Work-related musculoskeletal disorders have become increasingly common over recent decades, often leaving people unable to work for long periods of time. Although there has been an obvious link between high-impact and repetitive jobs and this type of condition, experts are now warning that a sedentary lifestyle could be just as damaging.
Sedentary lifestyles could put workers at risk.
People are generally spending more time sitting down, often in front of computer screens. The National Heart Foundation of Australia is among the groups to have warned about the short and long-term impacts of being sedentary for too long. It warns that if the problem is allowed to continue, it has the potential to put increased strain on the healthcare system and will prove costly for the country as a whole.
A reality for Australian workers
The latest available data from Safe Work Australia shows work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the most common source of injuries compensation in the country. The primary cause of this type of injury is body stressing, namely where the joints and muscles are put under increased strain.
Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show 28 per cent of people in this country suffer from musculoskeletal conditions. As many as a fifth of them reported fair or poor general health, showing that this can have a significant negative impact on overall wellbeing.
While it was typically manual workers who were vulnerable to this type of disorder, there is now a risk that being constantly seated could prove as much of a threat.
The health risks of being sedentary
Medibank’s Stand Up Australia report shows as much as 70 per cent of most people’s working day is spent in a seated position. Employees in some professions were found to be more at risk than others, including those who work in call centres.
Report authors suggested there needs to be a greater emphasis on encouraging staff to be mobile, especially if the country is to avoid the increased likelihood of chronic diseases and poor health.
As a result, it isn’t just musculoskeletal disorders that need to be given greater priority, but also other potential health outcomes that arise as a result of being seated for prolonged periods.
If you have experienced health problems as a result of your job, we strongly advise that you seek injuries compensation. It is possible you may be eligible to claim superannuation and insurance disability payments if you have been unable to work for six months or more.
A superannuation claim is known in the insurance industry as a ‘total and permanent disability claim’. Each superfund has different but similar requirements for a successful payout. The threshold for such a claim is that the injured person has not been able to work for 3-6 months since their last day worked. The injury does not have to be work related meaning it could have been the result of a car crash or a serious fall at home or at the supermarket. Illnesses are also included.
Most of our clients are unaware of such a claim and it only due to our expertise we are able to secure more monies for our clients.
Even if you have processed your own TPD claim and it has been rejected you should have another attempt with us. Often we are able to have claims approved, with the right evidence, or, as a last resort, negotiate a figure making sure you receive a financial benefit instead of another rejection by the superfund and insurer.
TPD claims are a national benefit available to almost everyone with a superfund. We can also make multiple superfund claims if a memeber has more than one superfund.