Workplace Assessment and Safety: Is Prevention Better Than Cure?
Injuries in the workplace happen all too often. The risk of injury at work is present across all industries, whether you are a Builder or a Librarian there will be tasks you complete each and every day in your workplace which place you at risk of injury. Slips, trips, falls and repetitive strain injuries are amongst the most common incidents reported across all sectors, yet it is often these incidents that are the most avoidable.
Workplace assessments are becoming a key tool for Employers to prevent injuries to staff. The benefits of a Workplace assessment include:
- Improving staff safety
- Improving productivity
- Enhancing staff morale and staff retention
Prevention is Better than Cure
The human body was not designed to complete many of the work tasks we complete everyday. Computer based work is a great example- prolonged sitting and repetitive small movements can be key ingredients to cause or aggravate a musculoskeletal injury. Combine this with a work station which encourages poor postures and is not matched to the individual worker and you have an injury waiting to happen!
Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists provided specialist input into the area of Workplace assessments. They specialise in assessing:
- The employee (including any health conditions or impairments which may impact their work)
- The workplace environment
- The tasks completed by the employee
A thorough Workplace Assessment can assist Employers and their staff to identify and manage risks, make simple changes to work environments to improve safety and productivity and manage injuries which may have already occurred.
If you have an existing injury which is impacting your performance and work, or you would like to ensure your workplace is well setup for you staff- simply call the office on 9906 7777 and we can assist you BEFORE there is an injury.
Categories: Feature Article, Occupational therapy