Every year in the NSW manufacturing industry more than 3250 people are seriously injured or suffer from illness related to manual handling. This represents about 37 per cent of all injuries from this industry.
This costs NSW manufacturing workplaces about $80 million a year in direct costs.
Generally manual handling in the manufacturing industry affects the back, shoulder, wrists, abdomen and pelvic region. The most common injuries include sprains and strains, damage to muscles and tendons and hernia problems.
Black spots
Manual handling injuries in the manufacturing industry are often caused when lifting or carrying heavy cartons or where production processes require repetitive handling or the work rate is dictated by a machine or process line.
Occupations that are black spots for manual handling injuries include:
- process workers
- labourers
- production personnel
- transport workers.
Sectors within the manufacturing industry that are prone to manual handling injuries include: - food processing and manufacturing particularly meat and meat products
- equipment manufacturing
- printing.
WorkCover is currently participating in a Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities HWSA intervention project to reduce manual handling in the manufacturing industry.
WorkCover has a number of resources to help you address manual handling problems in the manufacturing industry.
|