INDUSTRY EXPERTS NEEDED FOR MSD RESEARCH

HSE press release E047:03 - 19 March 2003

Managers, employees and consultancies are needed to help with a major new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) study, looking at attitudes towards musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at work, which affect muscles, joints and tendons.

MSDs are the most common type of occupational ill health in the UK. Around 1.1 million people in Great Britain suffered from MSDs caused or made worse by work, in 2001/02. An estimated 12.3 million working days were lost due to work-related MSDs and on average each sufferer took 19.4 days off in the same period.

Researchers from Loughborough and Nottingham universities, who are carrying out the work for HSE, want to talk to managers and employees from small to medium sized companies in industries most at risk from MSDs, such as manufacturing, health services, construction, and delivery and communications.

The project and research team will also work with consultancies, which deal with MSDs to develop and implement solutions to help prevent these kinds of injuries from occurring.

Principal researcher for the study, Zara Whysall, of Loughborough University said: "Many companies are now making attempts to reduce health and safety risks, be it due to concerns over litigation, reduced productivity or increased absence, but often these attempts are not as effective as they might be.

"This study will improve our understanding of organisational change, specifically on how to successfully implement changes to reduce the risk of work-related MSDs. The results will be used to draw up guidelines for employers, consultants, employees, trade unions, and health care practitioners."

Notes to editors

1. Further information about the study is available on the Universities' websites:

The Health & Safety Ergonomics Unit, Loughborough University: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/hu/groups/hseu/soc_project_summary.htm

The Institute of Work, Health, and Organisations, Nottingham University:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/I-WHO

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