WorkSafe is launching a campaign to highlight the state’s biggest source of workplace injuries which cost the Victorian community $600 million a year in treatment and rehabilitation bills.
The slippery floor in a retail environment features in a new advertising campaign, which shows the graphic and instant consequences of what are some of the most easily preventable workplace injuries.
WorkSafe inspectors will back up the campaign with workplace visits targeting manual handling injuries and the need to prevent slips trips and falls in all industries over the next few months.
Often not taken seriously in the community, written off as ‘accidents’ or seen as ‘just part of the job’, about 400 injuries caused by manual handling and slips, trips and falls were reported every week.
WorkSafe’s executive director, John Merritt, said more than 60 per cent of all reported workplace injuries – more than 17,000 a year in Victoria – were largely unseen.
“For business, the average cost of treating these people through Victoria’s workers compensation system averages $45,000 per claim. Individuals lose quality of life and many, the capacity to work for at least a short period, some require surgery or have permanent pain and never fully recover.
For employers productivity is cut, there may be staff replacement costs, retraining and safety improvements to be made after the event. Industries lose people permanently. Identifying and preventing these issues has benefits for all,” he said.
The campaign focus is on the impact on muscles, tissue, nerves and bones. Computer imagery and lightning-fast editing takes viewers inside the body to see bones break and tissue tear before your eyes.
“We need to challenge the essence of how the community sees workplace safety that all injuries have consequences and can almost always be prevented,” said Merritt.
“This campaign should make every employer think about what they expect people to do and how they do it and workers to consider the consequences of what they do.”
While industries like construction (74 per cent), agriculture and forestry (72 per cent) have obvious risks with manual handling, the problems are also severe in office and retail environments (69 per cent).
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