KITIMAT DRAFT Report

Figure 10
Utilization of Disability Prevention Principles
Attribute #8 - Key Research:
A permanent modification of the pre-injury job is the most advantageous form of modified work.
Yet in the Institute for Work & Health study of 1500 BC workers mentioned above, only 3.5
percent reported they were offered layout or equipment changes to their work station. Temporary
modifications such as reduced hours, a flexible schedule and lighter jobs were repeatedly offered to
15 percent, 13 percent and 28 percent of workers respectively. Neglecting to alter the pre-injury job
leaves open the possibility for recurrent episodes of back pain in the future. (NIOSH Musculoskeletal
disorders and workplace factors: US Department of Health and Human Services – 1997)
Work disability involves multiple factors and there are now a number of well-recognized disability
prevention strategies offered as part of comprehensive, occupational rehabilitation services
that have been successfully piloted in different countries. These strategies mainly target specific
biopsychosocial and environmental/workplace factors in an attempt to facilitate the RTW and SAW
(healthy stay at work) processes. However, such models require a contextual adaptation in order to be
successfully implemented in a given country. They also require joint agreements, good cooperation
among stakeholders and a common understanding of the consequences of work disability. (Costa-
Black, Chen, Li & Loisel – 2011)
Return-to-work interventions that include a workplace component result in improved vocational
outcomes for workers disabled due to a health problem. This effect has been demonstrated
internationally, across a range of conditions and workplaces and the impact of workplace interventions
is greater than medically-focused interventions that lack a workplace component.
Focus group discussions revealed that nurses are more frequently involved with both coordinating
RTW and managing medical care. Thus, they may need specific medical evaluation skills, knowledge
about treatment efficacy and best practices. This knowledge may be useful for other RTW coordinators
without this role but was not found to be essential.
DRAFT
Conversely, those with vocational counselling backgrounds were more likely to be directly
involved with not only coordinating the RTW process but evaluating and designing specific job
accommodations. These activities require skills in work capability evaluation, job task analysis, and
a high degree of integration into the worksite, more so than other RTW coordinators without these
responsibilities. (Pransky et al – 2010)
Situational assessment
District of Kitimat
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