The Australian Chiropractors Association’s (ACA) National WorkSpace Week (19-25 October) is an annual campaign dedicated to reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). In 2026, ACA’s national WorkSpace Week campaign features the slogan, ‘Work Well from Head to Toe.’
Launched by ACA in 2022, WorkSpace Week is an award-winning national community health awareness initiative focused on preventing WMSDs caused by physical and mental stress, repetitive work, and poorly designed, non-ergonomic workspaces.
To align with Safe Work Australia’s ‘Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Strategy 2023–2033’, WorkSpace Week aims to help minimise WMSDs and reduce the long-term impact on workers, employers and the economy.
WMSDs are the leading Work Health and Safety issue in Australia, impacting the physical and mental health of workers, and account for the majority (57%) of workers’ compensation claims. According to a Deloitte Access Economics report, WMSDs cost the economy over $55 billion annually in direct health costs, lost productivity and reduced quality of life.
Why National WorkSpace Week is important
There are many professions at risk of WMSDs, including community and personal service workers such as healthcare, aged care, childcare, NDIS and disability service workers. Tradies, labourers, technicians, drivers, and machinery operators are also among those with the highest rates of physical work-related injuries.
Body stressing caused by poorly executed lifting, pushing, pulling or bending, using computers and technology in non-ergonomic workspaces (in an office or at home), poor posture, driving a vehicle, and repetitive strain injuries can all cause WMSDs, including chronic neck and back pain, shoulder stiffness and headaches.
Mental stress in the workspace can also impact workers physically and if left unchecked, can trigger neuromusculoskeletal disorders, including tension and cervicogenic (neck-related) headaches that affect workers’ concentration, productivity, social engagement and their overall wellbeing and quality of life.
WMSDs caused by physical or mental stress respond well to early diagnosis and treatment and can prevent deterioration, improve recovery, reduce severity and help prevent long-term implications, including depression and overuse or reliance on medications for chronic pain that can be harmful.
Conducted during National Safe Work Month (October),WorkSpace Week is dedicated to minimising WMSDs known to have serious long-term, debilitating implications on both the physical and mental health of injured workers that can impact future employment and overall quality of life.
How to Get Involved
A key feature of the campaign is the ACA’s engagement with employers and community leaders to improve the health and wellbeing of Australian workers by addressing WMSD modifiable risk factors in the workplace, as identified by Safe Work Australia, and promoting early intervention when injuries do occur.
The ACA encourages organisations, individuals and community members to adjust their thinking when it comes to workspace health and register for national WorkSpace Week.
Registration is FREE, and participants can access a suite of resources developed to help minimise WMSDs and improve the spinal health and wellbeing of Australian workers.
