Musculoskeletal Disorders in Ontario: OHSA Requirements & Prevention

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are workplace injuries and conditions affecting muscles, tendons, nerves, joints, ligaments and other supporting tissues. In Ontario, employers covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) must protect workers from ergonomic hazards that can cause or worsen these conditions.

 

The OHSA does not establish a single, universal MSD prevention course or certification. Instead, its general duties and applicable workplace regulations require employers to address ergonomic risks through measures such as safe equipment, worker instruction, hazard communication and reasonable precautions.

 

For employers, effective MSD prevention starts with identifying physical demands, assessing worker exposure, changing hazardous tasks and checking whether those changes reduce risk.

What Are Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)?

Musculoskeletal disorders are injuries or conditions affecting the body’s movement and support structures, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, joints and spinal discs.

Work-related MSDs can develop when physical demands exceed a worker’s ability to recover. Repeated movements, forceful exertion, awkward postures, vibration and prolonged static positions are common contributing factors.

Examples include:

• Low back disorders: Pain or injury associated with lifting, bending, twisting or prolonged physical loading.
• Tendinitis: Irritation or inflammation of a tendon, sometimes linked to repeated or forceful movements.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: Compression of the median nerve at the wrist.
• Epicondylitis: A condition affecting tendons near the elbow, often associated with repeated gripping or wrist movements.
• Shoulder disorders: Conditions associated with repeated reaching, overhead work or sustained arm positions.
• Neck discomfort and disorders: Problems that may be associated with sustained or awkward head and neck positions.

Not every musculoskeletal condition is caused by work. The relationship depends on individual circumstances, exposure history and other contributing factors.

What Are the Early Signs of a Work-Related MSD?

Common warning signs include localized pain, stiffness, swelling, tingling, numbness, weakness or reduced movement.

Symptoms may initially appear during or after a demanding task. Some workers notice that discomfort improves during rest but returns when they repeat the activity.

Workers should report suspected work-related symptoms promptly. Early reporting gives the workplace an opportunity to assess exposure and change the task before symptoms worsen. Workers experiencing persistent, worsening or concerning symptoms should seek appropriate medical advice.

What Does Ontario’s OHSA Require for MSD Prevention?

 

Ontario’s OHSA requires covered employers to address ergonomic hazards as workplace health and safety hazards. Employers must meet the general duties in the Act and any relevant requirements in regulations applying to their workplaces.

The Ontario government explains these responsibilities in its official Ergonomics in the Workplace: Understanding the Law resource.

Employer Duties Under OHSA Section 25

Several provisions of section 25 are especially relevant to musculoskeletal disorder prevention.

OHSA provision	Employer responsibility	MSD prevention example
Section 25(1)(b)	Maintain equipment, materials and protective devices provided by the employer in good condition	Repair defective cart wheels that increase pushing force
Section 25(2)(a)	Provide information, instruction and supervision to protect workers’ health and safety	Train workers on safe material handling and supervise task performance
Section 25(2)(d)	Acquaint workers or persons in authority with workplace hazards	Explain repetitive strain and high-force risks associated with assigned tasks
Section 25(2)(h)	Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for worker protection	Provide a suitable lifting aid when manual lifting creates a foreseeable injury risk

These are general statutory duties. The precise controls needed depend on the actual hazards and circumstances of the workplace.

An employer’s responsibility is not limited to telling workers to lift correctly. Where equipment design, workload, force or workstation layout creates avoidable exposure, employers should examine changes to the work itself.

Which Ontario Workplace Regulations Address MSD-Related Hazards?

Ontario has workplace-specific regulations that include provisions relevant to material handling, equipment and other physical hazards.

Industrial Establishments — Regulation 851

Section 45 addresses the safe lifting, carrying, moving and storage of materials. Section 51 contains requirements for lifting devices, including provisions relating to their construction, examination and rated capacity.

These requirements can be relevant to warehouses, manufacturing operations and other covered industrial establishments.

Read Regulation 851.

 

Construction Projects — Ontario Regulation 213/91

Construction employers must review the applicable provisions for material handling, housekeeping, access, equipment and other site hazards.

Ontario’s official ergonomics guidance identifies several construction regulation provisions relevant to preventing injuries associated with poor ergonomics, including sections 37(1), 70(1), 72, 73(4), 74, 93, 115, 125 and 231.

The applicable requirements depend on the work being performed and the circumstances on site.

Read Ontario Regulation 213/91.

 

Health Care and Residential Facilities — Ontario Regulation 67/93

Section 103 requires materials, articles and things to be handled, stored and disposed of without creating a hazard. Other provisions address equipment and workplace procedures.

Patient and resident handling can create significant physical demands, so facilities should also assess tasks such as transferring, lifting, repositioning and assisting people with limited mobility.

Read Ontario Regulation 67/93.

These regulations do not replace the OHSA’s general employer duties. Employers must determine which requirements apply to their operations.

Is Ergonomic Training Mandatory in Ontario?

The OHSA requires appropriate worker information, instruction and supervision, but it does not impose one universal ergonomic training certificate on every Ontario worker.

The instruction an employer provides should reflect actual workplace hazards. For example, an employee who repeatedly handles heavy materials needs instruction relevant to that work, while an employee with prolonged computer-based tasks may benefit from workstation setup instruction.

A standalone MSD awareness or office ergonomics certificate should not be represented as a universal legal requirement.

Training also does not replace necessary physical controls. A worker who has received lifting instruction can still face unreasonable risk if the load, lifting height, repetition or available equipment makes the task unsafe.

What Causes Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Workplace?

MSD risk usually depends on a combination of physical demands, exposure duration, recovery time and working conditions.

The five common ergonomic risk factors below provide a practical starting point for workplace assessments.

Risk factor	Typical workplace exposure	Possible preventive action
Forceful exertion	Lifting heavy boxes or pushing loaded carts	Reduce load weight or provide mechanical assistance
Repetitive movement	Frequent gripping, packing, sorting or keyboard tasks	Redesign the task and reduce prolonged repetition
Awkward posture	Bending over low work surfaces or reaching overhead	Adjust the working height and material placement
Static posture	Remaining seated, standing or holding a tool in one position for long periods	Allow changes in working position and suitable recovery periods
Vibration or contact stress	Operating vibrating tools or resting wrists against hard edges	Select suitable tools and reduce pressure or vibration exposure

Exposure becomes more concerning when several risk factors occur together.

For example, lifting a moderately heavy object repeatedly from below knee height may create greater physical demand than lifting the same object occasionally from an accessible waist-level position.

Employers should also consider factors such as work pace, insufficient recovery time, restricted workspace and worker concerns when assessing the task.

How to Assess Musculoskeletal Disorder Risks at Work

An MSD risk assessment identifies tasks that expose workers to harmful physical demands and determines what needs to change.

An assessment should look beyond an individual worker’s posture and examine how the job, tools, materials and environment contribute to exposure.

Step 1: Identify Tasks With High Physical Demands

Begin with tasks involving frequent lifting, forceful pushing, pulling, gripping, bending, reaching or sustained positions.

Useful information includes:

• Worker reports of discomfort or difficult tasks.
• Workplace inspection findings.
• Injury and near-miss records.
• Repeated handling of awkward or heavy loads.
• Tasks with unusually high force or repetition.
• Equipment that is difficult to move or operate.

Include workers who perform the tasks in the review. They can often identify problems that are not obvious during a brief inspection.

Step 2: Examine Force, Posture, Repetition and Duration

Observe how the task is performed during normal operations.

Record what is being moved or handled, how often the task occurs, the positions workers use and whether equipment reduces or increases physical demand.

Ask practical questions:

• Can the worker keep the load close to the body?
• Does the task require frequent bending or twisting?
• Is the workstation at a suitable height?
• How much pushing or pulling force is required?
• Can the worker change position or recover between demanding tasks?
• Does the task become more difficult during busy production periods?

A physical demands analysis or structured ergonomic assessment can help document more complex tasks.

Step 3: Select Controls That Reduce Exposure

Choose controls that address the source of the hazard. Prioritize changes that eliminate the hazardous task or reduce physical demand through better equipment and workplace design.

Training, instructions, task rotation and breaks can support these changes, but should not be the only response when stronger controls are reasonably available.

Step 4: Record Actions and Assign Responsibility

Document the hazardous task, the selected controls, who is responsible and when the changes should be completed.

For example:

Task: Repeatedly transferring cartons from floor-level pallets to a packing table.

Hazards: Frequent bending, forceful lifting and trunk rotation.

Possible controls: Raise the pallet to a suitable working height, reduce carton weight, adjust material placement or provide suitable lift-assist equipment.

Follow-up: Confirm the changed task no longer requires the same level of bending and lifting force.

Step 5: Check Whether the Controls Work

Reassess the task after changes are made.

Ask workers whether the physical demands have changed, observe how the task is performed and review new reports of discomfort or difficulty.

Repeat the assessment when equipment, production volume, staffing, work methods or workplace layout changes significantly.

For a structured approach, Achieve Safety offers a Risk Assessment and Hazard Identification Workshop.

How Can Ontario Employers Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders?

The most effective prevention approach is to reduce exposure to MSD risk factors through safer work design and suitable equipment.

1. Reduce Hazardous Manual Handling

Where possible, remove unnecessary manual lifting and carrying.

Employers can consider:

• Lift tables and mechanical lifting equipment.
• Carts or other suitable transport aids.
• Smaller or lighter packages.
• Better storage heights.
• Work layouts that limit repeated carrying.
• Equipment maintenance that reduces pushing and pulling effort.

For workers who handle materials regularly, task-specific instruction should explain the hazards, equipment limitations and safe procedures for the actual workplace.

Achieve Safety’s Manual Material Handling Training addresses material handling hazards, control selection and injury prevention practices.

2. Improve Workstation Ergonomics

Workstations should accommodate the worker and the physical demands of the task.

For computer-based work, assess monitor placement, chair adjustment, desk height, keyboard and mouse location, and the ability to change posture.

For production and assembly tasks, review work surface height, reach distance, tool position and material placement.

An adjustable workstation can help accommodate workers with different physical dimensions. It may also reduce sustained awkward positions when tasks require different working heights.

Achieve Safety provides Office Ergonomics Training for workplaces seeking practical instruction on workstation setup and strain prevention.

3. Reduce Excessive Repetition and Static Loading

Employers should review task cycles that require the same joints or muscle groups to work repeatedly for extended periods.

Potential controls include redesigning repetitive movements, changing equipment, adjusting production methods and providing opportunities to change posture.

Task rotation is most useful when the alternate task places different physical demands on the body. Moving a worker between two equally demanding repetitive tasks may offer little benefit.

4. Maintain Tools and Equipment

Poorly maintained equipment can increase the force needed to perform a task.

Examples include damaged cart wheels, stiff controls, worn bearings and tools that create unnecessary vibration.

Preventive maintenance should include equipment conditions that affect ergonomic safety, not only mechanical failure risks.

5. Encourage Early Reporting

Workers should know how to report discomfort, strain symptoms and hazardous tasks without unnecessary delay.

Supervisors should respond by reviewing the exposure and arranging suitable corrective measures.

Reporting should not depend on an injury becoming severe or requiring time away from work.

6. Review the Prevention Measures

MSD prevention should be part of normal workplace health and safety activities.

Useful review points include worker feedback, inspection findings, completed corrective actions, recurring symptoms and changes to work processes.

Where applicable, involve the health and safety representative or Joint Health and Safety Committee in hazard identification and workplace inspections.

MSD Prevention Examples for Ontario Workplaces

Different sectors expose workers to different combinations of ergonomic risk factors. The controls should reflect the actual work rather than a single standard approach.

Warehousing: Repetitive Pallet Handling

Situation: A warehouse worker repeatedly transfers cartons from floor-level pallets to shelving.

Risk factors: Forceful lifting, repeated bending and twisting.

Better approach: Review carton weight, use suitable pallet-positioning equipment and arrange storage to reduce low-level and extended-reach lifts.

The main objective is to change the physical demands of the task rather than rely only on lifting reminders.

Construction: Carrying Materials Across a Worksite

Situation: Workers transport building materials through a congested area with changing ground conditions.

Risk factors: Carrying loads, awkward grips, prolonged exertion and unstable movement conditions.

Better approach: Plan material delivery and storage locations, assess suitable handling equipment and maintain safe access routes.

The employer must also meet the construction regulations that apply to the work.

Health Care: Repositioning a Patient

Situation: Staff repeatedly assist a patient who cannot reposition independently.

Risk factors: High physical force, awkward postures and unpredictable movement.

Better approach: Assess the person’s handling needs, choose appropriate transfer or repositioning equipment and ensure staff know how to use the equipment safely.

Patient handling procedures must account for the patient’s condition, staff safety and the equipment available.

Office Work: Prolonged Computer Tasks

Situation: An employee uses a laptop for most of the workday with limited workstation adjustment.

Risk factors: Sustained neck flexion, repetitive input and prolonged static posture.

Better approach: Assess screen height, input-device placement, working posture and opportunities to change position.

An external keyboard, mouse, appropriately positioned display or adjustable workstation may be suitable depending on the assessment.

Employer MSD Prevention Checklist

Ontario employers can use the following checklist to review their current prevention practices.

Review item	Question to ask
Hazard identification	Have tasks involving force, repetition and awkward posture been identified?
Worker participation	Have workers been asked about physically demanding tasks and discomfort?
Risk assessment	Have the physical demands and duration of exposure been examined?
Equipment	Are suitable handling aids and adjustable workstations available where needed?
Maintenance	Is equipment maintained so defects do not increase physical effort?
Instruction	Do workers understand the hazards and safe procedures for their tasks?
Reporting	Can workers report discomfort and hazardous conditions promptly?
Corrective action	Are identified ergonomic hazards assigned for action?
Follow-up	Are controls reviewed after changes are made?
Documentation	Are assessments, instruction and corrective actions recorded as appropriate?

This checklist is a practical planning tool, not a substitute for statutory requirements or a complete workplace assessment.

Employers seeking a more structured prevention system can use the MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario, developed through the Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD).

What Should an Employer Do When a Worker Reports MSD Symptoms?

The employer should respond to a reported workplace MSD concern by examining the hazardous task, considering appropriate protective measures and meeting applicable reporting and workplace safety obligations.

 

A practical response includes:

1. Record the worker’s reported concern through the workplace’s established process.
2. Assess the task, equipment and ergonomic risk factors associated with the concern.
3. Take reasonable steps to prevent continued hazardous exposure.
4. Arrange appropriate assistance or assessment where necessary.
5. Review whether similar tasks expose other workers to the same hazards.
6. Document corrective actions and check their effectiveness.

A worker’s medical diagnosis and the employer’s ergonomic hazard assessment serve different purposes. Supervisors should not attempt to diagnose the condition.

Employers must also assess whether any statutory incident-reporting, workplace insurance, accommodation or return-to-work obligations apply to the circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions About MSDs and Ontario’s OHSA

Does the OHSA specifically cover musculoskeletal disorders?

Yes. Ontario’s OHSA duties apply to ergonomic hazards that can cause musculoskeletal disorders. The Act establishes general workplace safety obligations, while applicable regulations contain additional requirements related to equipment, material handling and other hazards.

Are ergonomic assessments required by law in Ontario?

There is no universal OHSA provision requiring every employer to obtain a particular ergonomic assessment certificate or use one specific assessment method. Employers must meet their applicable duties to address workplace hazards. An ergonomic assessment is a practical way to identify, assess and control MSD risks.

Is there a legal maximum lifting weight in Ontario?

Ontario’s OHSA does not establish one universal maximum manual lifting weight for all workers and tasks. Lifting risk depends on factors such as load weight, frequency, posture, distance, grip, work conditions and the worker’s capabilities. Employers must assess the actual task and applicable requirements.

Can office workers develop work-related MSDs?

Yes. Prolonged computer work, repeated input-device movements, sustained postures and poorly arranged workstations can contribute to musculoskeletal symptoms. Employers should assess relevant ergonomic hazards in office work as well as physically demanding industrial tasks.

Does proper lifting technique prevent all MSDs?

No. Lifting technique can be part of safe work instruction, but it does not eliminate risks created by excessive loads, high repetition, awkward lifting locations or poor work design. Reducing physical demands through better task design and equipment is also important.

Who is responsible for preventing MSDs at work?

Employers, supervisors and workers have duties under Ontario’s OHSA. Employers must meet their statutory obligations to protect workers, while supervisors and workers have responsibilities relevant to safe work and reporting hazards. Prevention requires workplace controls and worker participation.

Can a worker report discomfort before receiving a medical diagnosis?

Yes. Workers should report suspected work-related discomfort or hazardous conditions promptly. An employer does not need to wait for a confirmed medical diagnosis before examining and addressing a reported ergonomic hazard.

What is the difference between ergonomics and MSD prevention?

Ergonomics concerns the fit between work demands, equipment, environments and human capabilities. MSD prevention uses ergonomic principles and other safety measures to reduce exposure to conditions that may cause musculoskeletal injuries.

Support MSD Prevention With Practical Workplace Training

Musculoskeletal disorder prevention is part of managing workplace health and safety risks under Ontario’s OHSA.

 

Employers can reduce harmful physical demands by identifying hazardous tasks, improving equipment and workstation design, providing appropriate instruction and reviewing the results of corrective actions.

 

Achieve Safety provides workplace health and safety training for Ontario organizations. Relevant training options include:

• Manual Material Handling Training for workers and supervisors involved in lifting, carrying and moving materials.
• Office Ergonomics Training for computer-based workstation safety and strain prevention.
• Risk Assessment and Hazard Identification Workshop for structured workplace hazard recognition and assessment.

 

To discuss training or workplace safety needs, contact Achieve Safety.

Official References

1. Ontario Ministry of Labour: Ergonomics in the Workplace — Understanding the Law.
2. Government of Ontario: Occupational Health and Safety Act.
3. Government of Ontario: Regulation 851 — Industrial Establishments.
4. Government of Ontario: Ontario Regulation 213/91 — Construction Projects.
5. Government of Ontario: Ontario Regulation 67/93 — Health Care and Residential Facilities.
6. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders.
7. Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario.

 

This information is provided for workplace safety education. Legal requirements depend on the applicable legislation, regulations and circumstances. Medical concerns should be assessed by a qualified health professional.