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Case study: 0 back injuries in 8 months with LiftSuit
How a Canadian distribution centre (220 employees) went from 12 back injuries per year to zero with the LiftSuit exoskeleton. ROI in 4.8 months.
Anonymized case study — Industry: Distribution / Warehousing | Region: Quebec | Headcount: 220 employees
How a large Canadian distribution centre eliminated 100% of its back injuries by equipping 78 material handlers with LiftSuit exoskeletons and achieved its return on investment in less than 5 months.
The company (anonymized)
Our client is an independent distributor of building materials and hardware products for more than 30 years. It serves more than 380 independent hardware stores in Quebec and Ontario.
220 employees in total
78 material handlers (day and evening shifts)
600+ orders processed per day
Average weight handled per worker: 7.8 tonnes per shift
Typical loads: 30 kg mortar bags, 18-25 kg tool boxes, 24 kg panels
The company name is protected at its request. The figures and results presented are authentic and can be verified upon request under a confidentiality agreement.
The problem: a hidden cost of $216,000 per year
For five consecutive years, our client averaged 11.4 back injuries per year among its material handlers. Here is the picture before the intervention:
Indicator | 2024 (baseline) |
|---|---|
Back injuries reported to CNESST | 12 |
Cumulative absence days | 287 days |
Direct CNESST costs | $164,800 |
Indirect costs (replacement, training, productivity loss) | $51,200 |
Total annual cost | $216,000 |
Material handler turnover rate | 27% |
But the numbers tell only part of the story. Here is how the Director of Operations describes the situation:
“We had all the training on lifting techniques, put up posters, did stretches at the start of each shift… after a few hours, fatigue would take over. And that’s when the injuries happened, not on the first box of the day, but on the 400th. We knew it was systemic, but we couldn’t find the right solution.”
The solution: phased rollout of LiftSuit
After evaluating several prevention technologies (additional training, mechanical lifting equipment, job redesign), our client opted for a passive exoskeleton program LiftSuit, distributed and integrated in Canada by Exosquelettes Canada.
Why LiftSuit?
Four reasons guided the choice:
Documented 30% to 40% reduction in lower-back muscle effort during repeated bending, according to independent biomechanical studies
Weighing only 950 g, accepted by workers even on 10-hour shifts
No power source, no complex maintenance, no batteries, no motors
Fully compatible with existing PPE (harnesses, belts, high-visibility vests)
Phase 1 — Pilot project (May 2025)
8 volunteer material handlers were equipped for 4 weeks. The indicators tracked:
Self-assessed back fatigue at the end of the shift (0-10 scale)
Comfort and acceptability score at 1, 2 and 4 weeks
Average time per order prepared
Tracking of incidents and injuries
Pilot results:
Metric | Before | After 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
Average back fatigue (0-10) | 7.2 | 3.4 |
Acceptability (willingness to continue) | n/a | 87% |
Average time per order (sec) | 142 | 128 |
Injuries during the phase | n/a | 0 |
Phase 2 — Full rollout (August 2025)
The 78 material handlers were equipped. The full rollout included:
Individual fitting by our on-site technical team
30-minute training per worker (wearing, adjustment, maintenance)
Training for the 6 team leaders (10 hours) for daily monitoring
3 follow-up visits at 30, 60 and 90 days
Wear parts replacement program (straps, foam pads) at 12 months
The results — 8 months later
Main indicator: ZERO back injuries
From August 1, 2025 to May 1, 2026, our client reported no back injuries among its material handlers. Zero CNESST claims. Zero days off for back injuries. Zero job modifications.
This is the first time in 15 years of operation that the distribution centre has completed an 8-month period with no back injuries.
Other measured benefits
Indicator | Before (2024) | After (last 12 months) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Back injuries | 12 | 0 | -100% |
Absence days (back injuries) | 287 | 0 | -100% |
Direct CNESST costs | $164,800 | $0 | -$164,800 |
Productivity (orders/hour) | baseline | +14% | +14% |
Turnover rate | 27% | 11% | -16 pts |
Employee satisfaction (internal survey /10) | 6.4 | 8.1 | +1.7 pt |
The ROI calculation
Total investment
Item | Amount |
|---|---|
78 LiftSuit × $1,195 | $93,210 |
Training and deployment | $6,800 |
30 / 60 / 90-day follow-ups | $2,400 |
Total investment year 1 | $102,410 |
Year 1 savings (conservative)
Source of savings | Amount |
|---|---|
Direct CNESST costs avoided | $164,800 |
Indirect costs avoided (replacements, training) | $38,400 |
Reduction in turnover costs (12 departures avoided × $4,500) | $54,000 |
Total savings year 1 | $257,200 |
Financial metrics
Payback period: 4.8 months
Year 1 ROI: 151%
Projected 3-year ROI: 587%
“Honestly, we expected the investment to pay for itself over two or three years. At five months, we were in the black. And that’s not even counting the morale impact on the teams, the guys going home at night with energy left for their families.” — Director of Operations
Three lessons to remember
1. Training alone is not enough. Our client had been training workers on lifting techniques for years. The cumulative fatigue of an 8- to 10-hour shift makes these techniques hard to sustain. Passive equipment reduces effort at each bend, not just when the worker remembers to use it.
2. The pilot project is essential. Testing with 5 to 10 volunteers makes it possible to validate buy-in, adjust the rollout, and create internal champions before the full deployment. Without this step, the risk of resistance to change doubles.
3. The ROI arrives faster than you think. At the average cost of a single back injury in Quebec ($14,800 in direct costs + $3,200 in indirect costs), that already pays for 15 LiftSuit units. For a workforce of 50+ material handlers, the typical payback is between 4 and 9 months.
Calculate your ROI
How much would your company save by eliminating back injuries in material handling?
Use our free online calculator. Enter your data (team size, injury history, CNESST rate) and receive a personalized estimate in 90 seconds.
Or schedule an on-site LiftSuit demonstration with one of our technical advisors.
The company mentioned in this case study is a client of Exosquelettes Canada, the official Canadian distributor of LiftSuit. The client name is protected at its request for confidentiality reasons. The figures, results and testimonials presented are authentic.
