Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), meaning injuries to muscles, joints, tendons and discs, are one of the leading causes of early retirement in SA construction, especially among workers in their 40s and 50s. They build up from heavy lifting, awkward postures and tool vibration, and once a back or shoulder is gone, it rarely fully comes back. The OHSA requires your employer to assess ergonomic hazards, and a work-related MSD can be claimed under COIDA as an occupational disease.
The common injuries
- Lower back pain and disc injuries from heavy lifting, awkward bending and operating vibrating equipment.
- Shoulder injuries (rotator cuff) from overhead work, hammering and plastering.
- Knee problems from prolonged kneeling, common in tiling and cable-laying.
- Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) from grinders, jackhammers and chipping guns, which causes numbness, pain and "white finger".
- Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) from repeated tool use.
Prevention
The OHSA requires employers to run a risk assessment that covers ergonomic hazards. In practice, the things that actually save backs and shoulders are:
- Use mechanical aids. Trolleys, hoists and pipe rollers to avoid manual lifts above roughly 25 kg where you can.
- Lift correctly. Bend the knees, keep the load close to the body and avoid twisting.
- Break up the loading. Take breaks and rotate tasks so the same muscles are not hammered all day.
- Maintain anti-vibration kit. Keep tool anti-vibration mounts in good order and use anti-vibration gloves.
None of this is soft. A bricklayer who manages his back through his 30s and 40s is the one still earning at 55.
COIDA and MSDs
Worked example. Sipho is a 47-year-old bricklayer who develops a lumbar disc prolapse that his occupational health doctor attributes to his work. Because it qualifies as a work-related occupational disease under COIDA, his employer submits a WCL2 and his doctor a WCL4 to the Compensation Fund. Sipho can claim:
- Medical expenses such as physiotherapy and treatment.
- Temporary disability benefit while he cannot work. This is 75 percent of earnings, paid for up to 12 months and extendable to 24 months in deserving cases, with the employer fronting the first three months of payments. There is an annual earnings ceiling; check the current cap at www.labour.gov.za rather than relying on a fixed figure.
- Permanent disability benefit if he cannot fully recover.
COIDA stands for the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993. Self-employed tradies are not covered by COIDA unless they register as an employer covering themselves, which is possible for a sole trader who also employs others. If you are not covered, private income-protection insurance is the way to fill the gap, because an MSD can take you off the tools for months.
Common mistakes
- Powering through early back pain. A small niggle ignored becomes a disc injury that ends a career.
- No mechanical aids on site. Manhandling everything to save five minutes is the classic false economy.
- Assuming MSDs are not claimable. A diagnosed work-related MSD is an occupational disease under COIDA, not just "wear and tear".
- Going solo with no income protection. Without COIDA cover and without insurance, a bad back means no income at all.
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