- Every 10 minutes, an Australian makes a serious work injury claim for body stressing, such as lifting, carrying or repetitive movement, totalling around 50,600 claims in 2023–24, which represents 34.5 per cent of all serious claims, with a median of 9.2 weeks off work and $19,400 in compensation.
- A 2016 study found that office workers who slumped for just one hour showed fatigue in deep spinal support muscles, highlighting how posture affects which muscles bear the load.
- Approximately 4 million Australians (16 per cent) were living with back problems in 2022, with many attributing their discomfort to the working day without identifying their chair or posture as a cause.
- Three cost-free checks; setting seat height so feet sit flat, ensuring the backrest supports the lower back, and taking regular standing breaks are recommended before considering any new equipment.
- Once good habits are established, an adjustable ergonomic chair can make maintaining correct posture easier, particularly for shared workspaces where staff vary in height or move between home and office.
SOUTH GRANVILLE, NSW, 15 October 2026: Every 10 minutes, someone in Australia makes a serious work injury claim for body stressing. That means strain from lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling or repeated movement. It added up to about 50,600 claims in 2023-24, or 34.5 percent of all serious claims.
October is National Safe Work Month, and the 2026 theme is "Safe work is for life". For desk workers, the pain that lasts is often slow: a stiff lower back, a sore neck, a shoulder that never settles.
One in three serious claims comes from body stressing
Safe Work Australia's Key Work Health and Safety Statistics 2025 counted about 50,600 body stressing claims out of 146,700 serious claims in 2023-24. A serious claim means at least one week off work. The figures are preliminary, because open claims can change. Body stressing was the most common cause in every major occupation group.
The typical claim was not small. The median time lost was 9.2 weeks, and the median compensation paid was $19,400.
The term covers lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling and repeated movement. So the number is not just about desk work. It does show how many people get hurt by strain that builds up in ordinary tasks, not one big accident.
Picture a project manager at her laptop. Nothing dramatic happens. By 3pm her lower back aches anyway. Now picture a whole office, and small daily strain can turn into a claim.
An hour of slumped sitting tired the deep trunk muscles
A 2016 study in Safety and Health at Work followed 30 healthy office workers for one hour of sitting. Ten sat upright, ten slumped and ten leaned forward. Only the slumped group showed fatigue in two deep muscles that help support the spine, the internal oblique and transversus abdominis.
The study is small and short. It shows a link with muscle fatigue, not proof of injury. Still, the message is clear. How you sit changes which muscles do the work.
For managers, posture is a cheap thing to check. A quick walk through the office each quarter, looking at seat height and back support, costs far less than a claim.
About 4 million Australians live with back problems
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says about 4.0 million Australians, or 16 percent, were living with back problems in 2022. The figure comes from a national survey where people report their own health. Back problems have many causes, and work is only one of them.
Still, many people link the ache to the workday. It starts as a stiff patch by lunch and becomes a daily habit by winter. They rarely blame the chair, because the chair never broke.
Three free checks come before any new chair
Set the seat so your feet sit flat and your hips sit just above your knees. Let the backrest touch your lower back. Then set a timer to stand and move, and take calls on your feet. None of this costs a cent. It works in a shared office as well as a spare room.
Once those habits are in place, the chair matters. A chair with an adjustable seat, backrest and lumbar support lets you sit upright without forcing it. That is the idea behind the ergonomic office chair range at Sihoo Australia.
"A good chair will not fix bad habits," said Joseph Lacson, General Manager of Sihoo Australia. "But a chair that fits makes the good habits much easier to keep, especially after the third hour at a desk."
For teams, adjustable seating suits staff of different heights who share desks or move between home and office. One setting does not fit everyone. So adjustability is the first feature to check.
About us:
About Sihoo Australia
Sihoo Australia launched in 2021 and sells ergonomic office chairs in Australia direct to homes and workplaces. Every chair carries a three year warranty covering the seat and backrest, armrests, base and castors, hydraulic gas lift mechanism, lumbar support, headrest and reclining mechanism. Replacement parts ship direct to the customer. Sihoo Australia is based at 11 Ferndell St, South Granville NSW 2142.
About AHA Digital Marketing
AHA Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency that helps brands grow through SEO, content, PR and integrated campaigns. AHA is seeding this release on behalf of Sihoo Australia.
Contact details:
Ernest Yap
AHA Digital Marketing, on behalf of Sihoo Australia
