ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – The workers’ compensation board for Newfoundland and Labrador has declared Sept. 24-30 to be Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Week, during which it is urging workers to lift, push, pull and handle heavy materials more safely. A news release from WorkplaceNL stated that it had launched an awareness campaign to encourage prevention of these injuries with the slogan, “How would YOU handle it?”, offering practical tips such as getting help with big loads and using mechanical aids if possible. WorkplaceNL safety advisors are working with employers to devise practical ways to prevent injuries. “Musculoskeletal injuries can impact the quality of every aspect of a worker’s daily life,” WorkplaceNL CEO Dennis Hogan said in a press statement. “Our goal this week, and throughout the year, is to help employers and workers recognize how musculoskeletal injuries may happen and to provide them with solutions so people do not get hurt.” Nearly 70 per cent of the province’s lost-time injury claims over the past five years have resulted from musculoskeletal injuries, and about 1,600 N.L. healthcare workers are injured while handling patients every year, according to information from WorkplaceNL.