Citation

Oxenburgh MS, Guldberg HH. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 1993; 12(4): 241-253.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

To reduce the incidence of injuries caused by manual handling it was proposed, by a Government Authority, to introduce a Code of Practice. Many industries objected to the introduction of a Code as such codes may have adverse effects on the economics of the industries involved. This paper presents and discusses the methodology used to investigate such effects in those industries in which 80% of reported back injuries occur. Methods were developed to estimate the net costs to industry to comply with the code and the potential effectiveness of the code in preventing injuries.A survey method was developed which sampled 56% of the Australian work force (about 3.85 x 106 people). Due to the difficulty of specifying, in quantitative terms, the causation of back injury due to manual handling, the scope of the survey method was limited to identifying those work stations where lifting more than 16 kg occurred. There was no modification of potential hazards by specifying other components of back injury causation.The results indicated that, in Australia, the cost to implement the code would have been $831 x 106 (Australian dollars, 1987) with a recurrent annual cost of $245 x 106. Seventy-five percent of the capital cost and 58% of the recurrent annual cost (excluding the hospital sector) would be required to comply with the Code for lifting weights above 34 kg.It is estimated that the code would be 27% effective in back injury prevention. The cost to industry for back injuries was $576 x 106 per annum (1984/5 injuries in $A1987) and the projected savings $156 x 106 per annum so the net annual recurrent cost would be reduced from $245 x 106 to $89 x 106.