05:59 pm, Monday 18 March, 2013

Customer Advisors Gemma Jorgensen and Alex Newton,
Customer Services Manager Vicki McCathy
and Exercise physiologist Adam King.
Photo: WorkCover Queensland

WorkCover Queensland has recently visited the Toowoomba Turf Club to meet with injured jockeys and view the horse simulator in action.

WorkCover Queensland Customer Advisor, Gemma Jorgensen said the simulator is a type of device that mimics a galloping horse which was purchased by Racing Queensland to train apprentices and is now also used as a rehabilitation tool.

“In some cases when I refer a jockey to a conditioning program, which helps them get back to riding duties more safely and quickly, the exercise physiologist encourages the jockey to use the simulator for conditioning. There isn’t really anything else in a gym or training session that can simulate the actions of a horse. The simulator enables the muscle groups needed to ride a horse to rebuild, strengthen and recondition.

“The simulator can also assist with any confidence issues – it has helped jockeys refine the riding action without having the unpredictability of a live animal beneath them,” said Ms Jorgensen.

By connecting the simulator to a LED screen and computer, balance, whip action and rein use are being monitored.

Customer Advisor Alex Newton said that during their visit they have discussed the rehabilitation and conditioning benefits of the simulator with Racing Queensland’s training officer along with an exercise physiologist who regularly arranges conditioning and strengthening programs for jockeys returning to work from injury.

“We learnt just how difficult riding a race horse can be and how general fitness plays such an integral and vital part in a jockey’s normal duties. Most jockeys’ injuries are complex and serious in nature, and normal duties are somewhat high risk and unpredictable,” said Mr Newton.

“We have worked with Racing Queensland to arrange availability of the horse simulator for rehabilitation and work hardening. These programs will be formulated and supervised by an exercise physiologist,” he said.

The simulators are available in Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, and Deagon. A mobile apparatus also travels to regional centres.

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03:56 pm, Monday 4 March, 2013

A new major campaign has been launched by WorkSafe on Monday to assist injured workers get back to work.

According to Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips, the campaign follows the release of new statistics showing that the longer injured workers are off work, the more likely they are to require psychiatric and psychological help.

“This campaign aims to highlight that returning to work as soon as it is safe to do so can be an important part in the injured worker’s recovery,” said Mr Rich-Phillips.

“Being off work for an extended period of time can be extremely detrimental to a worker’s health.

“New data shows injured workers who remain off work one year after their injury are six times more likely to access mental health treatment than injured workers who went back to work after a month.

“In 2012, five percent of injured workers who were off work for at least four weeks sought access to mental health treatment.

“After six months off work, 18 percent sought access to mental health services and after a year off work, 30 percent of injured workers had sought treatment for mental health,” he said.

A special installation at Southern Cross Station will be home to an actor playing the part of an injured worker named “Pete”.

Pete will be replicating the actions that injured workers can take over a six-week period to recover from their injury and return to work.

The location of the installation, daily video links, and a strong social media campaign will spread the message of the benefits of a safe return to work.

WorkSafe Chief Executive Denise Cosgrove said family and friends also play an important role in helping an injured worker get back to work.

“The role played by family and friends, employer, doctor and other medical professionals is crucial in the return to work process,” said Ms Cosgrove.

Ms Cosgrove said that the longer a worker is away from work, the less chance they had of getting back.

“If an injured worker is off work for more than 20 days, their chance of getting back to work falls to 70 percent. After 70 days, it’s down to 35 percent,” she said.

“That’s why helping an injured worker back to work as soon as it’s safe to do so is so important for them and their families.”

More information about the campaign is available at the WorkSafe Victoria website.

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01:17 pm, Wednesday 4 July, 2012

WorkSafe Victoria has issued a safety improvement notice to a Ballarat-based road transport manufacturer after a worker suffered from serious injuries last Wednesday.

The Courier reports that the worker had to be airlifted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne after being trapped while working underneath an extendable trailer at about 5am.

According to reports, he was working on the trailer when a section supporting it gave way trapping him underneath.

A spokesman for the Rural Ambulance Victoria said the victim suffered from abdominal and chest injuries, and a fractured ankle.

The Courier further reported that Michael Birt of WorkSafe Victoria said an official notice was given to the company, in which they had to show they could carry out work practices safely in the future.

“Given crushing injuries are common, what we know is that people who are hurt are most often doing routine tasks,” said Mr Birt.

“It is important that everybody is doing everything as safely as possible so we can eliminate these sort of injuries.”

The company said they will cooperate with WorkCover as it investigates the incident.

The injured worker is now in a stable condition.

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12:38 pm, Tuesday 3 July, 2012

A transport and logistics company is facing unfair dismissal charges after allegedly spying on staff who take leave to recover from workplace injuries.

The case was taken to the national workplace relations tribunals by one of its workers who said she was dismissed unfairly after private investigators hired by the company followed here in February this year.

According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, the case is the first of two unfair dismissal claims against the company filed this week which involved spying on workers.

Although WorkSafe and its insurance companies use private investigators to check on injury claims, it is not common for individual companies to spy on their workers.

The company claimed that their actions were justifiable as employers can conduct surveillance to make sure employees are really entitled to benefits being claimed.

One of the cases at Fair Work Australia lodged involved a female worker who said she was followed by private investigators hired by the company when she was on sick leave in February.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, she was in the process of lodging a WorkCover claim for a back injury she sustained while working at the company’s warehouse. She was followed by investigators for a day in February.

She was filmed from outside her house, and at a supermarket for 13 minutes.

She was dismissed from work after three days when she failed to mention her trip to the supermarket to her managers.

The worker was represented by the National Union of Workers during a hearing on Monday.

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11:22 am, Friday 15 June, 2012

A pearling company was fined $10,000 on Thursday after pleading guilty over the serious injury of its worker.

A cook onboard a pearling vessel fell two metres from a roof onto the lower deck in September 2011. According to investigation, the vessel was docked during low tide and was being re-supplied for an upcoming voyage. Because of the low tide, a portable gang plank was placed from the wharf to the upper deck landing platform to allow access for workers to the vessel.

According to NT WorkSafe, there were no appropriate fall protection measures on the landing platform on the upper deck to prevent workers from stepping onto the roof of the lower deck. The roofing material used could not bear a person’s weight.

NT WorkSafe also found the pearling company did not give proper instruction to the injured worker in the safe use of the portable gangway and the landing platform, or warned him of the risks involved in boarding the vessel from the portable gangway.

“The above incident highlights the dangers Territory workers face when working at heights as it only takes a momentary lapse in concentration or loss of footing for an injury to occur,” said Executive Director of NT WorkSafe, Laurene Hull.

“Falls from heights are a major cause of workplace injury in the Northern Territory with over $30 million paid in compensation claims over the past three years as a direct result of falls from heights.

“Everyone can become complacent when it comes to workplace safety. A 25 year old painter recently suffered fractures to his wrist and leg after falling approximately six metres from a roof in Fannie Bay,” said Ms Hull.

NT WorkSafe inspectors have already issued 32 prohibition notices and 5 improvement notices this year to date as a result of insufficient protection from falls at Territory workplaces.

Ms Hull said that the Northern Territory has adopted three Codes of Practice relating to fall prevention, which can be downloaded from the NT WorkSafe website.

“Before commencing work, businesses and workers should conduct a risk assessment to identify all the hazards of working at heights,” said Ms Hull.

“Workplace Safety inspectors will continue to work with businesses and their workers to improve workplace safety and enforcement action will be taken for any serious breaches.”

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