The nature of care work creates conditions where MSIs are likely without deliberate prevention effort.
Healthcare workers in long-term care and home health support regularly:
Transferring a resident from bed to wheelchair, repositioning someone who can't move independently, and assisting with toileting or bathing are high-risk activities not because they're careless, but because the physical demands are real and they happen constantly.
Some tasks carry more risk than others. Knowing which ones — and what to do before you carry them out — is where prevention starts.
Prevention is a shared responsibility, with different obligations at different levels.
Employers are required to identify tasks that put workers at risk of an MSI, assess the level of risk, and put control measures in place to eliminate or reduce it. They are also responsible for educating and training workers so they understand MSI risks in their specific workplace.
Workers contribute to prevention by carrying out a Point of Care Risk Assessment (PCRA) before each care interaction. The PCRA is a brief check that helps workers identify risks specific to the resident or client in front of them, their condition, mobility, behaviour, and environment, so care can be adapted to be safer.
A strong prevention program depends on both roles working together.
An MSI is a soft tissue injury that affects muscles, tendons, ligaments, or nerves. In continuing care, MSIs most often show up as sprains and strains — especially in the back, shoulders, and wrists.
The main risk factors in this sector are repetitive motions, awkward postures, and forceful exertions. Activities like transfers, repositioning, toileting, and bathing are common high-risk tasks.
A PCRA is a brief assessment that workers conduct before providing care to a resident or client. It helps identify risks specific to that individual: their condition, mobility, and environment, so the approach to care can be adjusted to reduce the chance of injury.
Employers must identify tasks that put workers at risk of an MSI, assess the risk, and implement controls to eliminate or reduce it. They must also provide education and training so workers understand MSI risks in their workplace.
Beyond the direct impact on the worker, injuries reduce the number of people available to provide care. This increases workload, fatigue, and the risk of further injuries for remaining staff, and affects the quality of care residents and clients receive.
WorkSafeBC will conduct an inspection initiative in 2026 focused on musculoskeletal injury (MSI) prevention in long-term care. Inspection initiatives support employers in identifying where prevention programs and controls may require strengthening, with the goal of reducing worker injuries and improving health and safety outcomes.
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Help prevent the leading cause of injuries in long-term care. Our 2-day workshop gives you the coaching skills to teach safe handling in your workplace, reducing injuries and building a stronger safety culture. Become a...
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