression; - (e) sustained or awkward postures; - (f) limitations on motion or action; - (g) other ergonomic stressors. - (2) An employer or contractor, in consultation with the committee, shall regularly review the activities at the place of employment that may cause or aggravate musculoskeletal injuries. - (3) If a risk of musculoskeletal injury is identified, an employer or contractor shall: - (a) inform each worker who may be at risk of developing musculoskeletal injury of that risk and of the signs and common symptoms of any musculoskeletal injury associated with that worker's work; and - (b) provide effective protection for each worker who may be at risk, which may include any of the following: - (i) providing equipment that is designed, constructed, positioned and maintained to reduce the harmful effects of an activity; - (ii) implementing appropriate work practices and procedures to reduce the harmful effects of an activity; - (iii) implementing work schedules that incorporate rest and recovery periods, changes in workload or other arrangements for alternating work to reduce the harmful effects of an activity. - (4) An employer or contractor shall ensure that workers who may be at risk of developing musculoskeletal injury are instructed in the safe performance of the worker's work, including the use of appropriate work practices and procedures, equipment and personal protective equipment. - (5) If a worker has symptoms of musculoskeletal injury, an employer or contractor shall: - (a) advise the worker to consult a physician or a health care professional who is registered or licensed pursuant to an Act to practise any of the healing arts; and - (b) promptly review the activities of that worker and of other workers doing similar tasks to identify any cause of the symptoms and to take corrective measures to avoid further injuries. 31 Dec 2020 c S-15.1 Reg 10 …

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## Part 14 Lifting and Handling Loads ## Equipment 208 (1) An employer must provide, where reasonably practicable, appropriate equipment for lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, handling or transporting heavy or awkward loads. 208 (2) An employer must ensure that workers use the equipment provided under subsection (1). 208 (3) Workers must use the equipment provided for lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, handling or transporting heavy or awkward loads. 208 (4) For the purposes of this section, a heavy or awkward load includes equipment, goods, supplies, persons and animals. ## Adapting heavy or awkward loads 209 If the equipment provided under section 208 is not reasonably practicable in a particular circumstance or for a particular heavy or awkward load, the employer must take all practicable means to - (a) adapt the load to facilitate lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, handling or transporting the load without injuring workers, or - (b) otherwise minimize the manual handling required to move the load. ## Work site design - health care facilities - 209.1 (1) An employer must ensure that appropriate patient/client/resident handling equipment is adequately incorporated into the design and construction of - (a) a new health care facility, and - (b) a health care facility undergoing significant physical alterations, renovations or repairs. - 209.1 (2) An employer must ensure that any new patient/client/resident handling equipment installed at an existing work site, including vehicles in which patient/client/resident handling occurs, fits adequately in the space intended for it. 209.1 (3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to health care facility construction, alterations, renovations or repairs started before July 1, 2009. ## Patient/client/resident handling 209.2 (1) An employer must develop and implement a safe patient/client/resident handling program if workers are required to lift, transfer or reposition patients/cli…

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209.2 (4) Workers must follow the safe handling program required by subsection (1). ## Assessing manual handling hazards 210 (1) Before a worker manually lifts, lowers, pushes, pulls, carries, handles or transports a load that could injure the worker, an employer must perform a hazard assessment that considers - (a) the weight of the load, - (b) the size of the load, - (c) the shape of the load, - (d) the number of times the load will be moved, and - (e) the manner in which the load will be moved. 210 (2) Before a worker performs any manual patient/client/resident handling activities, an employer must perform a hazard assessment that considers the worker's physical and mental capabilities to perform the work. 210 (3) If the hazard assessment required by section 7 and subsections (1) and (2) determines that there is a potential for musculoskeletal injury, an employer must ensure that all reasonably practicable measures are used to eliminate or reduce that potential in accordance with section 9. ## Musculoskeletal injuries 211 If a worker reports to the employer what the worker believes to be work-related symptoms of a musculoskeletal injury, the employer must promptly - (a) review the activities of that worker, and of other workers doing similar tasks, to identify work-related causes of the symptoms, if any, and - (b) take corrective measures to avoid further injuries if the causes of the symptoms are work-related. ## Training to prevent musculoskeletal injury 211.1 (1) An employer must ensure that a worker who may be exposed to the possibility of musculoskeletal injury is trained in specific measures to eliminate or reduce that possibility. 211.1 (2) An employer must ensure that the training referred to in subsection (1) includes - (a) identification of factors that could lead to a musculoskeletal injury, - (b) the early signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal injury and their potential health effects, and - (c) preventive measures including, where applica…