Safe by design, not by chance

It’s not just that the box is on the top shelf that causes the injury. It’s also the moment a worker decides to stretch just a little too far to reach it – maybe because it’s busy, or because the wrong type of ladder is used, or because the system around them never made space for safer alternatives.

That moment, says Don Patten, isn’t a lapse in judgment. It’s a design flaw.

And more dangerously, it’s a sign that the safety program is functioning as a coin toss.

“You don’t want to leave your safety program up to chance,” says Patten, Ergonomics Specialist at Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS). “You don’t want people to be in situations where -- if they go left, they get injured, and if they go right, they’re fine. That 50/50 scenario? That’s what we have to eliminate.”

This perspective is central to WSPS’ current focus: one that directly aligns with Ontario’s material handling and ergonomics campaign, led by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD). The campaign is not just about how workers lift, push, or carry loads. It also zeroes in on mechanical material handling, including powered devices like forklifts, pump trucks, and conveyors — systems that have been linked to recent worker fatalities in the province.

The campaign specifically targets sectors where both manual and mechanical risks converge, particularly retail, warehousing, and manufacturing — and highlights the growing need to rethink how environments, tools, and job demands interact.

“Material handling and everything that goes with it, continues to be on the MLITSD’s radar because of the high number of injuries and fatalities associated with it,” explains Patten.

According to WSIB provincial statistics, 2024 saw 27 fatalities, including eight crushed-by and six struck-by incidents. Two of the victims were young workers.

As a result, MLITSD inspectors are paying special attention to workplaces that employ young workers, new hires, or temporary help agency staff. “These workers are more susceptible to material handling injuries because they often lack experience and may not receive the continuous training provided to seasoned employees,” says Patten. “They may not fully understand or recognize workplace hazards or feel comfortable asking for help. Temporary workers also may not speak English as their first language or be familiar with the specific safety protocols of their temporary assignments.”

As industries face rising injury claims, increasing complexity, and tighter margins, WSPS is working to close the gap between intention and reality -- helping organizations move beyond static compliance checklists toward systems that flex with the way work actually happens.

Blame the system, not the worker

Too often, when injuries happen, the first instinct is to blame human error. A worker lifts incorrectly. A delivery driver misjudges a turn. A retail staffer falls off a ladder while rushing during a busy shift. But Patten warns that this reflex misses the more important truth: most mistakes are predictable — not because people are careless, but because systems allow risk to accumulate.

“It’s easy to say the worker made a bad choice. But the real question is, why was that the choice available?” he says.

Instead of treating incidents as one-off individual missteps, WSPS encourages employers to examine the full work context: the pressures, tools, layout, timing, and expectations that shape how tasks are performed.

Think systems, not checklists

That shift -- from isolated hazard spotting to system-wide prevention -- is central to the material handling campaign. For many employers, basic safety measures are already in place. They maintain equipment, provide lifting training, and inspect racks and ladders. But what’s often missing is the connective tissue between these elements.

“You might have the right tools, but they weren’t designed to work together,” says Patten. “Your forklift might function well, but not in the same space where deliveries are being rushed and storage layouts change by the season.”

This fragmented approach leads to what Patten calls “decision points” -- moments where workers are forced to choose between staying safe and staying productive. When the system pushes people into risky corners, even good training won’t compensate.

Through the MLITSD campaign, WSPS is working with employers to support employers with safety and ergonomic audits, updated training guides, and resources that reflect real-world pressures like peak periods, shift transitions, and equipment limitations.

Practical support with real impact

The good news, Patten says, is that many of the most effective changes are inexpensive and immediately actionable. Painting pedestrian lanes to separate foot traffic from forklifts. Repositioning heavier items to waist height. Installing convex mirrors at warehouse blind spots. Redesigning work so pedestrians and mobile equipment are separated.

That systems lens extends to ergonomics as well -- a term often reduced to office chairs and desk height, but which in this context refers to the full physical demands of a job.

Even WSPS’ ladder safety checklist, designed for retail environments, goes beyond basic inspection. It doesn’t just ask whether a ladder is in good condition -- it asks whether workers are using it under pressure, if the items they’re retrieving are frequently accessed, and whether the layout of the space supports safe use in real time.

From the beginning, Patten has advocated for a more realistic understanding of how work gets done. That includes considerations often left out of traditional hazard assessments, such as worker fatigue, shift work, mental health, and even opioid-related risks. For instance, a worker with a lingering back injury might adapt their movement in a way that limits visibility while operating a forklift -- compounding the risk of a collision.

Resources are here, but awareness lags

Despite the growing sophistication of Ontario’s health and safety system, Patten notes that many employers still don’t realize what’s available — or what’s expected. From the government-supported MSDprevention.com site to free industry-specific toolkits from WSPS, there’s a wealth of information that remains underutilized.

“I’m not surprised when people say they didn’t know,” Patten says. “There’s so much noise online, and AI-generated content isn’t always pointing people to the right tools. But here in Ontario, we’ve built something rigorous, human, and free.”

He points to international interest in Ontario’s ergonomics guidelines as proof: “It goes to show you that MSD prevention, and by extension human factors, is an issue around the world, and Ontario is a leader in innovation and prevention. That speaks volumes.”

In a world where the unexpected is part of the job, designing for safety isn’t just a regulatory requirement. It’s a leadership one. Patten offers a simple message to employers: don’t wait for a claim to act, and don’t assume you have to solve it alone.

“Your workplace is unique, yes. But your challenges aren’t,” he says. “The tools are there. The data is there. And so are we.”