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

The workplace injuries also had a high cost in Casey: $20 million.

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 workers 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 compared to more serious accidents.

"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.

"They're the most preventable, because in many cases, simply cleaning up a spill on the floor or providing some lifting equipment eliminates the risk.

"In reality, workers in childcare, retail, hospitality

and other sectors not normally associated with heavy lifting suffer debilitating injuries every day."

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