Health Sector Addresses Strains and Sprains

By CCH

The Victorian Government has announced a $650,000.00 package to help prevent workplace injuries for nurses, homecare workers and ambulance staff.

Sprains and Strains account for more than half of all Workcover claims, costing workers' compensation schemes almost $800m annually and making up nearly 80% of claims in the healthcare industry.

The three projects are:

· formulation of a best practice model with Ballarat District Nursing & Healthcare Inc to address issues affecting local district nurses

· the development, with the industry, of new occupational health and safety guidelines for homecare workers

· the commencement of a two-year project with the Ambulance Union to identify improvements in procedures for handling people.

(CCH Compensation Week; issue 44, 27 August, 2002)