HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLNESS —
Your business’ health starts with its people Health can often be overlooked in the construction industry, but it’s a big contributor to time off work. With 78% of workers having suffered a mental or physical injury at work and an average 32 days off work for ACC claim injuries. Injuries in your industry may seem like they are just part of the job, but they can significantly impact your output if not taken seriously.
The importance of looking after you and your worker’s physical health in the construction industry Strains and Sprains The construction industry has become the number one industry for ACC claims with strains and sprains, (also known as Musculoskeletal Disorders or MSDs), making up a whopping 57% of the problem. Common injuries for construction workers can range from sprains, strains, and contusions (bruising) which can be caused by heavy lifting, repetitive movement, poor body posture, forcefulness or muscle effort, or the vibrations from continuous use of hand tools. Symptoms of a workplace injury can range from any kind of pain and discomfort located in and around the neck, shoulders, wrists, back, and knees. It is well known that there are a range of factors that contribute to MSDs. It’s not just one single factor, such as the lifting technique (although for industries such as scaffolding and roofing handling techniques are an important factor). The research firmly points to four groups of factors we need to tackle when addressing MSDs in construction: Physical factors, such as: – Heavy loads – Lack of equipment – Challenging environments – Poor layout Individual factors such as: – Gender / Age – Fitness / Flexibility / Strength
It may not surprise you that physical factors often take most of the blame and focus as their connection is easy to understand, measure and observe. There are also proven strategies to overcome physical factors such as machinery, equipment, and task modifications. Combining the other factors into your approach is where the construction industry will get the most benefit. Understanding how these factors can combine and influence each other to cause problems will be crucial. The most common solutions to dealing with MSD are: – Micropauses and position – Stress management changes – Backcare – Task rotation – Communication – Stretch warm-up and – Work planning cool down – Early reporting – Cardio and strength fitness/flexibility
As a business owner have you thought about the hidden costs? Data shows that sprains and strains often become more problematic later in a construction worker’s career, with the largest claims in the housing construction sector. Between 2015 and 2019, 57% of ACC claims were MSD injuries, with the average cost being $3700, and a total of 1.9 million compensation days paid out, costing a total of $325m!
– Forces – Repetition – Awkward postures
There is a large range of costs that surface when someone has an injury on the job, especially when they can’t return to work the next day or sometimes for weeks or months. This has a huge impact on deadlines, bottom line, skills on-site, and team dynamics.
– Diet / Hydration – Weight – Attitude
Psychosocial factors such as: – – Communication – – Relationships – Stress and tension – Time pressure
Work Organisation factors such as: –●Poor work planning –●Work hours / Time pressure –●Training / Skill level –●Lack of help –●Peaks and troughs –●No breaks
What can I do to prevent injury?
Financial strain Management support and the amount of control workers have over their work tasks
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Have you thought about other ways you could be working to alleviate the stress on your body? It could be as simple as: – Doing a few warm-ups – Taking a moment to stop at the start of the day and stretch throughout the task; or – Breaking up your tasks throughout the day – Choosing a different piece of equipment
