IRSST - Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail

Rehabilitation of occupational accident victims: Development of a workstation observation technique for rehabilitation counsellors

Abstract

At the request of the (Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec, Québec Occupational Health and Safety Commission) CSST's rehabilitation department, the Institute developed a procedure which rehabilitation counsellors may use to evaluate the functional capacity of accident victims, inherent workstation constraints, and conditions under which the workers can return to their workstations or be reassigned to other workstations in the same company.

Tools were developed which enable the various specialists involved in the rehabilitation process (physicians, ergonomists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation counsellors) to evaluate accident victims' physiological and psychological problems and resultant incapacities, and communicate their results using a common vocabulary. The project's initial focus is on musculoskeletal problems, such as deficits in locomotion or dexterity.

A guide was developed and validated through simulations and field trials. A shortened form of this guide is now one of the standard working tools of CSST rehabilitation counsellors. A training manual was also developed. A similar strategy could eventually be adopted for other types of incapacity, such as those affecting sensory, mental, or psychological processes.

Additional Information

Type: Project
Number: 0087-0250
Status: Completed
Team:
  • Jean-Claude Jéquier (IRSST)