📚 Guide by Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety — The Back Safety Basics is an online workplace safety course delivered by Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety, Calgary’s Energy Safety Canada Authorized Training Provider. Self-paced, mobile-friendly, same-day certificate upon exam completion. Available across Canada.
🔗 Related Safety Mom courses & guides: H2S Alive Calgary · Standard First Aid Calgary · Oil Sands Safety Certs · Instructor: Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC
BACK SAFETY BASICS COURSE OVERVIEW
Back injuries caused by improper lifting are the most common disabling injuries in the workplace. A person can injure their back in virtually any type of occupation, often to the point they can no longer work in their chosen field, along with having a devastating impact on their overall quality of life. Many of the causes of back injury can be prevented by teaching employees how the back operates and the basics of proper lifting techniques.
BACK SAFETY BASICS ONLINE COURSE TOPICS
- The anatomy of the spine
- Importance of stretching and exercises
- Maintaining proper posture
- Proper lifting techniques
BACK SAFETY BASICS COURSE DURATION: Approximately 20 minutes
BACK SAFETY BASICS ASSESSMENT: A brief quiz is included with this course in order to evaluate comprehension of the material. A certificate is available upon receiving 80% or greater (within 3 attempts) on the quiz.
BACK SAFETY BASICS CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: Upon successful completion of this online course, a certificate of completion will be available to download and print.
UNIVERSALLY COMPATIBLE
This course was created using standards that will allow playback on most internet capable devices with standard web browsing capabilities including Apple’s iTouch, iPad, and iPhone, as well as most other smart phones and tablets including those with Android and Windows operating systems.
BACK SAFETY BASICS ONLINE COURSE PREVIEW:
Additional Safety Knowledge
Musculoskeletal Injuries in Alberta Workplaces
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) account for approximately 40% of Alberta’s lost-time workplace injuries. Back injuries alone are the single largest category. Common causes include manual material handling, repetitive motion, awkward postures, sustained static positions, and forceful exertions. WCB Alberta claim costs for MSIs run into the hundreds of millions annually.
Safe Lifting Principles
- Assess the load before lifting — if it looks too heavy, use mechanical assistance or team lift.
- Alberta OHS advises single-person lifts should not exceed 23 kg (50 lb) as a general benchmark, though the NIOSH Lifting Equation accounts for many variables.
- Keep the load close to the body — every 25 cm from the spine roughly doubles compressive force on lumbar discs.
- Bend at the hips and knees, not the waist. Maintain the natural curve of the lumbar spine.
- Avoid twisting while lifting — turn the whole body by moving the feet.
- Plan the lift path: is it clear? Where are you setting the load?
Cold Stress and Hearing Conservation
Alberta workers face specific environmental hazards. Cold stress: hypothermia can develop above freezing in wet or windy conditions. Layered clothing, warm-up breaks, hot drinks, and monitoring for early symptoms (shivering, confusion) are required. Hearing loss: Alberta OHS 8-hour exposure limit is 85 dBA. Hearing protection required above 85 dBA; hearing conservation program (baseline audiogram, annual monitoring, education) required above 85 dBA sustained exposure. Once noise-induced hearing loss occurs, it is permanent.
Back Safety Basics — Recognising Early Symptoms
Report discomfort early — the earlier an MSI is caught, the more likely full recovery. Early warning signs: pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, reduced range of motion, joint stiffness. Do not “work through the pain.” Alberta workers have the right to report workplace injuries to WCB and to seek modified work during recovery.
Content reviewed by Arliss Levine, CRSP, CHSC — lead safety instructor at Safety Mom · Allstar Enviro Safety Calgary, an Energy Safety Canada Authorized Training Provider.
