SAFE Work launches new ad to combat musculoskeletal injuries; WCB releases back injury prevention booklet

The time loss workplace injury rate in Manitoba continued to fall in 2004, according to the Manitoba Workplace Injury and Illness Statistics Report released today.                                                

The report, a joint initiative of the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) and the Workplace Safety and Health Division of Manitoba Labour and Immigration (WSHD), goes on to say that the time loss injury rate fell by 21 percent between 2000 and 2004. Of those injuries that are taking place, 59 percent are musculoskeletal injuries (MSI), with the majority being strains and sprains.

“It’s important to remain proactive to ensure that the workplace injury rate continues to decline,” says Minister of Labour and Immigration Nancy Allan. “We have made significant gains in our pursuit of a safer and healthier Manitoba, but we have to continue to target workplace safety issues such as MSI’s if we are to meet our goal of a 25 percent reduction in workplace injuries over five years.”

Allan added that for the first time, the injury statistics report includes five consecutive years of data, which will help better identify injury trends.

MSI’s are the largest cause of time missed from work in Manitoba. While men are still most at risk of suffering a workplace injury, women are sustaining more MSI’s than men and that trend is rising.

To help increase public awareness of MSI’s, SAFE Work (a joint initiative of the WCB and WSHD) will begin running a television commercial today focusing on such injuries. As well, the WCB released Back to Basics, a how-to booklet designed to recover from and prevent back injuries.

 “The public awareness and education strategy is a key element in the declining injury rate,” says WCB Interim Chairperson Tom Farrell. “The injury statistics report allowed us to identify MSI’s and back injuries as our focus for this campaign.”

MSI’s have risen from 52 percent of all time loss injuries in 2000 to 59 percent in 2004. Healthcare has the highest proportion of time loss injuries due to MSI’s (73 percent). Meanwhile, 27 percent of all time loss injuries happen to the back, 19 percent to hands and fingers, and 12 percent to multiple body parts.

The Manitoba Workplace Injury and Illness Statistics Report is one component of the SAFE Work strategy to foster a culture of health and safety in Manitoba.

For more information contact:
Warren Preece
Director of Communications                       
WCB                                                              

(204) 954-4113