CITY of Maribyrnong workers have claimed over $61.3 million from injuries in the workplace in the last five years.

According to WorkCover, 3745 workers have reported injuries over the past five years, with the bulk of compensation going to pay doctor and physiotherapy bills.

The figures include workers who have been off work for 10 days or more, or had medical costs exceeding $520.

About 60 per cent of all claims were a result of manual handling injuries because of the high concentration of factories, warehouses and retail in the municipality.

Common injuries included breaking bones, tearing muscles and back damage from poor manual handling and slipping, tripping or falling.

“Developing safe systems, ensuring they’re applied, reporting and acting on safety issues as they arise will prevent incidents…from happening,” WorkCover Minister Tim Holding said.

“Allowing shortcuts to happen and not providing the right training and equipment needed to do the job safely might wreck a life and reduce the opportunity to do things you want to do inside, and outside, of work,” he said.

- Charlene Gatt