• Home
    • Workplace Rehabilitation
    • Drug & Alcohol
    • Injury & Claims Management
    • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
    • Psychology & Counselling Services
    • Work Health Safety
    • Pre-Employment and Drug and Alcohol Screening
    • Medico-Legal Assessments
    • Allied Health
  • Training Services
  • For Businesses
  • For Individuals
  • Schemes
  • News
  • About Us
  • CONTACT US
  • Membership Program
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • Home
    • Workplace Rehabilitation
    • Drug & Alcohol
    • Injury & Claims Management
    • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
    • Psychology & Counselling Services
    • Work Health Safety
    • Pre-Employment and Drug and Alcohol Screening
    • Medico-Legal Assessments
    • Allied Health
  • Training Services
  • For Businesses
  • For Individuals
  • Schemes
  • News
  • About Us
  • CONTACT US
  • Membership Program
  • TESTIMONIALS
  Mend Services - Making A Difference

NEWS

Musculoskeletal injuries targeted by safety inspectors

16/4/2018

 
Safety inspections will be carried out at construction sites across Victoria to help with the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries.
​
Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common type of injury to construction workers, and WorkSafe Victoria is urging builders and contractors to take more preventive measures.
Picture
Inspectors will be visiting construction sites in coming weeks to ensure sites are managing the hazards and risks associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which are typically soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains or injuries from overuse.

MSDs are most commonly caused by manual handling, such as lifting heavy or awkward loads, or slips and trips while moving around a worksite.

In the past five years, WorkSafe has accepted more than 6200 injury claims made by construction workers for MSDs.  Around 60% of those workers needed more than four weeks off work.

WorkSafe Construction Program Manager Dermot Moody said the impact of an MSD can be devastating.

"A soft tissue injury to a back, shoulder or wrist can be long term, debilitating and often career ending," he said.
"The frustrating part is that most of these injuries are easily preventable and don't require a great deal of time or money to reduce the risk."

Moody has urged all building industry employers and contractors to reassess the effectiveness of their injury prevention strategies.

"Don't leave safety to chance or so-called 'common sense'. Be proactive and get appropriate controls in place before an incident occurs rather than after the fact," he said.

WorkSafe Victoria has provided the following tips for preventing musculoskeletal disorders:
  • Use mechanical load shifting devices such as cranes, material hoists, forklifts and trolleys to move materials around the site.
  • Ensure load shifting equipment is in good order, including ensuring that tyres on trolleys and wheelbarrows are correctly inflated.
  • Use job rotation/work variation to reduce exposure to repetitive work, or work that requires significant force.
  • Ensure walking surfaces are level, dry and free from mud to prevent trips and falls.
  • Install ramps where surface level changes.
  • Carry out regular site clean-ups and inspections.
For more information, go to www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/construction.

Source: www.safetysolutions.net.au



Comments are closed.

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed