The problem is becoming even more acute as a growing number of older employees begin to experience long-term physical health problems.
According to Injury Management Advisor John Eliot, Pilbara Iron's workforce is maturing with an average employee age, on some sites, of 45 years.
“It is great to see so many skilled and experienced people in the business, but we are also noticing a variety of age-related degenerative conditions that require major procedures such as heart bypass operations, knee reconstructions and hip replacements.“
“A lot of these health problems have taken years to develop and are the result of activity and lifestyle choices people made in their youth.”
It is vitally important that you look after your body from an early age, eat well, and avoid the kind of risky actions that can lead to muscular-skeletal injuries, for example:
If you experience stress and strain in your daily tasks, talk to your local health and safety team. They can show you how to measure the manual handling risk and avoid potential damage.
This month, the Pilbara Health Calendar is focusing on ergonomics in the workplace... visit the Calendar to download a free info pack.
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