Biomechanical demands in Australian workplaces

Safe Work Australia Chair Tom Phillips AM recently announced the release of a report from the National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance Survey: Exposure to biomechanical demands, pain and fatigue symptoms and the provision of controls in Australian workplaces.

The report identifies demographic and employment characteristics of Australian workers that are associated with exposure to biomechanical demands, pain and fatigue symptoms and the provision of biomechanical demand controls.

Biomechanical demands, such as repetitive hand or arm movements, lifting heavy loads or working in awkward postures contribute to the development or worsening of inflammatory or degenerative musculoskeletal disorders, which are one of the leading causes of morbidity and disability in Australia and worldwide.

Findings of the study include:

• Exposure to biomechanical demand is very common in Australian workplaces, with more than 99% of workers reporting exposure to at least one of the nine biomechanical demands surveyed.
• 21% of workers reported exposure to all nine biomechanical demands and 22% of workers were deemed to have high overall (composite) biomechanical demand exposure.
• Young workers, male workers, night workers and lower skilled workers were most likely to report exposure to biomechanical demands and had the highest overall biomechanical demand exposure scores.
• The reporting of pain and fatigue symptoms was highly related to the level of biomechanical demand exposure.
• Workplace size and the workers’ overall level of biomechanical demand exposure were the best predictors of the provision of biomechanical demand controls. Workers in large workplaces and those with high overall exposure were most likely to be provided with controls.

Phillips added that work-related musculoskeletal disorders are one of the eight priority occupational diseases for Australia: “They account for the largest proportion of occupational disease workers compensation claims in Australia and result in $361 million in workers compensation payments in Australia annually.”

More research on biomechanical demand control provision, use and efficacy is required in order to determine the size and characteristics of the Australian working population at risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders as a result of biomechanical demand exposure.

The full report can be downloaded from www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.