South Australia: hazardous manual tasks in correctional work
Source and status: SafeWork SA's June 2020 *Hazardous manual tasks* Code of Practice commenced on 4 June 2020. Approved under section 274 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA), it addresses musculoskeletal risks wherever hazardous manual tasks occur within that Act's coverage.
Risk is not determined by weight alone. Force, repetition, posture, vibration, duration, workplace design and work organisation all matter. People-handling can introduce sudden, unpredictable loads. The code prioritises eliminating or redesigning hazardous work and using appropriate equipment; training supports controls rather than replacing them.
The code helps establish what is known about hazards and available controls. It does not itself replace the Act or regulations. A different method may be used where it provides an equivalent or higher standard of safety.
Application to corrections: Examine prisoner assistance, equipment movement and repeated awkward tasks separately. Record the actual task, available space, staffing, equipment condition and any unexpected movement. Do not treat a generic lifting certificate or a second worker as proof that a particular task is safe. Review the system after discomfort reports or changed duties, rather than waiting for a serious injury.
*General information, not an assessment of a particular incident. Source checked 15 November 2026. The official PDF remains linked rather than reproduced because it carries a non-commercial reuse licence.*
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