Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) hazards from manually handling product have been identified as the top
health and safety risk and opportunity for Ontario's grocery retail sector following a comprehensive risk
assessment that engaged stakeholders at all levels of the industry.
MSDs are injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs with
symptoms that may include pain, tingling, and/or numbness. MSDs can be caused by a specific
incident such as lifting something too heavy; however, more often they occur slowly as workers are
exposed to hazards repeatedly over time.
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) and the Grocery Retail sector are working together to
develop solutions that address the top ten primary causal factors of MSDs from manually handling product
in this sector. This document provides some clarity on current resources and workplace best practices.
Top 10 Primary Causal Factors
1. Inadequate training
2. Poor workplace design or layout
3. Poor technique
4. Lack of effective supervision
5. Lack of evaluation of effectiveness of training
6. Lack of storage capacity
7. Fatigue
8. Inadequate or lack of safe work practices
9. Incorrect use of or failure to use equipment
10. Inadequate staffing
Recommendations put forward by the working group to address MSDs in the grocery store industry
were collated in three categories. For each category, we have provided links to associated WSPS
solutions, many of which are free! You can also visit our Resource Hub and connect with a consultant
if you have additional questions.
Grocery Retail Root Cause Analysis
Musculoskeletal Disorders from Manual Material Handling
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