Injury Hotspots

Metal Manufacturing
These are the most common injuries and hazards for people working in metal manufacturing,
as shown by injury claims.

Shoulder
Traumatic joint/muscle
injury or strain from
lifting heavy materials,
handling tools or
pushing/pulling materials

8%

8%

5%
Abdominal region
Hernia from heavy lifting
or pushing

Forearm/wrist
Traumatic joint/muscle
injury or strain from
repetitive work or lifting
heavy materials. Open
wounds from being cut
by sharp objects or tools

Foot and toes

Fractures or open wounds
from equipment or materials
falling on feet

20%

Back
Muscle stress/strain
from bending over or
lifting heavy materials

6%

7%

4%

5%

See over the page for some safety solutions.

Edition No. 1.1 June 2008

Arm
Muscle stress/strain from
general duties, including
repetitive work

6%

20%
Knee
Muscle stress/strain or
traumatic joint/muscle injury
from tripping over objects
on the floor, kneeling or
slipping over

Ear
Hearing loss from
exposure to noisy
machinery

Hand and fingers

Open wounds,
lacerations or
amputations from being
cut by tools, machinery
or metal, or from being
caught/crushed by
machinery

Leg
Open wounds and
lacerations from being caught
in machinery or cut by sharp
objects. Traumatic joint/
muscle injury from tripping
over objects. Fractures from
falling off ladder or tripping
on uneven ground

Safety solutions
WorkSafe expects employers to have safety solutions in place to protect workers from injury and illness. Below are some
common solutions known to reduce the risk of injury and illness; employers should work together with their employees
and health and safety representatives to determine the most effective OHS solutions for their workplace.
Hotspots

Solutions

Lifting and bending

Shoulder
Back
Abdomen
Forearm/wrist

Use mechanical means to lift heavy weights.

All tasks should be conducted in the best working zone (i.e. between shoulder and knee height). Achieve this
by raising, lowering or moving either the worker or the work.
Empty pallets shouldnt be lifted by one person.
Use gloves for all manual handling tasks.

Pushing and pulling

Shoulder
Abdomen

Use magnetic lifters or a forklift where necessary.

Use a suitable mobile or overhead crane for bundled loads.
Use a purpose-built vehicle for small loads.

Lacerations, amputations and fractures

Hand and
Fingers
Forearm/wrist
Foot and toes
Leg

Use machinery guards appropriate to the level of access required.

Wear suitable clothing (e.g. overalls, long trousers, long sleeve shirt, safety boots).
Dont use gloves when operating machinery, especially where the glove creates a risk of entanglement.
Use gloves when working with hot equipment.

Slips, trips and falls

Shoulder
Knee
Leg

Ensure work procedures prevent or eliminate slipping/tripping hazards (e.g. uneven surfaces or changes of level)
and obstructions (including slippery and wet surfaces caused by liquid, dust or other contamination).
Avoid kneeling by positioning work within the best working zone.

Using hand tools

Shoulder
Hand and
Fingers
Forearm/wrist

Hand tools should be fit for purpose and maintained in accordance with manufacturers specifications.

Hearing loss
Ear

Isolate noisy machinery or reduce noise levels (e.g. enclose machinery, reduce vibration, use barriers and screens to
block the direct path of sound, silence air exhausts and blowing nozzles).
Noise assessment should be conducted if employees are exposed to excessive noise (e.g. noise exceeds the
exposure standard, workers have to raise their voices to communicate over a distance of one metre or have to wear
hearing protection).
Noise assessments should also be conducted if workers suffer a temporary reduction in hearing or ringing in the ears.
Place warning signs in areas of excessive and continual noise, and wear hearing protection.

Repetitive work
Arm
Forearm/wrist

Eliminate or minimise repetitive tasks involving bending through mechanical aids (e.g. automatic in-feed) or limiting
the pace or duration of work (e.g. ensure work does not exceed 60 repetitions every two hours, job rotation).
All tasks should be conducted in the best working zone.

Employers must consult with workers prior to making any changes that may affect their occupational health and safety. If someone suffers a
work-related injury or illness, their employer has duties under the Accident Compensation Act, one of which is to ensure their safe return to work.

Your health and safety contact is:

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worksafe.vic.gov.au/hotspots
WorkSafe Advisory Service
Toll-free 1800 136 089
WorkSafe Victoria is a trading name
of the Victorian WorkCover Authority

IHS0004/02/06.08