Luzenac is a sister company to Pilbara Iron and the Three Springs operation, near Geraldton, is one of more than 30 mines around the world that produce talc for everything from cosmetics, chewing gum and animal feed, to paint, plaster and printing inks.
Employees on the sorting line spend their day picking contaminants from a conveyor belt. It can be a repetitive and tiring job so a new exercise and prevention routine has been implemented to avoid overuse and strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Each day, staff begin their shift with exercises to warm up their hands and follow this with regular stretching breaks and a cool down routine at the end of the day. In addition, they work for no longer than 50 minutes at a stretch, regularly rotate position around the conveyor belt, enjoy fortnightly massages and are visited every three months by an occupational therapist.
The team worked closely with their health and safety advisor Phil Arthur who designed a program specifically for their needs. As an added bonus, many of the women have reported flow-on benefits in other areas of their lives.
Read Phil Arthur's report on this innovative manual handling programme: Manual Handling: Occupational Overuse Syndrome
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