“Building Health by aiming not to add to the ill health statistics“ Susan Spence Occupational Health Professional 17th October 2018

Before we start, let’s not add to the numbers !! Please Stand Up

Takeaways What are WRMSDs? Motivators Bigger Picture: WRMSD as a Key Priority Area HSE & HSENI WHLGNI: Partnership working Brief Northern Ireland Overview HSE,GB 2017: Construction Specific Statistics Challenge Setting

Definition What is Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WRMSD) They are conditions that can affect muscles, joints and tendons in all parts of the body Most develop over time i.e. cumulative effect or they can result from a one off event They can progress from mild to severe Seldom life threatening but can impair quality of life and be life changing

Work related ill health – why do we need to manage it? Because the law says we must do. Because history says things will never change unless we make the change. Because your business can’t afford not too. Because the impact on the economy and the health service is enormous. Because you want to go home not only safe and healthy but protected, As do your employees. Please don’t forget …. This is a man made problem Going forward ……. It is totally PREVENTIBLE not inevitable

Big Picture: Key priority areas Work-related ill health is any health condition caused, or made worse by, your job. (Varying terminology). HSE GB Health Priority Plan: One of the three priorities relating to workplace ill health – occupational lung disease, musculoskeletal disorders and work-related stress.

- Occupational cancers - WRMSDs and WR Stress Moving forward …….. HSENI’s overarching work related health strategy 3 Key WHPs: - Occupational Lung Disease - Occupational cancers - WRMSDs and WR Stress HSENI working with others to reduce the burden of work related ill health (education and compliance)

WHLGNI : Partnership Working Regional Multi-agency Group with same aim as HSENI… to target key areas via it’s Strategic Plan Aiming for Workplace Health to receive the same recognition as Occupational Safety with 5 year Plan “Encouraging all stakeholders to work collaboratively .. To identify and solve problems through existing provision and development of new tools/strategies”

General Overview: What's the cost of workplace injuries and work related ill health? - £238 million

Estimate of numbers of people affected per annum in Northern Ireland Source: Labour Force Survey

GB: The burden of WRMSDs 507,000 workers suffering from MSDs (new or long-standing) in 2016/17 8.9 million working days lost due to MSDs in 2016/17 Accounts for 39% of all the work related health conditions

Estimated prevalence rates of self-reported WRMSDs in Great Britain, for people working in the last 12 months, by selected industries, averaged 2014/15-2016/17

Overall break down WRMSD Construction Specific Back Disorders - significantly higher 920 cases per 100,000 workers (skill trades most affected) Work Related Upper Limb Disorder (WRULD) - affecting the neck, hands, shoulders & wrists… 960 per 100,00 cases… as above Work Related Lower Limb disorders (WRLLD) - affecting hips, knees and legs… can cause a greater degree of immobility and reduce quality of life... Not well documented, as tending not to be independent of symptoms in other parts of the body. Also, tend to be categorised as acute or over use injuries, with a tendency for chronic sufferers to be withdrawn or moved to other jobs / roles… Occupations with heavy physical demands have higher prevalence of knee osteoarthritis… jobs requiring frequent kneeling… Think what roles would be affected within construction??

Work related ill health – what do YOU need to do? - Are you and your business effectively managing work related ill health? CHALLENGE YOURSELF - Are you spreading the message? CHALLENGE OTHERS Are you looking for opportunities to share good practice and innovate? CHALLENGING THE PROBLEM

We may have some Superhero's in the room already?? (ICE 200 Superheroes)

Aim to be a Workplace Health Superhero Aim to be a Workplace Health Superhero. You may be one already, so tell us your story…

Workplace Ill Health by NUMBERS ..………. Plenty of work to do still Sometimes we all have to go back to basics …

Thank you for listening Any questions?