What are MSDs?
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are painful or disabling injuries to the muscles, tendons or nerves in the lower back, shoulders, neck, elbows, wrists or hands. Multiple risk factors at work have been found to cause or aggravate MSDs.

In Ontario, MSDs have been called by multiple different names and include the following s: sprains, strains, tears; traumatic inflammation of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, etc.; musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders; dorsopathies; inflammation and irritation of joints, tendons, muscles and connective tissues; osteopathies, chondropathies, acquired deformities; musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders; fibromyalgia, fibrosis, myofasciatis; back pain, hurt back; soreness, pain, hurt; carpal tunnel syndrome; symptoms involving nervous & musculoskeletal systems; multiple symptoms involving the head and neck.


MSDs Statistics and Costs
MSDs have substantial personal and financial cost. The statistics provided below are based on Ontario data where a lost time injury is any loss of work beyond the date of injury.

  • In Ontario, MSDs are a significant workplace health and safety issue and are the number one reason for lost-time claims reported to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) [1] (Figure 1).
  • In Ontario in 2007, MSDs accounted for 43% of all lost time injuries and 43% of total lost time injuries costs [2].
  • From 2003-2007 in Ontario, total lost-time injury rate decreased 22%, and MSD-related lost time injuries rate decreased 15% [2] (Figure 2).
  • From 2003-2007, MSDs resulted in over 6,000,000 days lost in Ontario [2].

Injuries by Sector and Occupation

  • In Ontario in 2007, sectors with very high rates of lost-time injuries due to MSDs were service, manufacturing, health care, and Schedule 2 employers (government and self-insured). The automotive, construction, and transportation sectors were also very high [3] (Figure 3).
  • In 2008, Transportation, Forestry and Health Care had the highest frequency rate compared to all Health and Safety Associations in Ontario [2] (Figure 4)
  • Transportation and equipment operators, Sales & services, and Processing and manufacturing machine operators and assemblers have the highest lost time claims compared to all other occupations’ lost time claims in Ontario [1] (Figure 5).

Injury Costs

  • In Ontario, direct costs due to MSDs for the period of 2003-2007 totaled over $640,000,000 [2].
  • Indirect costs associated with workplace accidents and illnesses are conservatively estimated to be at least 4 times the direct costs [4]. Thus conservatively, the sum of the direct and indirect costs in Ontario is $2.56 billion.
  • The average lost time workers compensation claim cost is over $11,771. The average direct and indirect workplace lost time injury in Ontario costs over $59,000 [4].

 

References

[1] WSIB Statistical Supplement 2007, as reported in Duffy, A. Ontario Ministry of Labour Perspective, MSD Prevention Strategies in the Transportation Sector, February 2009, Mississauga, Ontario.
[2] WSIB Data Warehouse Enterprise 2008, as reported in Duffy, A. Ontario Ministry of Labour Perspective, MSD Prevention Strategies in the Transportation Sector, February 2009, Mississauga, Ontario.
[3] WSIB Statistical Supplement 2007 
[4] Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Business Results through Health and Safety