Injury rates, ergonomic factors and work conditions associated with musculoskeletal injuries among school custodians in British Columbia

The purpose of this study was to calculate injury rates among the various occupational categories of custodial workers in the Vancouver School Board (VSB) during both the summer months and the school year, and to investigate the ergonomic variables and school conditions associated with increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs), the most common type of injury, in order to develop recommenda [...] The results of the focus groups informed the study design in terms of providing information on the type of tasks performed by each occupation during summer and school year, estimates of the proportion of the work day taken by each task in the summer and the school year, and a list of school conditions potentially associated with increased risk of MSIs. [...] In BC, since school custodians are an under-investigated occupation with rates of injury that appear to be higher than average, the purpose of this study was to calculate injury rates among custodial workers in the Vancouver School District, and to investigate the work determinants (occupation, ergonomic exposures, school conditions) of injury in order to develop recommendations to decrease injury [...] The study protocol was approved by the Behaviour Research Ethics Board of the University of British Columbia with the support of both the VSB and the IUOE. [...] We selected workers who worked during the regular school year and in the summer, in both elementary and secondary schools, in large and small schools, and workers representing the range of occupational categories among custodial workers employed at the VSB.