SafeWork SA encourages workplaces to prioritise prevention of injuries caused by body stress

SafeWork SA is calling on businesses to reconsider their strategies concerning lifting and other risky manual activities in an effort to minimise injuries related to body stress.

According to SafeWork SA, each year, over 5,000 South Australian employees are incapacitated due to injuries associated with bodily stress, culminating in average annual compensation costs that exceed $90 million.

Since 2018, the injury category that includes muscle strain from lifting or carrying items, along with repetitive stress injuries, has constituted 36 percent of all compensation claims filed with ReturnToWorkSA.

SafeWork SA Director, Compliance and Enforcement Brett Pfeffer said the most effective method to prevent lifting-related injuries is to avoid engaging in lifting tasks completely.

“There is often a better way of performing a hazardous manual task that eliminates or significantly reduces the risk of injury,” Brett said.

“Training has its place, but it should be focused on how to identify hazards, assess risks and eliminate them rather than how to lift.”

Further information can be found here.