| March 2010 Newsletter |
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In this issue: The Importance of Return to Work Programs March 31, 2010: ON WSIB Reconciliation Form Filing Deadline Improper WSIB PDIFs Can Over State Physical Demands Watch Your Back: An Injury to Avoid The Importance of Return to Work Programs
Our consistent message to our clients is always to make return to work your priority. What are your risks if you don’t?
March 31, 2010: ON WSIB Reconciliation Form Filing DeadlineOntario employers must file the Reconciliation Form with the WSIB by March 31 each year. The WSIB sends a Reconciliation Form to all employers who pay their premiums monthly. The WSIB uses the form to compare the employer's actual earnings for the previous year with the amounts the employer reported monthly throughout the year.
 If you have to pay a surcharge for 2009 and your NEER(1) Performance Index is at 1.5 or higher, maximum being 4.0, you need to call us!For a free consultation call 289-238-9379
(1) WSIB for New Experimental Experience Rating – which is neither new or experimental!
(2) As consultants, we value your trust as much as your business. Once we have conducted our assessment (remember the free consultation) we will save you money either through direct reduction in your WSIB premiums or cost savings in your processes. MOL UpdatesAccording to the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s website, the ministry has recruited a further 41 new Inspectors to cover various sectors within the province. This recruitment follows their hiring of 200 Inspectors in 2006. As outlined on website, the majority of the Inspectors , 20, were to be hired for the construction sector, a further 18 for the industrial and health care sectors, and 3 for mining sector. This recruitment ended January 7, 2010.
Improper WSIB PDIFs Can Over State Physical Demands
Andrew Reitzel - Ergonomist Watch Your Back: An Injury to Avoid
Back injuries are cited as the most common reason for absenteeism in the general workforce after the common cold. About 80 percent of adults are estimated to experience a back injury in their lifetime, and about 10 percent will suffer a re-injury. Nearly 28% of all work-related injuries in 2003 involved the hand, followed by the lower back (16%). Hand injuries accounted for one-third of injuries to sales and service workers, while for white-collar workers, a lower-back injury was reported most often. Depending on the severity of the problem, back pain can seriously hinder performance, causing a decrease in productivity and increased absenteeism. Employees can start protecting their back today by increasing physical activity. Specific core exercises, or movements that challenge and strengthen the abdomen and back muscles, like. A strong core distributes the stresses of weight-bearing and protects the back. Also, keeping a healthy weight minimizes stress on the back. Here are a few more tips to give employees: Strengthening Back Exercises : Strengthening the muscles that support the back - muscles of the back, abdomens, and buttocks - with exercise is an important measure to take to prevent back strain. Strong and flexible muscles are also beneficial for back pain caused by conditions other than muscle strain, e.g. herniated disc, sciatica, and back osteoarthritis. Strong muscles absorb shock before it reaches the joints. Increasing muscle strength takes time. Increase exercises slowly to avoid injury. Posture It is extremely important to learn and maintain good posture. When the spine is in proper alignment it provides proper support for the head. If the spine is out of alignment, the muscles have to work harder to support the head, causing strained muscles and back pain. Strengthen and lengthen the muscles required for developing and maintaining good posture. If the chair does not support your lower back curve, place a rolled towel or small pillow behind your lower back. Remove bulky objects, such as keys or a wallet, from your back pockets when sitting because they can disrupt balance in your lower back. When standing, hold reading material at eye level, and do not bend forward to do deskwork. Reduce risk. Ladies, think twice before wearing high heels (especially in the winter!). Shoes or boots with nonslip soles are more stable in winter environments. Body Weight Lower back pain is more common in overweight people. Carrying extra weight causes more stress on the back, especially the lower back which supports most the weight of the torso. If excess weight is concentrated in the stomach area, even more stress in placed on the lower back. Weight can be controlled with a healthy diet and exercise. Though aerobic exercise is the most effective way to burn calories, strength exercises increase your muscle mass, which in turn increases your resting metabolism. Extra muscles burn extra calories even while sleeping. Tip: Stay Hydrated. Drink plenty of water to help flush away acidic waste products from the muscles. High levels of acidic waste products (by products of muscular activity) in the muscles can cause muscle irritation and pain. Sue Baron |
Of interest in the dramatic increase in prosecutions recently.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Physical Demands Information Form (PDIF) is utilized in order to report the physical demands of a job or task that resulted in an injury. As a result the PDIF covers the entire body and the section that pertains to where the injury occurred is completed and handed in. The PDIF requests descriptive attributes of the task that caused the injury such as; how long does the task take, how many times is it performed a day, postures of the body part injured, forces exerted and the item lifted or being worked with. Consider a task that occurs 30 times per shift in which Item X must be transported from A to B with a cart and task completion is 2 minutes. In order to complete this task Item X must first be lifted on to the cart and the lift is considered a “heavy lift”. The duration of this heavy lift is 3 seconds. If the PDIF reports that completion of this task requires a heavy lift and takes 2 minutes the documentation states that 60 minutes of heavy lifting is occurring (2 minutes x 30 times/shift). When in actuality only 1.5 minutes of heavy lifting is occurring (3 seconds x 30 times/shift). 
Back injuries accounted for 28.6% of all WSIB lost time claims in 2008, historically consistent for the last decade.
