According to 2009-10 Worksafe figures, musculoskeletal injuries made up half of the state's workplace injury claims.

Worksafe return-to-work inspector Brad Wakeling said the physical nature of work made such injuries commonplace.

"A lot of injuries are wear-and-tear, particularly backs from manual handling. As we age, our bodies fatigue and make us more susceptible."

He said prevention came down to using good techniques for heavy lifting, including getting the help of mechanical aids and other people.

Employers should also be mindful of putting workers at undue risk by expecting them to "go at 110per cent for eight hours a day" to meet unrealistic deadlines or quotas".

WorkSafe's Trevor Martin says injuries to muscles, tissue and bones are often downplayed.

"Lifting a box, climbing a step-ladder or navigating a slippery surface at work might not set off alarm bells for most of us – but tasks like these cause thousands of Melbourne workers painful muscle and bone injuries every year," Mr Martin said.

Worksafe will begin rolling out a new campaign aimed at reducing the incident of muscular and skeletal injuries today.

■ A $450,000 fine was handed down to a transport company last week over the death of a 30-year-old worker in 2007.

Nationwide Towing and Transport was convicted and fined on two counts under the Occupational Health and Safety Act at the Melbourne County Court, relating to an incident at Narre Warren in which a 20-tonne excavator slipped as it was unloaded from a trailer.

The court heard that the worker was trying to drive a steel-tracked excavator off a steel-decked trailer when the excavator slipped and fell to the ground, killing the worker.

During the sentencing Judge Michael Bourke said the trailer used was inappropriate for machinery of this type and size.