For workers aiming to safeguard their well-being and minimize the risk of injuries, WorkCover Queensland emphasizes the importance of identifying and assessing hazardous manual task risks.

To enhance worker protection and diminish injury risks, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) should proactively pinpoint manual tasks that may pose potential hazards. Workers can contribute valuable insights by sharing information about discomfort, muscular aches, and pains, serving as indicators of potential hazards.

Risk identification involves consulting with workers, reviewing available information, identifying trends, and observing manual tasks for characteristics indicative of hazardous tasks. Once risks are identified, the PCBU should conduct a comprehensive risk assessment, examining the forces, movements, and postures involved in the task to evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

A risk assessment aids in determining the specific elements of the task that pose a risk, the location within the task where risks arise, the reasons behind the risks, and the necessary corrective actions. WorkCover Queensland provides the Hazardous manual tasks risk management worksheet for assistance.

To determine risk factors, a series of questions should be considered based on guidance from the Hazardous manual tasks code of practice 2021. These questions address repetitive movements, sustained or awkward postures, repetitive or sustained forces, long task durations, high or sudden forces, and the presence of vibration.

If the task involves repetitive movement, sustained postures, or forces, and has a long duration, it is considered a risk. High or sudden force and tasks involving vibration are also indicators of risk. If any of these risk factors are present, further investigation is required.

Identifying a risk prompts consideration of the sources contributing to these risks, such as work area design, the nature of handled objects, work systems, and the task environment. Addressing these sources can eliminate or reduce the risk of MSDs, with a focus on promoting a safer workplace.