You know that old saying… “no pain, no gain’”. Well, this is not true!  Just because you work in the construction industry doesn’t mean that you need to be affected by short or long-term pain.

Aches and pains are some obvious symptoms of musculoskeletal disease (MSD), but have you thought about what impacts MSD is having on you outside of work in your personal life?

What if constantly performing the same repetitive movement all day is causing you acute pain that means you aren’t able to kick the football around with your kids after work or play golf on the weekend with your mates? Do you really want your work to impact your personal life, or your worker’s lives when there are some simple steps that could prevent it from happening?

As a business owner have you thought about the hidden costs?
Data shows that strains and sprains often become more problematic later in a construction worker’s career, with the largest claims in the housing construction sector. In 2017, the average compensation paid and working weeks lost for musculoskeletal injury was $13,500 (7.2 weeks lost) for muscular stress while handling objects, $12,500 (6.4 weeks lost) for muscular stress while lifting, carrying, or putting down objects, and $12,200 (5.5 weeks lost) for muscular stress with no objects being handled.

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 weeks or months. This has a huge impact on deadlines, bottom line, skills on-site, and team dynamics.

Risky work that can cause MSD’s can be as simple as overhead or floor level work, manual and hand intensive work.

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 at the start of the day,
• breaking up your tasks throughout the day,
• taking a moment to stop and stretch throughout the task or
• choosing a different piece of equipment.

It’s common practice when you workout, that you warm-up and cool down, so why is working any different?

Accepting the reality of MSDs helps us formulate an effective approach to combat MSDs in our industry.

MSD’s occur due to a number of risk factors including repetitive or sustained force high or sudden force repetitive movement sustained and/or awkward posture or exposure to vibration.We will more than likely be exposed to each of these risk factors every day on-site so it is important to always think:

• Can I use a mechanical device or grip device to help me lift?
• Can I reduce the weight of what needs to be lifted?
• Can I change the height of what needs to be lifted so it is positioned above mid-thigh height and below shoulder height?
• Can I change the tools that I use onsite?

Let’s do our bit and raise awareness on-site around MSD. REMEMBER – Prevention is better than the cure!

Next week we will give you some exercises that you can do to avoid being affected by MSD and if you are hurt, how physiotherapy can help you.

MSDs, also known as Musculoskeletal Disorders are the most common type of work-related injury in Australia, with residential construction accounting for 48% percent of all serious workers’ compensation claims in 2015-2016.

Musculoskeletal pain refers to pain felt in the muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, or nerves, and you can feel this pain in just one area of the body, or throughout your whole body. The pain can range from mild, to severe enough to interfere with your day-to-day life. 

There are numerous risk factors to address: Time pressure, aging workforce, awkward postures for a start. We also need to change mindsets that pain and injury are unavoidable and make our younger workforce understand the cumulative nature of these problems- something that most ‘broken´ builders still working past 50 years of age know very well already.

It is well known that there is a range of factors that contribute to MSDs. It’s not just about a 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
  • Forces, 
  • Repetition 
  • Awkward postures 

• Individual factors, such as:
  • Gender / Age
  • Fitness / Flexibility / Strength
  • Diet / Hydration
  • Weight
  • Attitude

• Psychosocial factors, such as: 
  • Communication
  • Relationships
  • Stress and tension
  • Time pressure
  • Financial strain
  • Management support and the amount of control workers have over their work tasks

• Work Organisation factors, such as:
  • Work hours / Time pressure
  • Lack of help
  • No breaks
  • Poor work planning
  • Training / Skill level
  • Peaks and troughs

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 changes
• Task rotation
• Stretch warm-up and cool down
• Cardio and strength fitness / flexibility
• Stress management
• Back care
• Communication
• Work planning
• Early reporting

We will dive deeper into what treatment might look like and prevention tips, and the unseen costs associated with MSD as we continue our Musculoskeletal Series, so stay tuned!

SafeWork NSW offers a simple program called PErforM, which helps workplaces effectively manage hazardous manual tasks and reduce musculoskeletal disorders. Used by a range of industries, including construction, SafeWork holds free workshops around NSW and online events to introduce you to PErforM. You can contact advisory@hazardco.com for further details.

MSD is the most common workplace injury and cause of lost time at work, so spending time to focus on it makes good business sense.

Research has shown that the old approach of teaching a person how to lift correctly has not been effective in reducing these problems. Many workplaces pay to bring various experts into the workplace to help them address MSDs but a lot can be done inhouse by those leading the business.

1. Survey your workers for discomfort pain and injury using a body map:
To start a discussion around MSDs print and hang a poster of a body on a whiteboard or wall

(see body map at the end of this article). Next to the poster, provide a marker or stickers for the workers to use to place crosses on the body parts where they have experienced pain or other MSD symptoms in the past week or month. Each worker can also make a mark at the bottom of the poster to indicate that they have contributed. When there is the same number of marks at the bottom as the number of workers, or it’s been established that everyone who wants to contribute has done so, the patterns that emerge from the poster can be used for a toolbox discussion and brainstorming session.

2. Ask your workers to take photos of things they think contribute to discomfort, pain and injury at work:
Ask workers to take photos using their mobile phones over a two-week period. Each person (workers and managers) should take two or three photos of something that they perceive as risky or that they find triggers MSD symptoms at work. They can also take pictures of work situations or equipment that they perceive as helping to prevent MSDs. The quality of the photos doesn’t matter and they don’t have to be self-explanatory. Ask each worker or manager to provide brief explanations of their photos. To give an example of a photo of a risk, it might show the height of a ladder on a vans roof rack (which requires force and an awkward body position for workers to reach). An example of a picture of something that helps to prevent MSDs might be a photo of colleagues helping each other during a pressured time. Each person can be helped to print out their photos and stick them to a board (e.g. in a lunchroom or meeting room). Once the photo shoot is over, arrange a toolbox talk at which all the photos are on display and the topics raised can be discussed. The aim is to establish a shared understanding of what the photos represent. 

3. Think about the physical and mental demands on your workers
There are well-known physical and mental demands of work that lead to MSDs and lower productivity. Identify if you have any of these issues in your business:

• Excessive physical or mental workload: not enough time to do the job, too much work, permanent time pressure, long working hours
• Tasks do not match workers’ skills: they are too difficult or too easy
• Tasks are monotonous and repetitive; workers have no opportunities to feel a sense of ownership of any tasks
• Workers are required to be constantly available, e.g.to respond to emails and phone calls outside working hours
• Many physical risks are present in the workplace, with no preventive measures

Aim to address these demands by:

• Make sure there is enough time to do the job, workload is regularly monitored and extra resources are provided during ‘peak’ times
• Provide tasks that allow workers to make use of and develop their skills and competencies
• Provide tasks that are challenging and interesting; workers feel a sense of ownership of their work
• Respect your workers’ need for a good work-life balance so there is enough time outside work to recover and recharge
• Provide a good physical work environment, with protective measures implemented to tackle risks

4. Where possible get work up off the ground:
Working and handling at ground level places strain on our bodies which overtime can develop into MSDs. Take photos of tasks that require stooping and bending to complete at your workplace. Look for items that are stored on the ground. During toolbox talks discuss ways which the task can be redesigned by raising the work off the ground for example with a trestle, pallets or providing a table. If it can’t be raised, can we extend our tools or modify our position to compensate?

5. Where possible eliminate overhead work:
Jobs that require overhead work are 2 to 3 times more likely to result in a shoulder injury. Overhead work becomes more hazardous when the arms are elevated over 60 degrees.  Use a toolbox talk and photos to identify where overhead work is required. Where possible aim to eliminate it and where it must remain look to design alternative ways to complete it. This includes reducing the force required, using lighter and smaller tools, keeping the arm below 60 degrees and using frequent rest breaks.

Do you know what you need to do before you demolish or refurbish a property, building or structure? Find out what the asbestos regulations mean for you before doing any work.

Identifying Asbestos
Planning is key to identifying all potential hazards and the risks involved when doing any sort of demolition or refurbishment work. Asbestos can be found in buildings constructed or renovated before the year 2000 and as such it is more than likely to be present at your next job. 

You can find out more about where asbestos may be in Australian homes here.

Asbestos or asbestos containing material (ACM) must be identified and removed by a competent person before the demolition or refurbishment is started (unless demolition is required to gain access to the asbestos). Things to consider when planning your work:

• • Are there inaccessible areas that are likely to be disturbed during the demolition or refurbishment?
  • What is the type and condition of the asbestos or ACM?
  • What is the quantity of asbestos or ACM?
  • What is the method of demolition or refurbishment, and how will it affect the asbestos or ACM?
  • If asbestos is likely to be disturbed during demolition or refurbishment, can it be removed safely before work starts; if so, how can this be done

• Have I confirmed with my state safety regulator that they need to be informed of the proposed ACM removal works?

If the competent person is unsure whether asbestos is present it must be assumed that it is and all steps taken to mitigate the asbestos risks. If asbestos is identified you must notify all parties involved such as the homeowner, landlord, occupant and/or the contractor in control of the site.

Asbestos Management Plan
Any works where asbestos has been identified will require an asbestos management plan. This outlines where any asbestos or ACM has been identified. Your plan must contain the following:

• the identification of asbestos and ACM (eg where any signs and labels are located)
• decisions, and reasons for the decisions, about how the asbestos risks are managed (eg safe work procedures and control measures)
• procedures for recording incidents or emergencies involving asbestos in the workplace
• information about the workers carrying out work involving asbestos, including
  • information and training that has been or will be provided
  • their roles and responsibilities
  • any health monitoring that has been or will be conducted.

Other information may be included in the asbestos management plan, such as:

• a timetable for managing asbestos exposure risks (eg priorities and dates for removal, reviews, circumstances and activities that could affect the timing of action)
• procedures, including a timetable for reviewing and (if necessary) revising the asbestos management plan and asbestos documentation
• waste disposal
• air monitoring procedures, if required.

Emergency Planning
An emergency plan is required for demolition work where plant and structures contain asbestos. When developing the emergency procedure, you should consider:

• the work being done in the workplace or home
• hazards in the workplace or home
• the workplace or home’s size and location (eg remote location, multi-level site with shared services)
• the number of workers and other people who might be at the work site (eg workers on shifts, maintenance and cleaning personnel, customers, people working alone).

The procedure should include:

• how to respond effectively to an emergency
• evacuation procedures
• notifying emergency services
• getting help, including medical treatment
• effective communication between the person the PCBU authorises to co-ordinate the emergency response and the people at the work site
• provisions for regularly testing the procedure
• what information, training and instruction will be given to relevant workers about how to put the emergency procedure into effect.

The emergency procedure must be carried out if there is an emergency. 

If the plant or structure is not structurally sound or is going to collapse, make the area as safe as practical and notify your state safety regulator immediately.  

Disposal of Asbestos
Before demolition starts, think of how you are going to dispose of the waste. Having a good waste containment and disposal process is just as important as having safe processes for working with asbestos. 

Asbestos is considered special waste and special waste needs to be handled, buried, pre-treated or tested before it can be disposed of at the landfill. You need to make an application if you want to dispose of special waste.

Applications are often called special waste disposal declarations. Contact your local landfill to enquire about what they require before taking any material to them. 

Not all landfills or transfer stations are authorised disposal sites, check with your local council to find out where your local authorised site is. 

Double-bag all waste. All waste, including single-use masks and coveralls, cloths and plastic sheets should be double-bagged in heavy duty plastic bags. Twist the top of bags tightly, fold the necks over and seal with adhesive tape. Clearly mark the outer bag as asbestos waste. 

Check with your receiving landfill for further details especially around handling details. There are often restrictions around how the material is offloaded.

If using skip bins or wheelie bins on site, be aware that many providers of these bins do not allow asbestos to be disposed of in them. Check your provider first for approval.

Document your disposal process in your Asbestos management plan and Asbestos Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) considering the above.

As a HazardCo member you have access to a library of SWMS located in your Hub, which includes demolition and the removal of non-friable asbestos for anything less than 10m2. Use of these resources will help you to identify the hazards and risks in your workplace and the recommended controls.

Our team of Health and Safety Advisors are here to help you with anything you are unsure of, give us a call on 1800 954 702, option 4.

Homes built or renovated  between 1950 and 2000 are likely to contain some asbestos. Therefore, every tradesperson is likely to come into contact with asbestos at work sooner or later. That’s why it’s important for you to understand how to manage the risk from working with or near asbestos, and how to protect yourself and others from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. 

Surveying and Testing

Areas that we recommend getting tested are cladding, roofing, vinyl, fibre cement sheeting, internal ceilings, and plumbing lagging.

There are 3 main types of testing or surveying; Management, Refurbishment, and Demolition, and each of these is designed for a specific purpose.

• Asbestos Management Survey: Are designed to locate asbestos in a property. This survey is typically used prior to minor maintenance work or to help manage any potential risks associated with asbestos.

• Asbestos Refurbishment Survey: Are designed to locate asbestos in a property before major work commences.

• Asbestos Demolition Survey: Are designed to locate asbestos in a property before it is demolished. This survey is also designed to give clearance to the area once demolition has been completed. 

It is important that when you are conducting work that requires planning permission, it is likely that you will require a demolition or refurbishment survey to search for asbestos present. As the contractor, you have a legal requirement to ensure asbestos is identified and removed before any work begins that may disturb the asbestos in your client’s home. 

You can refer to the SafeWork Australia website  for more details on asbestos here

Discovering Asbestos

What to do if you or your workers uncover or damage materials that may contain asbestos:

• Stop work immediately. 
• Keep people away. 
• Minimise the risk of spreading contamination to other areas.
• Get advice from an expert such as an asbestos assessor or a suitably qualified health and safety consultant. You can call our advisory team on 0800 555 339 and we will guide you through your next steps. 

Removing asbestos 

• All friable asbestos removal work must be carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist. This includes work on asbestos lagging, asbestos insulation, and damaged asbestos board. 
• If more than 10 m2 of non-friable asbestos has to be removed during a project, it must be removed by a licensed asbestos removalist. 
• You can refer here for a register of Licensed Asbestos removalists .

You can view the SafeWork Australia  website to find out how to apply the 10 m2 rule to an object that is not flat, such as asbestos piping and other frequently asked questions relating to Asbestos Licensing here