WorkSafe helps take the strain out of manual handling tasks

Hazardous manual handling is the biggest cause of workplace injuries in Victoria, with more than 60% of these injuries being musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as sprains, strains, back injuries, soft tissue injuries, hernias and chronic pain.

WorkSafe Victoria is helping Victorian employers to lift safety standards and reduce preventable injuries by offering free online workshops focused on hazardous manual handling.

The Manual Handling Basics workshops are designed to provide practical tools and resources to identify hazardous manual handling and apply appropriate risk controls.

Almost 40% of MSDs caused by manual handling in the past five years come from the manufacturing and the healthcare and social assistance industries.

For example, in food manufacturing, activities such as lifting and carrying, and repetitive tasks such as labelling products or sealing bottle tops, can lead to injuries if the risks aren’t adequately controlled.

“On average, about 26 workers are injured as a result of hazardous manual handling every single day across Victoria and no sector is immune,” said WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin.

“When people think of hazardous manual handling, they often picture heavy lifting, but it shows up in countless other ways across all types of workplaces.

“Anything that involves awkward postures, repetitive movement or sustained force can place excessive strain on the body and lead to serious injuries which are often debilitating over the long term.”

These injuries are, however, largely preventable with the right systems, equipment and work set-ups in place, so that’s how the workshops could help employers, managers and supervisors with OHS responsibilities in small and medium-sized businesses in Victoria.

For more information about how to register for the workshops, visit www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/manual-handling-basics.

Image credit: iStock.com/AleksandarGeorgiev