Health and safety of people at work has become a major issue in Australia. Workers, their employers, Workcover and health professionals all play a role in preventing injuries and getting people right once injuries have occurred.
How do injuries occur?
Its used to be thought that most injuries came from strenuous physical work but now we know that injuries often occur due to sustained postures such as sitting and also repetitive activities such as computing.
How do we prevent injuries from occurring?
Everyone in a work place plays a role in identifying the possible risks that may cause injuries and this helps eliminate the injury before it’s occurred.
Being aware of your posture, workstation and discomfort can be a start in identifying where there are problems likely to lead to an injury. A Physiotherapist can assist in assessing the ergonomics of a workplace and making suggestions on how to perform tasks more safely.
Preventative exercise programs are also critical to reduce the adverse effects of stress on the body.
Managing Work injuries
Once an injury has occurred a multidisciplinary approach to help get a person back to normal function is undertaken by a Doctor, Physiotherapist, Psychologist, employer and case manager.
Physiotherapists assess and treat the exact musculoskeletal injury but are also involved in rehabilitating a worker back to normal function. This often involves exercise programs at home, the pool, the Pilates studio or gym.
Work site visits are useful in allowing the Physio to understand the demands of the job and also how to tailor the rehabilitation program.
Early Intervention
Early treatment makes a huge difference to recovery time and good outcomes. Getting active early as well as returning safely to work as soon as possible helps to provide the best outcomes for injured workers.
For more information contact your local Core Physiotherapy branch.