Back pain

Back pain is a major problem for both employers and workers - 80% of us will suffer with back pain in our lifetime and six million working days are lost every year as a result of this condition.

As with other health and safety issues, all employers have a duty under the law to protect staff and to care for their health.

The good news is employers can take cost-effective measures to prevent or reduce the incidence of back pain at work.

Does this affect my business?

Workers may experience back pain in many work situations. The exact causes are often unclear, but some activities that can aggravate back disorders are:

manual handling (including lifting, bending, twisting);
poor and static postures (such as sitting at a poorly designed workstation or PC);
whole-body vibration (which happens, for example, when you drive heavy vehicles).

Accidents, such as trips and falls can also be a factor.

What employers must do

You must look at what could cause back pain, or make it worse, in your business and take action to reduce the risks. This could mean changing the way the work is done or introducing lifting equipment.

If staff lift and carry at work

Some general tips to help avoid problems include:

make sure loads are not handled above shoulder height or in cramped working areas;
arrange cover for holidays and unexpected absences so that staff are not left to cope alone with handling normally done by two or more workers; and
keep the workplace clear of obstructions that can cause workers to slip or trip while they are handling loads.

When workers have back pain

You should support staff to stay in work and encourage them to stay active (medical professionals tell us that the best way to manage most back pain is to stay active with normal activities). If workers do have back pain and need to take time off work, it is important that they are able to come back as soon as possible. You may need to make some changes when they return. You can help them to recover by gradually returning them to normal work.