Background

Workers from the Student Housing and Community Services (SHCS) unit at the University of British Columbia (UBC) identified an opportunity to evaluate the manual handling of appliances in some housing locations on campus.

Managing the risk of musculoskeletal injury (MSI) required collaboration and actively engaging workers to understand the challenges they were facing. These challenges included using existing equipment while manoeuvring large, heavy appliances in and around older facilities designed without elevators and with constrained spaces and staircases. It was essential to seek input from supervisors, safety advisors, and joint health and safety committees to explore practical solutions to address workers’ concerns. Cross-departmental support, including UBC’s ergonomists and SHCS Facilities and Building Services, provided the necessary expertise and resources needed to trial control options and monitor effectiveness.

What started off as a review of job demands for warehouse workers expanded into a team effort in identifying, assessing, controlling, and evaluating the risks of improving the task of moving appliances. By following an MSI risk management process and involving workers at every stage, the team at UBC successfully implemented a powered stair climber to address MSI risk.

Visit worksafebc.com to learn more about managing risk and controlling risks.

Read more

• Background
• Risk factor identification and assessment
• Risk factor control
• Evaluation and conclusion
• Hot topics, resources, and events

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For resources, please visit worksafebc.com/ergonomics. If you have questions about ergonomics or human factors, or need help managing the risk of MSI in your workplace, please contact us at HumanFactors@worksafebc.com