Health and Safety Executive

Table ULNOCC2_3YR - Averaged 2005/06-2007/08

Estimated prevalence and rates of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders mainly affecting the upper limbs or neck caused or made worse by current or most recent job, by occupation, for people working in the last 12 months, averaged 2005/06-2007/08

Note: Comparison of averaged 3 year estimates over time involving estimates based on overlapping time periods will not provide a robust indication of change over time.

Occupation description + Major, sub-major or minor group^ Illness ascribed to their current/most recent job
Sample cases Averaged estimated prevalence (thousands) Averaged rate per 100 000 employed in the last 12 months
central 95% C.I. central 95% C.I.
lower upper lower upper
Managers and senior officials 1 119 21 17 25 490 400 580
Corporate managers 11 90 16 13 20 470 370 570
Managers and proprietors in agriculture and services 12 29 5 3 7 560 350 760
Professional occupations 2 119 22 18 26 580 470 690
Science and technology professionals 21 29 5 3 7 520 330 710
Health professionals 22 14 * * * * * *
Teaching and research professionals 23 42 7 5 10 510 350 670
  Teaching professionals 231 40 7 5 9 510 350 680
  Research professionals 232 2 * * * * * *
Business and public service professionals 24 34 6 4 9 660 430 880
Associate professional and technical occupations 3 163 31 26 36 740 620 850
Science and technology associate professionals 31 18 * * * * * *
Health and social welfare associate professionals 32 57 10 7 13 890 650 1140
Protective service occupations 33 13 * * * * * *
Culture, media and sports occupations 34 33 7 5 9 1090 700 1470
Business and public service associate professionals 35 42 8 6 11 510 350 670
Administrative and secretarial occupations 4 133 24 19 28 670 560 790
Administrative occupations 41 95 17 14 21 650 520 780
  Administrative occupations: government and related organisations 411 22 4 2 6 760 440 1070
  Administrative occupations: finance 412 33 6 4 8 750 490 1010
  Administrative occupations: records 413 17 * * * * * *
  Administrative occupations: communications 414 3 * * * * * *
  Administrative occupations: general 415 20 4 2 5 520 280 760
Secretarial and related occupations 42 38 6 4 8 760 510 1000
Skilled trades occupations 5 159 29 24 34 910 760 1050
Skilled agricultural trades 51 11 * * * * * *
Skilled metal and electrical trades 52 51 9 7 12 790 570 1010
Skilled construction and building trades 53 68 12 9 15 1060 810 1320
  Construction trades 531 54 10 7 12 1070 780 1360
  Building trades 532 14 * * * * * *
Textiles, printing and other skilled trades 54 29 5 3 7 960 600 1330
Personal service occupations 6 58 10 8 13 430 320 550
Caring personal service occupations 61 36 6 4 8 340 230 450
Leisure and other personal service occupations 62 22 4 2 6 760 440 1080
Sales and customer service occupations 7 55 10 8 13 440 320 560
Sales occupations 71 45 8 6 11 440 310 560
  Sales assistants and retail cashiers 711 37 7 5 9 400 270 530
  Sales related occupations 712 8 * * * * * *
Customer service occupations 72 10 * * * * * *
Process, plant and machine operatives 8 105 19 15 23 880 710 1050
Process, plant and machine operatives 81 68 12 9 15 1200 910 1490
Transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives 82 37 6 4 9 580 390 760
  Transport drivers and operatives 821 32 6 4 7 590 380 800
  Mobile machine drivers and operatives 822 5 * * * * * *
Elementary occupations 9 99 18 15 22 510 410 610
Elementary trades, plant and storage related occupations 91 36 7 4 9 650 430 870
Elementary administration and service occupations 92 63 12 9 15 460 340 570
All occupations (illness ascribed to the current or most recent job)   1010 185 173 197 620 590 660
Other job caused illness#   247 45 39 50 .. .. ..
Total (illness ascribed to any job)   1257 230 216 243 780 730 820

Notes:

.. Not applicable

* Sample numbers too small to provide reliable estimates.

+ Details of Standard Occupational Classification (2000)

^Within occupation major groups, some sub-major and minor group information has been provided where some of the categories have sufficiently large sample cases to provide reliable estimates.

# Includes those who did not answer the question identifying the job to which their illness was ascribed and those who said their illness was ascribed to a job other than their current or most recent in the last 12 months.

Figures in italics are estimates based on fewer than 30 sample cases.


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Updated 24.03.09