WorkSafe WA releases manual task guides for electricians

Electricians can now access a set of fact sheets that help highlight risks and prevent injury while performing manual tasks.

According to WorkSafe Western Australia (WA), tasks requiring awkward postures, repetitive actions and excessive force for lifting, carrying or moving equipment put electricians at risk of musculoskeletal injuries such as sprains and strains.

To prevent this, WorkSafe WA released a set of fact sheets that outline safe practices and risk control measures for loading and unloading work vehicles, preparing a worksite, running cables and wire, chasing, using ladders, carrying cable drums and avoiding time spent in awkward postures.

In all fact sheets, WorkSafe WA warns that any new risk control measures should be reviewed to ensure they don’t introduce new risks, before they are applied.

The fact sheets also suggest workers should: organise vehicle storage to ensure easy access to items and avoid awkward postures, use team handling or mechanical assistance — such as a loader crane or trolley — for heavy items, rotate between heavy and light tasks, feed cables downwards where possible so that gravity can help with pulling, use specifically designed chasing equipment where practicable and take regular breaks to change their position or posture.

Electricians can view the fact sheets via WorkSafe WA’s website.

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