RSI Day

Webinar Series 2024

Recognizing and Preventing
Repetitive Strain Injuries at Work

2024 marked the 25th anniversary of RSI Day.  OHCOW has seen this event grow from 20 registrants in a local audience to over 1850 registrants from across 53 countries.  The entire RSI Day webinar series event can be viewed through the links below or on OHCOW’s YouTube channel

Be A Beta-Tester!

Part of the 2024 RSI webinar series included the unveiling of 6 new/updated tools to assist workplaces in the reduction of musculoskeletal disorders.  We are asking if anyone would be interested in assisting with beta testing of any of the tools before they are released to the general public at the end of the month.  If you are, please find a link to each tool and the associated evaluation form below.  Participation is of course voluntary with no limit/maximum requirement.

Due to time constraints, the following timelines would be in place:

Dates to remember

RSI Day evaluation and Beta testing signup – March 15, 2024

Deadline for Beta testing comments – March 22, 2024

Tools

Click to go to the tool and see the evaluation

Cold Stress Calculator Evaluation
Anthropometric Calculator Evaluation
Office Ergonomics Calculator Evaluation
Keyboard Short Cut Tutorial Evaluation

More to come, check back later.

WEEK 1

Thursday, February 8

10:00 am - 12:30 pm EST

Focus on Workers: 25 year History & Opioid Harm Reduction

Part 1: The History of RSI Day

Learn about the origin, implementation and importance of RSI Day over its 25 year history.

SPEAKER:
Catherine Fenech – RSI Day Founder

Part 2: Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Opioid Misuse

Construction work is demanding, and physical injury and disability is prevalent among workers. Painful musculoskeletal health conditions, compounded by a lack of access to adequate sick leave (to aid recovery), and a culture of prioritizing productivity over health concerns, have contributed to the problem. This presentation delves into the root causes of chronic pain, including the impact of RSIs, in relation to the overall mental and physical well-being of construction workers. The construction sector has one of the highest rates of prescription opioid use in Ontario’s economy, which is detrimental to workers and to the industry. Managing chronic musculoskeletal pain safely is key to improving health outcomes for workers.

SPEAKER:
Carmine Tiano, Director of Occupational Services
Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario

Part 3: Opioid-related harms among Ontario workers

The opioid crisis continues to grow in Canada, however current health surveillance systems that monitor opioid-related harms have limited or no employment information. The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS), designed to detect work-related disease in a large cohort of formerly injured Ontario workers, was recently expanded to identify opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits. In this presentation, Dr. Jeavana Sritharan and Dr. Nancy Carnide will share findings from analyses of these data, including the occupational groups found to be at highest risk for opioid-related harms. They will also share the newly launched Opioids and Work Data Tool, which is an interactive data visualization tool used for exploring cases and rates of opioid-related harms among Ontario workers.

SPEAKERS:
Jeavana Sritharan, Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC)
Nancy Carnide, Institute for Work and Health (IWH)


WEEK 2

Thursday February 15

10:00 am - 12:30 pm EST

Clinical Lessons on Key Musculoskeletal Disorders

Part 1: Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain affecting approximately 2 million people a year. This session examines the anatomy, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and prevention of this disorder at work.

SPEAKERS:
Pravesh Jugnundan, Physician - OHCOW Toronto
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist - OHCOW - Sudbury

Part 2: Improved and Systematic Physical Demand Analysis in the Workplace

Worker safety and productivity are crucial elements in the workplace. The application of ergonomics and the identification of connections between workers and assigned tasks have contributed to a reduction in worker injuries and discomfort, yielding positive effects on productivity, and lowering costs. It is not uncommon to observe workers in the workplace exposed to awkward body postures, repetitive motions and forceful exertion that lead to musculoskeletal disorders, resulting in operational delays.

Physical Demand Analysis (PDA) is a widely recommended tool for documenting the physical, cognitive, and environmental demands of essential and non-essential tasks. However, limitations exist in using the content generated in current PDA practices for risk identification and assessment, with limited functionality in providing modified work to proactively mitigate risk.

Three aspects of PDA implementations are discussed — risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation —aiming at the development of modified work within the return-to-work program. Ultimately, this research can contribute to the design of job tasks and work environments with the overarching goal of promoting health, safety, and productivity in the workplace.

SPEAKER:
Xinming Li (Sherry Li) - Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta

Part 3: Epicondylitis

Epicondylitis is a musculoskeletal disorder affecting the elbow with an overall prevalence in the general population reported to be between 4% and 7%.  This disorder is more commonly referred to as golfer’s elbow (medial aspect of elbow) or tennis elbow (lateral aspect of elbow).  This session examines the anatomy, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and prevention of this disorder at work.

SPEAKERS:
Daryl Stephenson, Ergonomist - OHCOW - Hamilton
Michael Pysklywec, Physician, OHCOW - Hamilton

 

RESOURCES:

PAPER: Lateral Epicondylitis: Pathophysiology and Risk Factors


WEEK 3

Thursday February 22

10:00 am - 12:30 pm EST

Cost/Benefit: Understanding Financial & Psychosocial Harm

Part 1: Ergonomics Intervention Cost-Benefit Calculator

This presentation will review the business case for ergonomics, and demonstrate a simple method for cost-justifying ergonomics projects. Links to several freely available cost-benefit models will be shared.

SPEAKER:
Rick Goggins, Ergonomist
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries

 

RESOURCE:

SLIDE DECK

 

Part 2: Ontario's Cost Calculator and Related Resources

Building on the previous presentation, this session focusses on the development and use of Ontario's Cost Calculator along with an introduction to other helpful resources by the Centre for Research Excellence on Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD).

SPEAKER:
Jacklyn Kurt - CRE MSD
University of Waterloo

 

RESOURCE:
SLIDE DECK

 

Part 3: Measuring Workplace Stress Among RSI Day Participants – 6 years later

In 2018, RSI Day participants were introduced to StressAssess, a tool for measuring psychosocial conditions in a workplace, completing and reviewing the results of the survey live during the session. We thought it would be interesting to repeat the survey 6 years later to see if anything has changed.  Please fill out the survey here  and attend for a real-time update, and in the process we’ll refresh your memory regarding the usefulness of StressAssess as a workplace mental health and injury prevention tool in workplaces large and small.

SPEAKER:
John Oudyk, Occupational Hygienist
OHCOW Hamilton


WEEK 4

Thursday February 29

10:00 am - 12:30 pm EST

Knowledge@OHCOW: Products & Tools for Workers & Workplaces

Welcome and Introduction

Dr. Joel Moody, Ontario Chief Prevention Officer, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Part 1:  OHCOW’s Ergonomic Tools, APPs and Calculators

OHCOW’s Ergonomists have created a number of tools to assist workplaces with both identification and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. The following presentations introduce the new/recently revised tools to assist workplace parties.

Office Ergonomics Learning Modules
Office ergonomics is more important now than it has ever been before in our efforts to decrease and/or eliminate musculoskeletal disorders. Many workplaces do not have the financial resources (or time) to correctly train their workers in ergonomics, and specifically to identify and correct office set-up and use challenges.  Building on the popular Office Ergonomics Ergo Reference Guide, the Office Ergonomics e-Learning Course breaks down the key ergonomic principles of workstation components into modules that allow users to progress at their own pace, while learning how to recognize, assess, and control the ergonomic hazards related to computer work wherever it is done.

SPEAKERS:
Melissa Statham, Ergonomist - OHCOW Windsor
Dwayne Fuchs, Ergonomist - OHCOW Thunder Bay

Part 2: Revised and Updated Office Ergo Calculator, Anthropometric Calculator, Keyboard Short Cut Tutorial, and Cold Stress Calculator

While these tools were presented during previous RSI Day Webinars they have undergone significant revisions from their initial excel based format to both web and APP based programs  This session aims to demonstrate the features and updates of these tools including the ability to import anthropometric data into the Office Ergonomics Calculator.

SPEAKER:
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist - OHCOW Sudbury

Part 3: Introducing JobAssess, a New Job Demands Analysis Tool

Building on the Job Demands Analysis (JDA) Excel Tool introduced last year, OHCOW has now developed a web (and soon App) version that will allow workplaces to capture a comprehensive list of the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and environmental components of jobs within their organization. The tool can be accessed by phone, tablet, or computer to assess a job in real time, and thus streamline the process of capturing associated demands. Users can download the results for their own use, or create a database account to save, build from and compare numerous assessments - a valuable prevention tool for workplaces of any size.

SPEAKERS:
Daryl Stephenson, Ergonomist - OHCOW Hamilton
Andrew Flanagan, Ergonomist - OHCOW Sarnia
David Mijatovic, Ergonomist - OHCOW Toronto

 

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) refers to a category of injuries involving damage to muscles, tendons and nerves
caused by overuse or misuse.

More workers sustain RSIs than all other occupational injuries combined.

Workplace injuries such as repetitive strain injuries (RSI's) account for:

42%
of all lost time claims

50%
of all lost time days

These injuries are also increasingly being reported by students and others in our communities.

Each year much of Ontario's workforce sustain Repetitive Strain Injuries.

What is both troubling and a source of encouragement is knowing RSIs are preventable.

Repetitive Strain Injury Day, increases awareness of these critical, debilitating issues and serves to educate workers about the hazards and prevention methods.

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featurediconRSI

RSI Day Webinar Series 2024 Week 4

RECORDED FEBRUARY 15 (WEEK 2): Plantar Fasciitis, Physical Demand Analysis, Epicondylitis

featurediconRSI

RSI Day Webinar Series 2024 Week 3

RECORDED FEBRUARY 15 (WEEK 2): Plantar Fasciitis, Physical Demand Analysis, Epicondylitis

featurediconRSI

RSI Day Webinar Series 2024 Week 2

RECORDED FEBRUARY 15 (WEEK 2): Plantar Fasciitis, Physical Demand Analysis, Epicondylitis

featurediconRSI

RSI Day Webinar Series 2024

RECORDED FEBRUARY 8 (WEEK 1): Focus on Workers: 25 year History of RSI Day & Opioid Harm Reduction

RSIwebinars

RSI Day 2023 Week 4 – Job Demands: Physical and Cognitive

WEBINAR • A review of the use of physical demands analysis (PDA) expanding on methods for evaluating manual materials handling (MMH) and posture analysis and discussing emerging ways to tackle cognitive demands analysis.

RSIwebinars

RSI Day 2023 Week 3 – Review of and New Directions for OHCOW’s PDD Handbook

WEBINAR • A review of OHCOWs current PDD handbook followed by an introduction of upcoming changes to the PDD handbook and PDD

RSIwebinars

RSI Day 2023 Week 3 – Women’s Experiences with Personal Protective Equipment

A look at the problems women have finding appropriately sized and sufficiently protective personal protective equipment (PPE).

RSIwebinars

RSI Day 2023 Week 2 – Ergonomics and Sleep

View the first week’s session in the RSI Webinar Series!

RSIwebinars

RSI Day 2023 Week 1 – Concussions in the Workplace

View the first week’s session in this RSI Webinar Series!

RSIwebinars

RSI Day 2023 Week 1 – Four E’s of Shoulder Injuries

View the first week’s session in this RSI Webinar Series, Part One on Shoulder Injuries.

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*REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) DAY 2022

February 2022

[WEBINAR SERIES]
Covering musculoskeletal disorders, integrating return-to-work components, ergonomics for specific occupations, and ergonomic prevention tools

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Understanding the Elements of a Physical Demand Analysis (PDA)/ Physical Demand Description (PDD)

February 17, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Nathan Birtch, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Prevention

February 10, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist, OHCOW (Sudbury)

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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

February 10, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Trevor Schell, OHCOW Ergonomist
Caleb O’Leary, Fanshawe College

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Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) – Part 2

February 28, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
David Mijatovic, Ergonomist,OHCOW (Toronto)

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Ergonomic Prevention Tools – Apps for Knowledge Activists

February 28, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Daryl Stephenson, Ergonomist, OHCOW (Hamilton)

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Ergonomics and Carpenters

February 24, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Andrew Flanagan, Ergonomist, OHCOW (Sarnia)

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Ergonomics and Custodians / Housekeepers

February 24, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Dwayne Fuchs, Ergonomist, OHCOW (Thunder Bay)
Melissa Statham, Ergonomist,OHCOW (Windsor)

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Utilizing A PDA / PDD and FAE to Determine Return to Work (RTW)

February 17, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Amy DuBreuil, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
Physiohealth Inc

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Components of a Functional Abilities Exam (FAE)

February 17, 2022

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Dennis Polygenis, Physiohealth Inc

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Industry 4.0 – Considerations for Safety in the Workplace

February 26, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Allison Stephens, Fanshawe College

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New Risk Assessment Methods in Ergonomics

February 26, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Jim Potvin, McMaster University, University of California – Berkeley, Potvin Biomechanics Inc.

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Dupuytren’s Contacture

February 19, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), Ergonomists

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OHCOW’s New Office Ergonomics Handbook – Part 3

February 19, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Dwayne Fuchs and Melissa Statham, OHCOW Ergonomists

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Understanding the Use of WSIAT Discussion Papers

February 19, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Dave Wilken, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Introduction to the Anthropometric Calculator

February 12, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) – Part 1

February 12, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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OHCOW’s New Office Ergonomics Handbook – Part 2

February 12, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Dwayne Fuchs and Melissa Statham, OHCOW Ergonomists

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OHCOW’s New Office Ergonomics Handbook – Part 1

February 5, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Dwayne Fuchs and Melissa Statham, OHCOW Ergonomists

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A Truly Remote Workstation – Working from Your Car

February 5, 2021

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Daryl Stephenson, PhD, Ergonomist AE, OHCOW Hamilton

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*REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) DAY 2021

February 2021

[WEBINAR SERIES]
Covering OHCOW’s new Office Ergonomics Handbook, remote workstations, modern, flexible office settings, the anthropometric calculator, WSIAT discussion papers, rapid upper limb assessment, Dupuytren’s Contacture, and Industry 4.0

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Introducing the Hazard Assess App

February 28, 2020

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Andre Gauvin, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Understanding Permanent Impairment Awards

February 28, 2020

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
David Chezzi, Prevention Link

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RSI Day 2020 – Panel Discussion – Part 1

February 28, 2020

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
A thought-provoking discussion by a panel of Canadian experts at the closing of the 2020 OHCOW RSI Day webinar event.

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CTV News – What’s a Workers’ Life Worth

February 28, 2020

[VIDEO]
CTV News
Coverage of the 2020 RSI Day event “What’s a Workers’ Life Worth?”

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Economics of Ergonomics – Cost Effective Solutions

February 28, 2020

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Using Scientific Evidence to Drive Prevention and Compensation

February 28, 2020

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Dr. Paul Demers, Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC)

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RSI Day 2020 – Panel Discussion – Part 2

February 28, 2020

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
A thought-provoking discussion by a panel of Canadian experts at the closing of the 2020 OHCOW RSI Day webinar event.

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RSI Day 2020 Introduction

February 28, 2020

[RECORDED WEBINAR]

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*REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) DAY 2020

February 28, 2020

[WEBINAR SERIES]
Covering permanent impairment awards, the economics of ergonomics, driving prevention and compensation with scientific evidence, as well as a new hazard assessment app

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REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) DAY 2019

February 28, 2019

Part of the RSI Day Webinar Series

Celebrating 20 years of increasing awareness on musculoskeletal disorders and related occupational health issues

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Concussions in the Workplace

February 28, 2019

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Daryl Stephenson, PhD, OHCOW Ergonomist

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Vibration White Foot Disorder

February 28, 2019

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Katie Goggins, PhD Candidate, Natural Resources Engineering, Laurentian University

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Meet Catherine Fenech – RSI Day Founder

February 28, 2019

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Catherine Fenech, RSI Day Founder

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Moving Forward

February 28, 2019

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Trevor Schell, M.Sc, CCPE, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) Ergonomist

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Introduction to the New Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) Guidelines

February 28, 2019

[RECORDED WEBINAR]
Amin Yazdani, PhD, CSP, Professor, OHSW Program Coordinator, Conestoga College, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo and McMaster University

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Psychosocial Ergonomics

February 28, 2018

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Presenter: Melissa Statham, Ergonomist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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StressAssess – Workplace Stress and It’s Prevention

February 28, 2018

[RECORDING PRESENTATION]
John Oudyk, Occupational Hygienist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Economics of Ergonomics: How to Avoid Costly Mistakes

February 28, 2018

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Trevor Schell, Ergonomist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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An Introduction to mCROSH

February 28, 2018

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Caleb Leduc, Research Development Management, CROSH, Laurentian University

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Shiftwork – Health Effects and Solutions

February 28, 2018

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
James Miuccio, Occupational Hygienist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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*REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) DAY 2018

February 28, 2018

[WEBINAR SERIES]
Presenting the StressAssess survey tool, health effects of Shiftwork, psychosocial ergonomics, economics of ergonomics, as well as in introduction to mCROSH.

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*REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) DAY 2017

February 28, 2018

[EVENT]
Presenting the ergo tools app, noise exposure, ergonomics of smart phones and tablets, and the implications of sit / stand workstations

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RSI Day 2107 – Questions and Concluding Remarks

February 28, 2017

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]

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Noise: Its Effects and Methods to Reduce Exposure

February 28, 2017

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Dr. Kevin Hedges, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Ergonomics of Smart Phone and Tablets

February 28, 2017

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Melissa Statham and Trevor Schell, Ergonomists, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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The Implications of Sit Stand Workstations

February 28, 2017

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Chelsie Baizana, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Using OHCOW’s Ergo Tools App for Managing Workplace Office Ergonomics

February 28, 2017

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Dr. Mike Sonne, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Ergonomics of Driving

February 28, 2016

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Brenda Mallat, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Potential Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

February 28, 2016

[RECORDED PRESENTATION]
Chelsie Baizana, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)

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REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) DAY 2015

April 28, 2015

[SLIDES / PRESENTATIONS]
Topics include safe lifting, sitting vs standing, the brain’s connection with movement, the physical demands of work, as well as upper limb musculoskeletal disorders.

If you have questions / comments regarding RSI Day or any of the sessions from above, please contact OHCOW.