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RSI Day

Life-altering injuries

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) or musculosketal disorder (MSD) are umbrella terms used to describe a collection of injuries that affect the muscles, nerves and tendons. Tendonitis, tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome are some common examples. Common symptoms include aches, pains, tingling, swelling and loss of joint movement and strength in the affected area(s). These symptoms can progress into crippling disorders preventing those affected from working or leading normal lives. A variety of workplace factors can play a role in the development of MSDs including: repetition, work pace, work organization, awkward or fixed positions, forceful movements, vibration, cold temperatures, contact stress, pyschosocial stress, and insufficient recovery time..

Prevention through intervention

Year after year work-related RSIs account for more than 40 per cent of lost-time injuries (LTIs) allowed by Ontario’s Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) — the single largest class of compensation claims. Many more though are never reported.

According to Statistics Canada, 2.3 million Canadian adults annually experience a MSD serious enough to limit their normal activities; and the majority of these injuries are caused by work-related activity. Beyond the social, emotional and economic costs to affected individuals are the economic costs to us all, estimated at upwards of $26 billion dollars annually. Much of this paid, not by employers who operate unsafe workplaces, but by Canadian taxpayers through the health care system and income assistance to workers suffering these injuries and their families.

These statistics and the painful experiences behind them demand solutions. International RSI Awareness Day, held annually the last day in February, provides an important opportunity to highlight the many ways we can prevent RSIs/MSDs. This is also the focus of the WHSC’s suite of ergonomics training programs.