Discomfort, pain and injury

Preventing and managing discomfort, pain and injury increases productivity and staff morale while reducing injury related costs. As an employer, you have a legal responsibility to protect your workers from harm. This means addressing all the factors present in your workplace that can lead to discomfort, pain or injury.

On this page

  1. What is discomfort, pain and injury?
  2. What is the impact of injuries?
  3. What can I do to reduce injuries?

What is discomfort, pain and injury?

Discomfort, pain and injury cover many conditions of the muscles and bones:

  • Gradual Process Injuries (GPI)
  • Simple back pain
  • Strains and sprains

Usually these arise gradually over time, rather than from sudden events.

What is the impact of injuries?

For employers

Having workers on sick leave and hiring new employees can be expensive and time-consuming for managers and other staff.

Do you know the real cost of an injury? Use the Injury cost calculator to work out the true cost of injuries to workers. Use online or request a copy from the ACC Publications page.

For workers

Apart from the stress caused by not being able to do your job properly, discomfort, pain and injury can also have a much larger social costs. It’s difficult to measure the cost of not being able to pick up your children, take part in sports, or even sit comfortably to watch television or talk to friends.

What can I do to reduce injuries?

Remember, everyone has a role to play in preventing and reducing injuries in the workplace.

ACC has developed a number of tools to help employers, employees and health and safety consultants manage discomfort, pain and injury.

  • HabitAtWork (external link) is available in Office and Industrial versions. It is a tool for employers, employees, and health and safety consultants to learn to prevent and manage discomfort, pain and injury.
  • Work smart tips
    Use this tool to create specific customised health and safety information for your workplace, employees, and colleagues.
  • Discomfort, pain and injury training (external link)
    Register your interest in discomfort, pain and industry training.

How to implement safer workplace practices

Other resources

The following resources can be downloaded or ordered from the ACC publications page:

  • Preventing and managing discomfort, pain and injury (PDF1.8M)
    An overview of what you need to consider to prevent and manage discomfort, pain and injury in your workplace.
  • ACC4056 Manual Handling Risk Reckoner
    An interactive tool developed as an alternative to the Manual Handling Code of Practice method for assessing risk in manual handling tasks.
  • ACC1631 Pain screening questionnaire
    An online or paper based self-administered assessment for people with ongoing and unresolved pain problems.
  • ACC1952 A4 Stretches for office workers
  • ACC1953 A4 Stretches for manual workers
  • ACC5007 A3 Exercises for hospitality workers (PDF418K)
  • ACC5054 A3 Exercises for health workers (PDF319K)
  • ACC5053 A3 Office Workers stretching poster
  • ACC5052 A3 Manual Worker stretching poster
  • ACC5165 HabitAtWork CD
    The complete HabitAtWork application on a CD, for use where internet access is not available.
  • ACC4318 HabitAtWork posters
  • ACC4829 HabitAtWork workbook – Office version
  • ACC4830 HabitAtWork workbook – Industrial version
  • Early report form
    Designed either to be filled in online, or to be printed and filled in by hand. Each form has two parts – one for the employee who is reporting discomfort and or pain, and the other for their employer.

Forms and checklists

Last updated: 21July2009