By CASEY NEILL
GREATER Dandenong workers made almost 1500 WorkCover claims last year, new figures show.
The total of 1469 was the highest of all metropolitan local government areas after Melbourne.
The highest number of injury claims came from manufacturing (558), wholesale trade (215) and construction (134).
Most injuries were musculoskeletal (546), and the leading causes of injury were poor manual handling (656), slips, trips and falls (240) and being hit by a moving object (236).
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers senior associate Emily Anderson said the figures could partly be explained by the high rate of industry and manual workers in Greater Dandenong.
“However, they also indicate that not enough is being done by employers to ensure that Dandenong workplaces are safe,” she said.
“Although the number of claims is down slightly from 2014, it is still alarmingly high and serves as a stark reminder about the importance of workplace safety.
“Local employers need to take greater care to protect manual workers, who are at increased risk of suffering serious injury at work.”
