Back pain and musculoskeletal disorders

What you must do

Employers have a legal duty to manage the risk of musculoskeletal disorders that their workers may be exposed to. Before anyone can start to control the risks in the workplace they need to know what they are, how serious they are and who is exposed to them.

The first step to managing risks is by carrying out a risk assessment. This should be carried out to decide if there are enough precautions in place or if more needs to be done to prevent harm.

An assessment of the risk of musculoskeletal problems in cleaners should take account of:

• all cleaning tasks
• the individual capacity of the cleaner
• the loads involved
• the work environment

This assessment should also consider the main risk factors, such as manual handing, awkward postures, work organisation and hand/arm vibration.

Manual handling activities should be avoided if it is reasonably practicable. If not reasonably practicable, employers should assess the risk from the activity and implement effective control measures.

In practice, employers have found that initiatives for reducing musculoskeletal problems in the workplace are most successful if they involve employees and their representatives working together on risk assessment and investigating accidents.

Why are cleaners at risk?

Cleaning work is demanding and labour intensive. Changes within the industry means that cleaners increasingly work under time constraints. Many tasks involve heavy manual work, putting strain on the heart, muscles and other tissues.

The main causes of aches, pains and discomfort in cleaners are:

• manual handling – lifting, pulling, push/pull, carrying and holding loads. This can include heavy equipment and items such as polishers, vacuums, ladders, furniture and laundry
• awkward postures – reaching, stretching, crouching, and kneeling. Work can involve these postures being undertaken repeatedly over a long period of time
• work organisation – high-work speed, time pressures, poor training and often little consideration on how cleaning can be done
• using vibrating equipment – equipment can be heavy and requires forceful exertion, it can also be poorly maintained and less well designed

Recognising a problem

There can be indicators of musculoskeletal problems in the workplace. These include:

• an increase in sickness absence
• reports of pain and discomfort from cleaners
• reports from safety representatives
• low motivation and dissatisfaction among cleaners – not wanting to do certain tasks
• cleaners adapting their own equipment
• cleaners wearing splints, bandages or back supports

Key messages

• You can easily take action to prevent or minimise this type of injury
• The preventive measures are cost effective
• Involving staff is key to success
• Training staff in proper lifting techniques, use of handling aids and raising awareness of the risks will reduce the likelihood of injuries in the future

Early detection and reporting of aches and pains is crucial.

Find out more:

• MSD microsite
• Manual handling
• Manual handling assessment (MAC) Tool
  This helps users to identify high-risk manual handling activities
• Are you making the best use of lifting and handling aids INDG398
• Manual handling at work: A brief guide INDG143
• Manual handling assessment charts INDG383
• Catering Information Sheet 24: Preventing back pain and other aches and pains to kitchen and food service staff
• Upper limb disorders in the workplace HSG60