Improving safety and preventing injuries in the workplace

April 28^th is World Day for Safety and Health at Work, “an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries”.

Workplace injuries are common. According to Safe Work Australia, in 2023 there were 127,800 serious claims. 33% of these injuries were defined as body stress injuries – health problems associated with repetitive or strenuous movement. 36.6% of all serious claims involved joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries. With a median time lost to work of 8 weeks and median compensation paid of nearly $16k, workplace health and safety is a big issue.

Why focus on workplace health and safety?

Occupational and workplace health and safety is an essential aspect of modern business operations. Ensuring employees have a safe working environment is not only beneficial for their physical and mental well-being, but it is also crucial for the success of the organization.

There are several key reasons why health and safety in the workplace should be a top priority for employers:

1. Ensuring the health and safety of employees can help prevent accidents and injuries. Workplace accidents can have a significant impact on both the individual involved and the organization as a whole. They can lead to lost productivity, increased insurance costs, and even legal action against the company. Health and safety policies reduce the risk of accidents and ensure that their employees work in a safe and secure environment.
2. Promoting health and safety in the workplace can boost employee morale and increase productivity. When employees feel safe at work, they are more likely to be happy and engaged in their work, leading to increased productivity, better quality work, and a more positive work environment. It also builds trust between employers and employees, creating a sense of loyalty and commitment to the organization.
3. In a competitive job market, prioritizing health and safety in the workplace can help to attract and retain top talent. By demonstrating a commitment to health and safety, companies can attract top talent and retain employees who are invested in the success of the organization.
4. Prioritizing health and safety in the workplace is essential for meeting legal requirements and regulations. The Australian Government and State and Territory governments have established laws and regulations to ensure that employees have a safe working environment. By prioritizing health and safety, companies can ensure that they are meeting legal requirements and avoid potential legal issues.

The value of health and safety in the workplace cannot be overstated. Prioritizing the well-being of employee’s benefits individuals and has a positive impact on the organization as a whole. By preventing accidents, boosting employee morale and productivity, attracting and retaining top talent, and meeting legal requirements, companies can create a safe and secure work environment that fosters success and growth.

Employers who invest in health and safety are investing in the future of their organization.

Injury Prevention and Risk Management

The aim of any injury intervention strategy should be prevention. Well-designed work can prevent work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses and the potential risk of harm from hazards in a workplace can be eliminated through good work design.

Effective risk management starts with a commitment to health and safety by the business and its workforce and utilises a range of strategies to assess individuals, workplace hazards and job risk in the work environment including:

1. Pre-employment screening
2. Ergonomic Risk Assessments
3. Job Risk Assessments
4. Manual Handling Training

These simple strategies are low cost, particularly when compared to the cost of a claim, and can effectively identify internal and external risks. For example, a pre-employment screening might identify poor posture (internal risk) that can be corrected with an exercise program effectively reducing the injury risk in a sedentary environment. An ergonomic assessment identifies inappropriate screen height (external risk) that could contribute to a forward head posture and neck pain.

Management of the Injured Worker

Despite our best efforts, accidents happen and injuries occur. When an employee is injured, then the focus should be on 'Good Work' - early, evidence-informed intervention, with a primary focus on the worker's health and well-being and a timely and effective return to work process.

Early intervention

It is well recognised that delayed treatment of work-related injuries perpetuates a number of negative outcomes that can impact an individual's ability to return to work including prolonged recovery times, increased disability, and reduced functional capacity, all of which can impede an individual's ability to return to work and perform their job duties.

Early intervention encourages the judicious use of health service providers to allow worker's to access the right treatment sooner.

It assists in identifying the mechanism of injury, diagnosis, barriers to recovery and prognosis. Greater understanding of the individual and their injury improves communication, increases comfort and safety, and achieves greater engagement in therapy, leading to better treatment outcomes and reduce drop-out rates. You can read more about the benefits of early intervention for musculoskeletal injuries here.

Workplace Analysis

Understanding the tasks that a client is required to engage in on a daily basis in the workplace is critical to developing an appropriate and meaningful functional rehabilitation program and achieving a successful return to work outcome.

In many instances, simply discussing the routine tasks that a worker performs regularly will provide enough understanding for the clinician to develop an adequate return to work program. Some individuals understand their workplace practices very well and can describe in detail the tasks they undertake, the duration and loads involved, and when breaks are provided to allow rest and recovery. When detail is lacking, HR departments may be able to assist or an onsite workplace analysis performed.

Modified Functional Capacity Evaluation

A Modified Functional Capacity Evaluation (mFCE) is a targeted assessment customised to evaluate an individual's physical abilities, including strength, endurance, range of motion, and functional abilities relevant to their specific job requirements and daily activities. They can:

1. Identify specific work-related functional deficits.
2. Assess task specific performance.
3. Evaluate pain and fatigue.
4. Help personalize rehabilitation plans.

mFCE’s are an important tool in the evaluation of a person’s capacity to undertake their workplace duties.

They can be useful to assess capacity for upgrades and can easily be performed in the workplace utilising actual tools and equipment. They can also provide insights into options for alternative duties where indicated.

Graded Return to Work

Utilising the information obtained from these assessments, a graded return to work plan (gRTWP) can be established. gRTWP’s are structured plans designed to help an employee who has been absent from work due to illness or injury return to work in a safe and sustainable way. They typically involve a gradual increase in the employee's workload and responsibilities over a period of time, allowing them to gradually build up their capacity and readjust to the demands of their role.

gRTWP’s are developed collaboratively with the worker, employer, and the attending health care team. A typical plan might involve an initial period of reduced hours or modified duties, gradually increasing to full-time hours and normal duties over a period of weeks or months. The plan may also include accommodations such as adjusted work hours, reduced physical demands, or additional support from colleagues or management.

The Take Home

Workplaces should be fun and enjoyable and promote a culture of health and safety. As an accredited organisation Movement For Life Physiotherapy takes these responsibilities seriously. As a health care business, we understand the enormity of workplace injuries and have developed a framework to ensure a valuable contribution to the prevention of workplace injury in the Northern Territory, and robust processes for managing the injured worker when an injury does occur.

As a business are you looking to better manage workplace health and safety and mitigate injury risk?

Have you or a colleague suffered an acute musculoskeletal injury at work?

Give us a call.

We are part of a well-connected local network of physiotherapists, massage therapists, doctors and surgeons

and offer early intervention as part of a comprehensive health care service that is personalised, goal-oriented and outcome focussed.

Call now on 08 8945 3799 or book online.

Sources

1. Campbell P et al (2022). The Effects of Early Physiotherapy Treatment on Musculoskeletal Injury Outcomes in Military Personnel: A Narrative Review. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013416
2. Dinh MM et al (2016). Understanding drivers of Demand for Emergency Service Trends in Years 2010–2014 in New South Wales: An initial overview of the DESTINY project. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.12542
3. Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia, 2023. https://data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/insights/key-whs-stats-2023
4. Ojha HA et al (2016). Timing of Physical Therapy Initiation for Nonsurgical Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Effects on Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review. https://doi: 10.2519/jospt.2016.6138
5. Zurynski Y et al (2021). Accessible and affordable healthcare? Views of Australians with and without chronic conditions. https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15172
6. https://www.medicalrecruitment.com.au/blog/2018/09/the-top-10-most-common-gp-visits?source=google.com
7. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/musculoskeletal-conditions/contents/summary
8. https://www.un.org/en/observances/work-safety-day