News

19 Jun, 14

What is “repetitive”?

We are often asked to define the term “repetitive”. When it comes to an injured worker, the definition should come from the employee’s health care provider.   Each worker’s injury is unique, and one health care provider might have a unique idea of what “repetitive” means for his/her patient. (No matter what you’ve heard, there is no gold standard.) If the health […]
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02 Jun, 14

Barista-Back

A recent article in the National Post highlighted the back and shoulder MSD hazards associated with barista work. The article highlighted a study from Wilfrid Laurier University, which showed that baristas have high rates of back and shoulder pain. The researchers did a great job of collecting survey, postural, and force data, and showing that the […]
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10 Apr, 14

Ergonomically designed, or marketed?

We’ve all seen items marketed as “ergonomically designed”, which typically means that a coat of rubber has been slapped around the handle, or the item is bent or angled in some way that makes it more comfortable to use. (Consider pens, shovels, keyboards, etc.) We recently came across an ad in the Toronto Star that […]
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24 Feb, 14

The screen vs. paper stand-off

Does your brain prefer paper? In our office, we’ve discovered a “gender gap”. Karen and Carrie prefer to print documents and edit with pen on paper. We find this practice more comfortable, and faster. However, the younger generation prefers to read documents on the screen, and track changes electronically.  I have an e-reader, which I […]
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27 Jan, 14

Innovate!

Last year, we attended a panel discussion at a local innovation conference, on the topic of “Transformation and Innovation”. Here are some key points: Promoting an innovative culture is a way to grow economically. Innovation creates new products. In an innovative culture, problems are seen as opportunities. (Can’t see your phone screen?….let’s make it bigger!) […]
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08 Jan, 14

Oh Canada, our home and chilly land….

Do you have employees working outdoors? Have you considered the effects of cold stress on these workers? Canadian and American initiatives have resulted in guidelines that can help employers protect workers from cold stress. The “Wind Chill”. The “dry bulb” temperature (what we typically read on the thermometer outside in the shade) and wind speed […]
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30 Dec, 13

Sleep tight

Sleep has a major influence over how people, both children and adults, function, think, and perform during the day. When we are really busy, such as during the holidays, we often short-change ourselves on sleep. We can easily recognise when our kids haven’t had enough sleep, through their behaviour. We don’t always recognise the cause […]
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