Occupational Health and Safety Code

208(1)

An employer must provide, where reasonably practicable, appropriate equipment for lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, handling or transporting heavy or awkward loads.

208(2)

An employer must ensure that workers use the equipment provided under subsection (1).

208(3)

Workers must use the equipment provided for lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, handling or transporting heavy or awkward loads.

208(4)

For the purposes of this section, a heavy or awkward load includes equipment, goods, supplies, persons and animals.

209

If the equipment provided under section 208 is not reasonably practicable in a particular circumstance or for a particular heavy or awkward load, the employer must take all practicable means to

(a) adapt the load to facilitate lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, handling or transporting the load without injuring workers, or

(b) otherwise minimize the manual handling required to move the load.

209.1(1)

An employer must ensure that appropriate patient/client/resident handling equipment is adequately incorporated into the design and construction of

(a) a new health care facility, and

(b) a health care facility undergoing significant physical alterations, renovations or repairs.

209.1(2)

An employer must ensure that any new patient/client/resident handling equipment installed at an existing work site, including vehicles in which patient/client/resident handling occurs, fits adequately in the space intended for it.

209.1(3)

Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to health care facility construction, alterations, renovations or repairs started before July 1, 2009.

209.2(1)

An employer must develop and implement a safe patient/client/resident handling program if workers are required to lift, transfer or reposition patients/clients/residents.

209.2(2)

The program required by subsection (1) must include an annual evaluation of its effectiveness at preventing worker injuries.

209.2(3)

An employer must ensure that workers follow the safe handling program required by subsection (1).

209.2(4)

Workers must follow the safe handling program required by subsection (1).

210(1)

Before a worker manually lifts, lowers, pushes, pulls, carries, handles or transports a load that could injure the worker, an employer must perform a hazard assessment that considers

(a) the weight of the load,

(b) the size of the load,

(c) the shape of the load,

(d) the number of times the load will be moved, and

(e) the manner in which the load will be moved.

210(2)

Before a worker performs any manual patient/client/resident handling activities, an employer must perform a hazard assessment that considers the worker’s physical and mental capabilities to perform the work.

210(3)

If the hazard assessment required by section 7 and subsections (1) and (2) determines that there is a potential for musculoskeletal injury, an employer must ensure that all reasonably practicable measures are used to eliminate or reduce that potential in accordance with section 9.

211

If a worker reports to the employer what the worker believes to be work‑related symptoms of a musculoskeletal injury, the employer must promptly

(a) review the activities of that worker, and of other workers doing similar tasks, to identify work‑related causes of the symptoms, if any, and

(b) take corrective measures to avoid further injuries if the causes of the symptoms are work‑related.

211.1(1)

An employer must ensure that a worker who may be exposed to the possibility of musculoskeletal injury is trained in specific measures to eliminate or reduce that possibility.

211.1(2)

An employer must ensure that the training referred to in subsection (1) includes

(a) identification of factors that could lead to a musculoskeletal injury,

(b) the early signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal injury and their potential health effects, and

(c) preventive measures including, where applicable, the use of altered work procedures, mechanical aids and personal protective equipment.