Research Partners
The following six transportation companies, two unions and THSAO have collaborated in a joint project with CRE-MSD on a two and a half year research project to develop feasible and effective ergonomic interventions to prevent the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the transportation sector. The collaboration with these companies and organizations is greatly appreciated.




The Transportation Health and Safety Association of Ontario (THSAO) (newly named the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA)
The THSAO was one of 14 sector-specific workplace associations dedicated to the advancement and promotion of safe workplace practices in businesses across Ontario. It is now part of an amalgamated association (IHSA) with the construction and electrical and utilities associations. The safety associations are mandated by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Act and engage in education and training, consulting and safety assessments in those workplaces, in pursuit of that objective. THSAO is dedicated primarily to working with companies and personnel in the transportation industry. Eleven WSIB rate groups fall within the THSAO mandate; four of the biggest of these groups were targeted for this study. The THSAO initiated this research project.

Participants in the study: Mark Diacur, Mark Skinner and John Bond.

http://web.thsao.on.ca/





CANPAR Transport LP is one of Canada's leading small parcel delivery companies with over sixty terminals coast to coast. Canpar was founded in 1976, and its 1,600 members provides service to virtually all points accessible by public road to all provinces of Canada and the continental United States, with the major domestic market of Ontario and Quebec. CANPAR operates an efficient 'hub and spoke' pick-up and delivery system. The CANPAR delivery network and infrastructure has grown and evolved into a vast, modern network of terminals and line haul systems.

Steering Committee Member: Lynn Pothier
Ergonomic Change Team Members: Dave Johnson, Randy Williams, Mark Rindlisbacher, and Yau Kadou

www.canpar.com





ICS Courier is Canada’s leading business-to-business courier company, offering document and package delivery with annual revenues of approximately $85 million. ICS specializes in providing distribution services for the insurance, financial, travel, legal, beauty supplies, optical, dental and other industries across Canada. In addition to regular document and package delivery, ICS offers proof of delivery services, as well as large volume direct marketing mail distribution, shipping systems, and shipping software. Established in 1978, ICS now has business relationships with over 37,000 customers in its served markets. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. It operates 35 offices throughout Canada, and employs more than 1,200 Canadians across the country.

Steering Committee Members: Ernie Dodgson and Dave Clark
Ergonomic Change Team Members: Mike O’Neill, Hussein Awale, Arthur Kruczek, and Ken Cole

www.ics-canada.net





L. Ritchie Cartage Limited is a full truck load carrier founded in 1954. Their offices and warehouse are located in Scarborough, Ontario. The primary transportation services L. Ritchie provides include long distance trucking, local cartage and rentals across United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1954 by Lloyd Ritchie, since that time, L. Ritchie Cartage has grown to a fleet of about 40 tractors and 80 trailers.

Steering Committee Member: Sylvia Rhodes
Ergonomic Change Team Members: Scott McQuillin

Truck News March 2011 - Winds of change: A small fleet finds success in staying true to its roots while adapting to an ever-changing industry
Highlights the company's invovlement in CRE-MSD's ergonomics in the transportation sector study.





McBurney Transport Limited, services Canada and the United States as a truckload carrier. Their primary service lanes remain throughout Ontario, Quebec and the States which surround the Great Lakes. Specializing in heavy multi-axle flat bed loads such as lumber, forestry products, drywall, concrete slabs and steel. McBurney Transport is prepared to safely deliver anything that a customer wishes to ship by flat bed. With 135 flat bed trailers, 35 dry freight vans and 15 dry bulk hoppers their fleet is able to fulfill all the needs of their customers.

Steering Committee Members: Hans Wirjtes and Don Wall
Ergonomic Change Team Members: John McConachie, Wayne Parkinson, and Brian Anderson

www.mcbtransport.com





MSM Transportation provides commercial LTL transportation in Canada and the United States. Founded in 1989, the MSM Group of Companies now employs more than 150 people at locations in Bolton, Ontario, and the Los Angeles California area, and maintains a North America-wide network of transportation partners. Its commercial transportation disciplines include over-the-road trucking, contract carriage, warehouse distribution, trailer rental, and logistics management.

Steering Committee Member: Don Norris
Ergonomic Change Team Members: Kathy Andre, Dave Reid, Bill Rodgers, Carene Bailey, and Pete Koens

www.shipmsm.com





Miller Waste Systems is a waste management company focused on providing market leadership services to its customers. Their corporate office is located in Markham, Ontario, and it has operations in Manitoba, Ontario and the Maritimes. Miller Waste's roots in waste management go back to the early 1960's when the company started to provide waste management services to the Town of Markham. Miller Waste has grown from a two-truck operation to a diverse waste management company providing a wide range of waste management services including: Municipal Services (curbside waste, recycling and organic collection), Material Recovery Facilities, Hazardous Waste, International Waste, and Transfer Stations. Today Miller Waste operates over 200 collection vehicles, employs over 450 employees and specializes in the design, construction and operation of waste diversion facilities.

Steering Committee Member: Bill O’Meara
Ergonomic Change Team Members: Barry Nimmo, Alex Lubinsky, Terry Stinson, and Tom Potts

www.millergroup.ca/waste/index.html




Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada
CEP is one of Canada’s largest unions representing a wide diversity of workers including pulp and paper mills, telephone companies, workers in the oil, gas, chemical, transportation and mining sectors. They are printers, journalists, radio and TV broadcasters, graphic artists, hotel workers, IT workers and truck drivers. They have about 150,000 unionized members in Canada.

Participant in the study: Dave Clarke CEP Local 333-29

http://www.cep.ca/about/message_e.html




Teamsters Canada
Teamsters Canada is a labour organization with over 125,000 members. It is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which has 1,400,000 members across North America. They have a freight and tank haul division, a parcel and small package division, and a warehouse division whose members include the transportation rate groups that fall within this research study. Local 419 is based in Mississauga, Ontario.

Participant in the study: Doug Power, Local 419.

http://www.teamsters.ca/index.php