An industry workshop focused on exploring ways of preventing and reducing bodily pain experienced by construction workers contributes to a ‘call to arms’ for industry stakeholders to address this important issue
On 26 February, the “From Pain to Progress” workshop was hosted by BodyGuide and RMIT University to explore the issue of pain and body stress injuries in the construction workforce.
The workshop was facilitated by Amanda Clements, founder and CEO of The Collective Lab and included diverse stakeholders, including builders, insurers, occupational rehabilitation providers, regulators, as well as contractors, safety consultants and employers from adjacent fields.
Workers who are employed in physically demanding roles often experience persistent bodily pain originating from their work tasks which can lead to chronic stress, negative spillover between work and home life and mental ill-health.
Workshop participants identified key topics of relevance to this issue and worked in groups to identify challenges and potential solutions to tackling the problem. The focus was on a holistic approach addressing systems of work and industry-level opportunities to improve workers’ experiences, with a focus on pain prevention, rather than pain management.
Date: 29/04/2025
Submitted by: Daniel McLinden
