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Whitepaper | The Hidden Risk: How Poor Training Causes Injuries in Ontario Grocery Stores

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INDUSTRY LED, RESULTS DRIVEN PAGE | 2 Introduction The security of our food system depends on the well-being of our workers. From growers and processors to distributors and retailers, every link in our food supply chain relies on having healthy workers show up to do their jobs. When grocery store workers were recognized as essential to this intricate system, it became apparent that a better understanding of the risks they face and how to mitigate them was needed. Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) collaborated with some of Ontario's largest grocery stores to conduct risk assessment and root-cause analysis workshops. Worker and management representatives from this sector leveraged their collective experience to determine the greatest risks to grocery store workers. They identified exposure to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) from handling product as the top risk affecting their sector. Whether unloading deliveries, stocking shelves, or moving items through the checkout, most of a what a grocery store worker does during a shift involves manually handling product. The group recognized that the repetitive nature of these daily tasks as well as the force and postures required for the movements puts workers at risk of developing an MSD, which aligns with injury statistics. According to data from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), MSDs are one of the top contributors to lost-time injuries in the grocery sector. "This can put an immense strain on the grocery sector because employers depend directly on workers being present at work and fully able to complete their tasks for the store to be successful," said Laura Veldhuyzen, Specialized Consultant in Ergonomics with WSPS. "When workers are not able to attend work, employers are left to fill the gap by assigning additional or extended shifts to healthy workers, requiring supervisors to cover worker tasks, or running the store short-handed, all of which can adversely affect the workers." MSDs are injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs. Symptoms include pain, tingling, and numbness in the back, neck, wrists, shoulders, and knees. MSD injuries can be caused by a specific incident; however, more often they occur slowly as workers are exposed to hazards repeatedly over time.

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