Musculoskeletal disorders: training for employees

Contents What is the issue? What is the issue in our organisation? Why should we deal with MSDs? What are our employer’s responsibilities? How could we deal with MSDs in our organisation? What are my responsibilities? What can I do if I get back pain? Do’s and don’ts Where can I find out more?

What is the issue? Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common occupational illness in Great Britain, affecting 1 million people a year Source:

What is the issue? MSDs are conditions that affect the nerves, tendons, muscles and supporting structures, such as the discs in your back They result from one or more of these tissues having to work harder than they are designed for The symptoms of MSDs differ in severity – from mild and periodic, to severe, chronic and debilitating

What is the issue? Work-related MSDs When MSDs are caused or made worse by the work environment, they’re called work-related MSDs (WRMSDs)

What is the issue? MSDs can affect any part of the body, but two important areas in terms of work are: the back the upper limbs

What is the issue? Back pain This is the most common MSD The HSE estimates that 9.3 million working days (full-day equivalent) were lost in Great Britain in 2008/09 through MSDs that were caused or made worse by work On average, each person suffering took an estimated 17.2 days off in that 12-month period Source:

What is the issue? However… The HSE goes on to explain: “Most people have back pain at some time. Usually the pain is not caused by anything serious and it settles within a matter of days or weeks.” Source:

What is the issue? Upper limb disorders MSDs which affect the arm, hand, shoulder and neck are called upper limb disorders (ULDs). When these are work- related, they are termed WRULDs

What is the issue? Causes WRMSDs are associated with work patterns that include: fixed or constrained body positions continual repetition of movements force concentrated on parts of the body, such as the hand or wrist a pace of work that does not allow sufficient recovery between movements continued…

What is the issue? repetitive and heavy lifting bending and twisting exerting too much force exerting a force in a static position for extended periods of time psychosocial factors such as low job control and isolation

What is the issue? Generally, none of these factors acts separately to cause WRMSDs Most occur as a result of a combination and interaction between factors Heat, cold and vibration also contribute to the development of WRMSDs Source: and

What is the issue? What are the signs and symptoms of WRMSDs? Pain is the most common symptom – sometimes joint stiffness, muscle tightness, redness and swelling of the affected area With ULDs, some people also experience sensations of ‘pins and needles’, numbness, skin colour changes, and decreased sweating of the hands Source:

What is the issue? WRMSDs can progress in stages from mild to severe Early stage: aching and tiredness of the affected limb(s) during work shift; disappear at night and during days off; no reduction of work performance Intermediate stage: aching and tiredness occur early in the work shift and persist at night; reduced capacity for repetitive work continued... Source:

What is the issue? Late stage: aching, fatigue and weakness persist at rest; inability to sleep and to perform light duties Recognising symptoms early can help prevent the problem from becoming more serious Source:

What is the issue in our organisation?

Why should my employer deal with MSDs? Legal – responsibility under health and safety law Moral – obligation as a good employer Financial – dealing with MSDs at work should reduce sickness absence levels

What are our employer’s responsibilities? The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to secure the health safety and welfare of employees at work This includes providing a safe place of work, safe systems of work, and information and training

What are our employer’s responsibilities? The Management Regulations 1999 require suitable and sufficient assessments of health and safety risks at work to be carried out This includes assessing, eliminating and controlling the risks to the musculoskeletal system

What are our employer’s responsibilities? The HSE explains… The first step is to assess all the MSD risks your tasks generate Next, try to eliminate as many of them as possible, by redesigning the tasks or providing mechanical aids The appropriate control measures can depend upon the sort of work your employees carry out and what it is ‘reasonably practicable’ for your company to do continued... Source:

What are our employer’s responsibilities? When considering precautionary measures, make sure that you consult your workforce as they often have first hand knowledge of the risks associated with a specific task or tasks Once the precautionary measures have been introduced, you should monitor their effectiveness and make sure that any new risks have not been introduced Source:

How could we deal with MSDs in our organisation? Our employer needs to have a system for managing musculoskeletal risk in all parts of the business This will involve eliminating risk wherever possible, and assessing and controlling risk which cannot be eliminated Carrying out manual handling, display screen equipment and upper limb disorder risk assessments should make up part of this system

What are my responsibilities? You have a duty to take care of your health and safety Speak up if you’re having a problem Take part in the risk assessment process Read management communications Attend training Help yourself…

What can I do if I get back pain? Do’s Do stay as active as usual, if possible, but visit your doctor if you’re worried about the back pain or if the pain persists or suddenly gets worse Do take pain relief continued… Source:

What can I do if I get back pain? Do’s Do speak to your employer or your workers’ representative, your safety representative or a trade union safety representative who can pass on your issues to your employer and, if necessary, discuss what can be done to help you stay at work Do find out about back pain – a summary of good advice can be found in guidance booklets such as The Back Book Source:

What can I do if I get back pain? Don’ts Don’t take to your bed and wait for the pain to go away – the sooner you get back to normal activity the better Don’t worry – back pain is rarely serious and unnecessary worry delays recovery Don’t avoid activity simply as a way of avoiding the pain – hurt doesn’t always mean harm Source:

Where can I find out more? There are a free leaflets from the HSE that explain about: upper limb disorders – ‘Aching arms (or RSI) in small businesses’ using display screen equipment – ‘Working with VDUs’ manual handling – ‘Getting to grips with manual handling’