Musculoskeletal disorders - Useful links

This page provides links to sources of guidance, research, and information on MSDs in the health and social care services sector, plus links to other health sector related MSD guidance and research

HSE health sector specific priced guidance for MSDs.
Available from HSE books

Health & Emergency Services

• Handling home care HSG 225
  achieving safe, efficient and positive outcomes for care workers and clients.
• Health and safety in care homes HSG 220
  this book is targeted at owners and managers of care homes, as well as employees and safety representatives.
• Manual handling in the health services ISBN 0 7176 1248 1
  provides guidance, which is intended to help everybody who plays a part ensuring that risks from manual handling are minimised.
• Getting to grips with handling problems ISBN 0 7176 0622 8
  provides practical advice and guidance on manual handling in the Health Services.

Service industries (health sector related)

• Caring for cleaners HSG 234
  guidance and case studies on how to prevent MSDs.
  

HSE health sector specific research

• Evaluation of manual handling tasks involving the use of carry chairs by UK ambulance personnel. Research report 314
  prepared by the Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL), based on accident and incident data on the primary method for transporting patients up and down stairs by UK ambulance services.
  
• Risk assessment and process planning for bariatric patient handling pathways. Research report RR573
  prepared by Loughborough University for the HSE, with the primary aim to identify and explore the manual handling risks and process planning for bariatric patient pathways.

Other HSE guidance, help and advice

MSD case studies

• Health sector case studies Case studies on manual handling and MSDs.

MSD videos

• Health services MSD videos
  range of videos free to download
• Other MSD videos
  range of videos free to download

General HSE MSD guidance and research

• HSE home page for MSDs
  Guidance and research for employers and employees.
• MSD Guidance and Research
  provides useful information on where to find out more about MSDs, and how to prevent them, including free leaflet guidance.
• MAC Tool
  Manual handling assessment chart (MAC) tool, developed to help the user identify high-risk workplace manual handling activities.
• MSD risk assessment

Links to NHS MSD guidance, help and advice

NHS England guidance, help and advice

• NHS national library for health
  Musculoskeletal specialist library aimed at health professionals involved with an interest in MSDs in the UK.
  
• NHS direct
  NHS Direct is at the forefront of 24-hour health care - delivering telephone and e-health information services day and night direct to the public.
  
• NHS employers
  NHS Employers is responsible for workforce and employment issues, working on behalf of NHS organisations in England.
  
  • Workplace back problems - case studies
    Examples of how trusts are tackling musculoskeletal injury and work-related back problems.

NHS Wales MSD guidance, help and advice

• All Wales NHS manual handling training passport & information scheme
  Maintaining consistency of manual handling training within the NHS in Wales.
  
• NHS direct Wales
  NHS Direct Wales is a health advice and information service available 24 hours a day, every day.

NHS Scotland MSD guidance, help and advice

• NHS24
  Confidential health advice and information service for people in Scotland
  

Non HSE health sector MSD guidance, help and advice

• Back Care the charity for healthier backs
  Various priced guidance on the moving and handling people/patients.
  
• Royal college of nursing
  RCN publications.
  
  • Manual handling risk assessment guidance
    RCN guidance on manual handling assessments in hospitals and the community.
    
• Ambulance services association
  Safer handling for NHS ambulance services.
  • Ambulance Service Association Safer Handling Policy [1.3MB]

Organisations with links to health sector related MSDs

• National Back Exchange
  multidisciplinary group for those with an interest in back care and prevention of work related musculoskeletal problems.
  
  • NBE trainer guidelines: Specification for manual handling trainer in client handling.
    
  • NBE training guidelines: Guidance to enable those responsible for training to achieve an acknowledged and consistent standard.
    
• Disabled living foundation
  Free impartial advice including fact sheets on the moving and handling of people.
  
  • Fact sheets - choosing hoists DLF's factsheets provide general advice on topics such as features to look for when choosing items of equipment.
    
• Workplace health connect
  Government funded service providing confidential, practical and free advice to small businesses on workplace health and safety.
  
• Work smart
  Help and advice from the TUC.
  
• RSI association
  Help, advice and fact sheets plus support groups.
  
• The ergonomics society
  Specialist commercial help and advice.
  
• Society of radiographers
  The Society of Radiographers represents more than 90 per cent of the diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers in the UK. It is responsible for their professional, educational, public and workplace interests.
• Medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency
  The MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work, and are acceptably safe.
  
• The chartered society of physiotherapy
  CSP - the professional, educational and trade union body for chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and assistants.
  
  • CSP manual handling guidance
    The purpose of this document is to enable and support chartered physiotherapists to treat and handle patients competently and as safely as possible.
    
  • CSP fit for work leaflet
    Advice on a range of health problems.
    

Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL) (an agency of the HSE)

• HSL training courses
  Manual handling training courses.
  
• Ergonomics improving team lifting
  HSL wide-ranging study undertaken to identify the major risk factors involved in two-person lifting.
  
• Manual handling pushing & pulling
  Development of guidance.
  
• WRULDS
  Work related upper limb disorders in the workplace.
  

Publications

Publication	Information suitable for:
	Nurse	Paramedic	Cleaner	Physio
The guide to the handling of people( 5th Edition) ISBN 0-9530582-9-8
Ambulance Services Association-Safer Handling. National Policy and Strategy Framework [1.3MB]
Handling Home Care. HSE Books. ISBN 0 7176 2228 2
Caring for cleaners HSE Books. ISBN 0 7176 2682 2
Manual Handling in Health services HSE Books. ISBN 0 7176 1248 1
Manual Handling Guidance on Regulations HSE Books. ISBN 0 7176 2823 X
Manual Handling Assessment Chart Tool (MAC)
RCN Code of Practice for Patient handling [136KB]