This week marked Canada’s National Day of Mourning to honour workers who have lost their lives, been injured, or fallen ill due to work-related incidents. The latest Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board data is a reminder that health and safety isn’t just about construction sites or heavy industry. The largest share of injuries comes from body motion. Over 21,000 claims point to everyday strain from lifting, repetition, and movement, with significant time lost per case. Routine environments like floors and walkways are also a major source of injury, while incidents involving highway vehicles, lead to the longest absences. Even lower-severity categories like infectious exposures show how widespread risk can be. For both workers and employers, reducing injuries comes down to the basics done well every day: proper lifting techniques, attention to slips and trip hazards, regular breaks and job rotation, and simple checks of equipment and surroundings before starting a task. Creating safe workplaces is everyone’s job!
