Allianz has teamed up with Monash Health to trial revolutionary movement assessment technology that could reduce the risk of workplace injury.

Victoria-based Monash Health put wearable sensors on nurses to monitor lower-back movements, shoulder elevations and muscle activity at work, to better understand the physical demands on employees.

The study revealed that when nurses change bed linen, they spent 43% of the time bent over.

A simple change of procedure and training could reduce the physical strain of this task by up to 77% in some cases.

Monash Health estimates its annual employee injury cost at $10 million, with $3.2 million from back injuries and $1.1 million shoulder. The average claim cost for a musculoskeletal injury is $40,000.

Allianz’s claims data shows manual handling tasks account for 58% of all employee injuries, with back and shoulder injuries making up the vast majority.

“Understanding the physical demands on workers means Monash can create safer workplaces and, ultimately, provide better care for patients,” Allianz Workers’ Compensation Chief GM Helen Silver said.

In the US, nursing staff suffer an estimated 35,000 injuries each year that require time off work, Allianz says.