WORKSAFE Victoria has launched an advertising and inspection campaign targeting manual handling injuries and slips, trips and falls.
According to WorkSafe Victoria, manual handling injuries and slips, trips and falls constitute Victoria’s biggest source of workplace injuries, costing the state $600m a year in treatment and rehabilitation bills.
In addition to a graphic advertising campaign, WorkSafe inspectors will visit workplaces targeting the issues.
Specifically, the WorkSafe Victoria campaign is targeting injuries which cause back pain, muscular sprains and pains, soft tissue injuries to the neck, arms, shoulders and legs, abdominal hernias, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, fractures and dislocations.
WorkSafe Victoria has also set up a special website giving examples of safety issues and solutions across 10 industry sectors, and providing tips on raising potential safety issues with employers and workers.
According to WorkSafe Victoria, these injuries were often not taken seriously in the community, written off as ‘accidents’ or seen as ‘just part of the job’. These injuries are not spectacular, but the advertisements will use computer imagery and editing to take viewers inside the body to see bones break and tissue tear.