National manual handling campaign underway
Issue Date: - Thursday, 13 November 2008
Workplace safety and health authorities across Australia are joining forces in an effort to reduce manual handling injuries in the retail, wholesale, transport and storage industries.
An 18-month long campaign will examine manual handling in all industries involved in the supply chain.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today that manual handling was a priority focus area across Australia because it accounted for a large number of work-related injuries, typically sprains and strains.
“More than 1400 Western Australians in the wholesale, retail, transport and storage sectors sustain manual handling injuries each year – many serious and long-lasting,” Ms Lyhne said.
“This campaign aims to build on preliminary studies done in Victoria that suggest that the loading and unloading of vehicles in particular is a significant safety and health issue that needs to be addressed.
“The objective of the campaign is to identify the hazards that exist throughout the supply chain and assist employers to find solutions that will lessen the risk of injury.”
The campaign has several phases, and is currently in the phase of consulting with stakeholders in the target industries across Australia as part of developing the education component of the campaign.
Beginning this month, transport industry workers and employers are being surveyed to aid in developing appropriate information and education products to be used in the target industries.
The next phase – to begin early next year – is an education phase involving workshops and one-to-one visits that aim to assist the target industries to manage the risks involved in manual handling.
Inspectors are due to begin their workplace audits late next year for a three-month period.
The primary objective of these proactive campaigns is to provide employers with information on how to comply with the laws, but if inspectors find breaches of these laws, they will take enforcement action.
Ms Lyhne said that national projects such as this were an important means of ensuring national consistency in workplace safety and health.
“These national campaigns are aimed at protecting workers by ensuring employers are aware of their responsibility under the laws to minimise the risk of injury.
“They are also excellent examples of cooperation between the States.
“In the end, everybody gains from a higher level of awareness of workplace hazards and how to avoid injuries, particularly manual handling injuries.
“Western Australia has a comprehensive Code of Practice on Manual Handling, and I encourage all workplaces that may have concerns about manual handling hazards to have a copy of the code readily available at the workplace.”
Further information on manual handling can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.worksafe.wa.gov.au. The Code of Practice on Manual Handling can be downloaded at no charge from the website.
Media contact: Caroline De Vaney 9327 8744 or 0408 927563 (media enquiries only).