21 October 2024
Body stressing injuries are sidelining more than 5000 South Australian workers every year, resulting in average annual compensation costs in excess of $90 million.
The injury category, which includes muscle stress while lifting or carrying objects and repetitive stress injuries, has accounted for 36 per cent of all ReturnToWorkSA compensation claims since 2018.
South Australian body stressing claims reached 6035 in 2023 up 8 per cent on the five-year average of 5603.
This is double the number of claims for the next two biggest categories – being hit by moving objects and slips, trips and falls.
SafeWork SA has launched a campaign to raise awareness about hazardous manual tasks and how to avoid body stressing injuries.
The campaign includes a series of new pages on the SafeWork SA website dedicated to the issue.
The resources include general information on musculoskeletal disorders, information specific to duty holders, risk management tips and training advice.
Two webinars - Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders - hazardous manual tasks risk management and The Role of Manual Handling training in preventing Musculoskeletal disorders will be held in October as part of National Safe Work Month activities.
Health care and social assistance workers (21 per cent of total claims) are the most likely to sustain a body stressing injury. Manufacturing (17 per cent) and construction (10 per cent) are the next hardest hit industries.
Males typically account for about 63 per cent of body stressing claims while workers aged in their 50s are the most likely to make a claim.
Six online workshops will also be held from November and into next year to help businesses understand the risks associated with musculoskeletal disorders and how to mitigate them.
Once a business attends one of the workshops, they are eligible for a visit from a SafeWork SA WHS advisor to assess their workplace and provide tips to reduce body stressing injury risk.
Quotes attributed to SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell
The ReturnToWork SA data shows the need for more thorough risk assessment to identify hazardous manual tasks that enable effective control measures to be implemented.
Businesses have a primary duty of care to identify, minimise or eliminate the risk of worker injury.
The resources developed by SafeWork SA and the information sessions on offer are an opportunity to raise awareness about hazardous manual tasks and the importance of designing work activities that eliminate hazards and introducing adequate control measures that reduce the risk of injury.