Huge cost in slip-ups

TREATING workers for injuries costing little or nothing to prevent cost the Victorian community $956 million in the last year.
WorkSafe strategic programs director Trevor Martin said injuries to the muscles, tissue, nerves and bones accounted for more than half of all workplace injuries in Victoria but were often overshadowed because no blood was involved.
“Lifting a box, climbing a step-ladder or navigating a slippery surface at work might not set off alarm bells for most of us – but tasks like these cause over 17,000 Victorian workers painful muscle and bone injuries every year,” Mr Martin said.
“They’re the most preventable, because in many cases, simply cleaning up a spill on the floor or providing some lifting equipment eliminates the risk.”
WorkSafe has launched a major advertising campaign to challenge the perception that musculoskeletal injuries are only suffered by people in jobs that involve heavy lifting.
“In reality, workers in child care, retail, hospitality and other sectors not normally associated with heavy lifting suffer debilitating injuries every day,” Mr Martin said.
“Our message to Victorian employers is that regardless of their industry or business, employers need to be talking to their workforce, identifying risks, and fixing them.”
Mr Martin said while prevention of injuries had to be a priority, an important part of WorkSafe’s role was to encourage and educate employers and workers about return-to-work opportunities.
“This might be a staged approach, possibly on a part-time basis or in a different role, but international research shows that supporting workers to make a safe and sustainable return-to-work helps people get better faster.
“Employers who keep in touch with their workers and workers who are in touch with their workmates maintain a sense of value which leads to positive results for everyone,” he said.