Musculoskeletal disorder risk assessment tool use: A Canadian perspective

Canadian ergonomics professionals from the Association of Canadian Ergonomists (ACE) and Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) participated in a web-based survey of their awareness, use, and factors influencing use of ergonomics musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk assessment tools. A total of 791 respondents (21.0% response rate) participated in the survey. Certified ergonomics professionals represented an important subpopulation of MSD risk assessment tool users, however; the vast majority (86.4%) of users within Canada were certified safety professionals. Average tool use varied between ACE and BCRSP groups, where ACE respondents on average use more tools than BCRSP respondents, however the top 10 tools used were similar between the groups. Over 45% of assessment tools were learned at school and average tool use was not influenced by years of experience or continuing education. •The majority (86.4%) of Canadian MSD risk assessment tool users are certified safety professionals.•Certified ergonomic professional used a wider range of tools compared to certified safety professionals.•The ten most frequently used tools were consistent between professional groups.•The most commonly used MSD risk assessment tool was the NIOSH lifting equation.•Users learned nearly half of their tools in school and the other half outside of school.