Incidents at your workplace causing back pain

Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common type of personal injury at work and includes back pain. MSD, as they're known, are usually a result of a number of factors such as the incorrect tools for the job, doing work for too long without having breaks and working whilst at an uncomfortable or awkward position. All of these are often reasons for back pain at your workplace, together with others, more associated with back injuries, particularly recurring and heavy lifting and bending and twisting or duplicating some motions too often.



Almost all back pain is increased by means of other issues such as poor posture, emotional stress, strained muscle tissues or ligaments plus more general wear and tear. In many cases it is not overly serious and often will quickly disappear however all workers must be aware, when lifting and carrying especially, of the possibility of trouble if they do not get ready adequately.



Through millions of working days and nights wasted through work-related back pain each and every year, it is clear that it has got the potential to significantly have an effect on the economy and it has a significant impact on all workplaces.



Figures



Back injuries are amongst the most common injuries at work. Health and Safety Executive figures for 2009/10 demonstrated that there were over ninetyfive thousand reported injuries to workers that induced an absence from work of over three days. Of those injuries 36% was caused by handling, heavy lifting or hauling.



After stress, back pain is the 2nd most common cause of long-term illness in the uk. Figures for 2008/09 show that somewhere around 9.3 million business days were lost solely due to work related back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders.



Over a 3rd of all reportable injuries of more than three days include manual handling while at the workplace. The latest numbers indicate that more than a million people in the united kingdom state they experience musculoskeletal disorders, amplified by work and it is estimated that 12. 3m business days are lost annually through work-related Musculoskeletal disorders.



Back pain is more of an issue in the age group 35 to 55, possibly because more and more people in that age group are at work. It's the 2nd most popular reason for sufferers to visit and see their Doctor along with almost seven million Doctor visits yearly. Back pain can also be considered to cost the Nhs £481m a year with one more £197m coming in other healthcare expenses not associated with the health service, such as private consultations and prescription medications.



Manual handling



The term manual handling essentially means "any transporting or supporting of a load ( including the raising, placing down, forcing, pulling, carrying or shifting thereof) by hand or by actual force". So it is circumstances in which a person is lifting, shifting or assisting a weight.



As a lot of simple, innocent treatments at the workplace include the moving and handling of products, it is clear that back pain potentially affects millions of men and women in the united kingdom. You'll find risks apparent whether the load is an extremely heavy one and even a light-weight one, depending mostly on whether the risks are taken into account by employer and worker alike. They include whether or not the job is a repetitive one, whether it is being carried out in inadequate conditions and whether or not the employee has received sufficient training and advice in the best way to lift the products. All of these and much more should be taken into account when manual handling is concerned. The risks are seen as especially great in the healthcare, agricultural and construction industries because of the type and number of the manual handling procedures needed in those sectors.



Employer obligations



The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 declare that employers ought to avoid harmful manual handling operations as far as is reasonably practicable, should assess any dangerous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided and should reduce the risk of harm so far as is reasonably practicable.



There is a legal responsibility upon the company concerned to protect the well being and safety of their employees. As well as the Manual Handling Operations Regulations, other laws which might well apply when dealing with back pain are the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. The latter deals with exposure to Whole Body Vibration, which is also associated with back pain.



As well as complying with the regulations, companies ought to conduct a risk assessment in to any probable injury which may be caused to people in the workplace. Such a assessment consists of trying to find any dangers that are apparent, assessing what individuals may be harmed and exactly how, evaluating the risks and seeing whether the existing safeguards are sufficient or not. It also involves documenting the findings, notifying employees and going over the evaluation whenever there are changes to work practices or if there is any sort of accident at work.



Worker tasks



There are certain points that a worker should be familiar with when involved in lifting and carrying at the workplace.



-Does the load need to be relocated at all? If not really required then leave it where it is.



- Can a machine be used to transport the load?



-Making the weight smaller or much easier to lift up.



-Trying in different ways to cut down the space the load has to be transported, whilst also attempting to minimise the level of twisting or lifting.



- Ensuring that you've had the right training for lifting the load.



Safe lifting



Following the proper methods for moving or carrying items at your workplace can undoubtedly help prevent back pain. Helpful advice is first of all to think before attempting any heavy lifting. To rush into it greatly increases the likelihood of lifting it in a poor way as well as in wherein can assist cause back injuries.



Once committed to the lift, try and maintain the load close to your waist, keep the back as straight as you possibly can, refrain from twisting or leaning as much as possible, maintain your head upward and try to spread the load evenly.



There are basic concepts associated with manual handling which should be noticed before carrying out a manual handling operation.



-The item should be light-weight enough to be lifted by one person and it also should not move around whilst being raised.



-Handling aids ought to be used, particularly if the load is a large or awkward one.



- Ensure that the route is clear of any obstructions.



- Be sure that there is somewhere to safely position the load down.



-Whenever lifting, stand as close to the load as possible. Spread your feet, bend your knees and try to maintain a straight back.



-Maintain hold of the load, holding it as near to the body as you can.



-Avoid twisting your body by turning your feet to position yourself with the load.



Group handling



The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 also give guidelines on team handling and recognises that there are some lifting procedures which may be impossible for one person to handle but which would be possible with 2 or more people. The regulations state that the proportion of the load that each member of the group carries will vary as the lifting operation continues and will also be of greater concern on uneven ground. "Therefore, the load that a team can handle safely is lower than the amount of the loads which the individual team members could manage with when working alone".



Compensation



For anybody who has suffered any sort of accident at the workplace that has involved lifting or handling heavy goods, the 1st step should be to contact a solicitor. As with every personal injury claim, in evaluating whether or not they are eligible for damages, it is first essential to establish if the person they're making the claim towards has owed them a duty of care, then whether they have breached that duty and therefore the injury the potential plaintiff received was a fairly foreseeable result of that breach of duty.



Those considering making a claim should remember to keep the maximum amount of information as possible, photographs, medical records, receipts for any injury-related costs, all are essential to keep and reproduce when needed.



If you are interested in finding out more about back injury compensation, please check out The Claims Connection at www.theclaimsconnection.co.uk