Barossa Village, an aged care provider in one of Australia’s most beautiful wine regions, knew their staff were at high risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
Although not an industry that springs to mind when you think of high-risk workplaces, staff in aged care experience an increased risk of injury from performing manual handling tasks, such as transferring or moving residents.
In an effort to prevent these injuries from occurring, Barossa Village had implemented a wellness program but it had lost momentum.
Workplace risk advisors
EML offers employers individualised support by providing qualified consultants with specific expertise in injury management and return to work, as well as safety, health and wellbeing.
Known as Workplace Risk Advisors, these professionals support workplaces to identify and assess their workplace risk, as well as providing recommendations to reduce the likelihood of injury and assist in improving return to work outcomes.
Revamped wellness program engages staff
Barossa Village is one of the organisations that has benefited immensely from our Workplace Risk Advisors. A revamp of their wellness program was tailored to focus on pre-work stretches and warm ups.
“The Workplace Risk Advisor was able to refresh the training provided to our Stretch Leaders who will now be better equipped to support our staff with their pre-work stretching program,” says Sue McArthur, WHS Leader at Barossa Village.
“Additionally, personal carers and nurses were also provided with awareness sessions on the importance of stretching and warming up prior to work.”
Sue couldn’t be happier with the guidance or the end result. “The training provided to our staff was fun and interactive,” she says.
“It enabled us to maximise the engagement of our staff, while still delivering a very important safety message.
Individualised support
According to the 2012 Aged Workforce Census, more than three-quarters of aged care facilities reported a work-related injury or illness in the preceding three months.
EML Workplace Risk Advisors help employers overcome the challenges involved in keeping their workplaces safe.