Musculoskeletal Injuries at Work
What You Need to Know About Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injury
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) are a common and costly problem for people and companies on a global scale. In Australia, work-related MSI is the most common condition for which workers’ compensation claims are currently lodged.
What are musculoskeletal injuries?
Musculoskeletal injury is an injury or disorder of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves, blood vessels, or related soft muscle including a sprain, strain, and inflammation, that may be caused or aggravated by work.
Why is MSI so common?
Some of the simplest tasks at work – such as lifting, reaching, and repeating the same movements – can strain our bodies and lead to MSI. It might also have something to do with our posture when lifting, the weight of the load, or often, we are simply not physically up to the task at hand. Another reason why MSI is so common is because sprain and strain injuries are often treated incorrectly onsite, and can manifest into MSI.
How to prevent musculoskeletal injuries at work?
One of the best things an organisation can do to mitigate injury risk is to implement role-specific pre-employment testing of workers. For example, if you’re hiring a boilermaker, there is a required set of physical demands. This will mean you need to test people to ensure they can meet those demands safely.
Another way to prevent MSI from occurring is to take regular rest breaks, stretching, task rotation, and worker training. Educating workers about role-specific strength solutions as part of a generally healthy lifestyle is critical and will have a flow-on effect through to improved job satisfaction and mental health.
Finally, if you spend a good part of your day standing, lifting, bending, carrying and reaching, we recommend using Elliotts Adjustable Back Support Belt. Elliotts Adjustable Back Support Belt is specifically designed to help equalise strains away from the lower back whilst also providing maximum comfort.
Adjustable Back Support Belt
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If you'd like to learn more about which safety gear to get for your needs, feel free to get in contact with us at Elliotts Australia. We would love to assist you! Call us on 07 3265 2944 or send us a message.
