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Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common type of workplace injury in Australia. Back pain, shoulder injuries, repetitive strain and joint problems account for a huge proportion of workers compensation claims. Most of these injuries develop gradually through repeated exposure to awkward postures, heavy loads, repetitive movements and sustained effort.
Our manual handling and MSD assessment service identifies the tasks in your workplace that present the highest risk and provides practical solutions to reduce that risk.
We observe workers performing their normal tasks and assess risk factors including load weight, posture, frequency, duration, grip requirements, pushing and pulling forces and environmental conditions. We use recognised assessment tools to rate each task against established risk criteria.
Worker input is a key part of every assessment. The people who do the work every day know which tasks cause discomfort and where the problems are. We combine their experience with our technical analysis to get the full picture.
Manual handling is about more than just lifting heavy objects. Repetitive tasks like typing, assembly work and product packaging can cause significant musculoskeletal problems even when the forces involved are relatively low. Sustained awkward postures, prolonged standing and vibration exposure all contribute to MSD risk.
We assess all types of manual tasks, not just heavy lifting. If your workers perform repetitive or physically demanding work of any kind, this assessment is relevant.
Our recommendations focus on practical changes that can actually be implemented. Redesigning workstations, providing mechanical aids, adjusting work heights, improving tool design, modifying task rotation and training workers in safe techniques.
We prioritise changes by risk level and feasibility. Quick wins that reduce high risk exposures come first. Longer term solutions that require investment or redesign are planned with realistic timeframes.
Manual handling assessment complements our other ergonomic services including lighting assessment, thermal stress evaluation and vibration assessment. Together they provide a complete ergonomic profile of your workplace. For integrating these assessments into an ongoing program, consider our health and hygiene management plan.
Manual handling risk is not limited to physical labour. Office workers who spend their days at workstations that are poorly set up develop neck, shoulder, back and wrist problems over time. Repetitive typing and mouse use cause repetitive strain injuries. Sustained awkward postures from poor monitor height or chair adjustment cause chronic musculoskeletal problems.
Workstation ergonomics assessments evaluate chair height and adjustment, monitor height and distance, keyboard and mouse positioning, document placement, lighting conditions affecting posture and the interaction between these elements and the specific tasks performed. Small adjustments often produce significant improvements in worker comfort and reduce long term injury risk.
For workers who have transitioned to remote or hybrid work, home workstation ergonomics are equally important. Workers sitting at kitchen tables on dining chairs for 8 hour days are at significant risk of developing musculoskeletal problems. We provide self assessment tools and video consultation services for workers whose primary workstation is at home.
Sit stand workstations have become popular as a way to reduce the risks of prolonged sitting. They are valuable tools but only if workers actually alternate between sitting and standing. We help businesses implement sit stand workstation programs that achieve real behaviour change rather than just providing expensive furniture that workers do not use correctly.
A musculoskeletal disorder is an injury or disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage and spinal discs. In the workplace context, work related MSDs are those caused or aggravated by work activities and conditions. Common examples include lower back strains from manual handling, rotator cuff injuries from overhead work, lateral epicondylitis from repetitive tool use and carpal tunnel syndrome from repetitive hand and wrist movements.
The hierarchy applied to manual handling starts with elimination, redesigning the task to remove the manual handling entirely. Substitution replaces the manual task with a less hazardous one. Engineering controls introduce mechanical aids like trolleys, hoists, conveyors and adjustable work surfaces. Administrative controls include job rotation, work rest schedules and team lifting procedures. Personal protective equipment like back supports and anti fatigue matting is the last resort and least effective control.
High risk manual tasks involve repetitive or sustained force, awkward postures like bending, twisting or overhead reach, high frequency repetition of similar movements, sustained or awkward postures for extended periods, exposure to vibration, or loads that are heavy, unbalanced, hard to grip or unpredictable in movement. Worker reporting of discomfort, fatigue or pain after tasks is also a reliable indicator of elevated risk.
For high risk manual handling tasks, a SWMS documents the specific steps, the hazards associated with each step and the controls that will be applied. It is a task specific document used to brief workers before high risk tasks and to verify that controls are in place. SWMS for manual handling tasks should describe team lift arrangements, the use of mechanical aids, specific techniques for awkward loads and any breaks required for sustained tasks.
Job rotation alternates workers between tasks that load different body parts or require different postures. It reduces the cumulative loading on any single body region over the course of a shift. Effective rotation requires that the alternate tasks genuinely load different muscle groups. Rotating between two similarly demanding tasks on the same body part provides little benefit. We help design rotation programs that achieve genuine exposure reduction.