Did you know that musculoskeletal injuries are the most common type of injury in Australian workplaces?
In the last week of National Safe Work Month, Safe Work Australia asks workplaces across the nation to make preventing musculoskeletal injuries their business.
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) are a broad term that refers to any injury to, or disease of, the musculoskeletal system.
The musculoskeletal system is made up of muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissues, and MSIs can result from gradual wear and tear and/or sudden damage to these body parts. Both physical and psychosocial hazards can cause MSIs.
It’s better to plan ahead and avoid MSI risks, rather than to wait until people get hurt before you do something. Under the model WHS laws, an employer must prevent MSIs by:
- ensuring the workplace is free from things that cause MSIs, and
- consulting with workers and others (e.g. health and safety representatives) to manage MSI risks as much as they can.
The best way to prevent MSIs is to design work in a way that prevents people from getting hurt. This includes designing tasks, equipment, workspaces, and work systems to eliminate hazards or minimise the risk of them causing harm.
Learn more
See the National Safe Work Month website to learn more, and follow Safe Work Australia on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram for resources throughout the week.