This initiative will serve as a foundational approach and will be integrated into all Sub-campaigns. SafeWork SA will focus on common injury mechanisms across the construction industry including:
- falling objects: ensuring proper storage of materials
- slips, trips, and falls: Improving housekeeping and ground surfaces
- moving objects and risk of falls: Hazards and risks have been identified and included in the safe work method statement (SWMS); controls listed in the SWMS are being followed
- personal protective equipment (PPE): Training of workers and enforcing PPE usage
- body stressing: consulting with workers to identify and mitigate body stressing tasks
- SafeWork SA web content will be reviewed and updated to provide the latest information and guidance on these issues.
Expected campaign outcomes:
- reduction in injuries related to falling objects, slips, trips and falls, and body stressing
- improved compliance with PPE regulations to address the high number of injury claims associated with workers not wearing PPE
- enhanced worker safety through better housekeeping and hazard management.
What is causing the injuries?
Four mechanisms of injury are causing the most injuries across the construction industry, they are body stressing at 31 percent, being hit by moving object at 20 percent, falls, trips and slips of a person at 19 per cent and hitting objects with a part of the body at 16 percent.
Body stressing
About 70 percent of body stressing claims are associated with muscular stress while lifting, carrying, or putting down objects.
More than 90 percent of body stress claims are injuries associated with traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injury.
The top three agencies of injuries contribute to 70 percent of body stressing injuries. They are non-powered hand tools, appliances, and equipment (27 percent), material and substances (24 per cent) and other and unspecified agencies (19) percent.
Being hit by moving object
Almost 80 percent of claims under the ‘being hit by moving object’ mechanism are associated with being hit directly by a moving object (54 percent) and being hit by a falling object (24 percent).
Almost half of being hit by a moving object claims are from injuries associated with wounds, lacerations, amputations and internal organ damage.
Fall, trips and slips of a person
About 52 percent of fall, trips and slips of person claims are associated with falls on the same level while falls from height account for 42 percent of claims.
Almost half of all claims in this category (97 percent) are a result of injuries associated with traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injury.
Hitting objects with a part of the body
More than half of hitting objects with a part of the body claims are associated with hitting moving object (54 percent) while hitting stationary objects accounts for at 45 percent of claims.
Mechanisms of Injuries associated with wounds, lacerations, amputations, and internal organ damage account for 78 percent of claims in this category.