National WorkSpace Week (21-27 October 2024)
National WorkSpace Week (21-27 October 2024) is the initiative of the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) dedicated to educating Australians about the importance of minimising workplace injuries so they can work well everywhere.
WorkSpace Week which is aligned with Safe Work Australia’s ‘Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Strategy 2023–2033’, is dedicated to the prevention and early intervention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) – Australia’s most common workplace injury which also accounts for the majority (57%) of workers’ compensation claims for serious injuries.
A range of inflammatory and degenerative conditions affecting the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, peripheral nerves and supporting blood vessels, WMSDs may be caused by a single workspace event, but commonly result from repeated harmful workspace activities over an extended period of time.
WorkSpace Week focusses on prevention, early intervention, non-surgical and drug-free treatments for WMSDs and other spinal health conditions caused by body stressing (eg lifting), repetitive work, poorly set up workstations and work-related stress.
With WMSDs the leading Work Health and Safety (WHS) problem in Australia, both in frequency and cost; WorkSpace Week aims to inform Australians about the importance of prevention and early intervention to minimise deterioration, reduce the severity of musculoskeletal disorders and foster good spinal health habits to improve the overall health and wellbeing of working Australians.
Workers most at risk of acquiring a WMSD include 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 while desk or computer users make up 10% of serious claims. Those who may suffer from a range of spine-related symptoms including headaches, neck and back pain due to workplace stress are also at risk of WMSDs.
Around 7.3 million (29%) Australians live with chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) with an estimated direct health cost in 2021-2022 of $14.7 billion – almost 10% of the total annual health budget. However, according to a Deloitte Access Economics report, the real cost to the Australian economy for WMSDs exceeds $55 billion annually when lost productivity, absenteeism, direct health costs and reduced quality of life for WMSD sufferers is factored in.
Through WorkSpace Week, the ACA aims to promote safe work practices and healthier workspaces for all workers at risk of spine-related injury and musculoskeletal conditions to help improve the spinal health and overall wellbeing of Australian workers in any setting.
Organisations aiming to improve the spinal health and wellbeing of their employees to minimise injuries and reduce WMSDs impacts on business, should visit workspaceweek.org.au to download a range of free resources including instructional posters, factsheets and the Straighten Up App.
Reducing the incidences of WMSDs by educating workers and employers about workspace injury risks, early diagnosis and effective treatments should be the first priority of both employers and workers to ensure they work well everywhere.
However, if you suffer from a WMSD, visit findachiro.org.au to locate an ACA member near you. With over 400,000 chiropractic healthcare consultations creating well-adjusted Australians every week, ACA chiropractors play an important role in improving the spinal health of everyday Australians.
For information and to register for national WorkSpace Week, visit workspaceweek.org.au.
