Preventive physiotherapy in industry

Working time lost through industrial injury throughout Australia in 1973-4 amounted to some one and a quarter million man-weeks, costing in excess of one hundred million dollars, this figure being deduced from the total of claims under Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability. About 28% of recorded injuries resulted directly from accidents during manual handling. A further 22% resulted from falling, slipping and tripping. In both classifications, sprains and strains were predominant. A relatively high occurrence of tenosynovitis and other soft tissue injuries, probably the result of repetitive motion and/or prolonged poor posture at work, were recorded. The implication is that over half of all industrial injuries are directly related to posture and body mechanics, the area in which physiotherapists are particularly interested and in which they are qualified to implement preventive action.