Health and Safety Executive

Table ULNSIZE2 - 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, for small, medium and large workplaces, for people working in the last 12 months

Workplace size + Illness ascribed to their current/most recent job
Sample cases Estimated prevalence (thousands) Rate per 100 000 employed in the last 12 months
central 95% C.I. central 95% C.I.
lower upper lower upper
Illness caused or made worse by current or most recent job              
Small (less than 50 employees)~ 155 88 74 103 540 450 630
Medium (50-249 employees) 68 38 29 47 630 480 780
Large (250+ employees) 77 43 33 53 640 500 780
Missing/unknown 4 .. .. .. .. .. ..
All persons (illness ascribed to current or most recent job) 305 173 153 193 570 510 640
Other job caused illness, workplace size unknown# 72 40 31 49 .. .. ..
Total (illness ascribed to any job) 377 213 191 235 700 630 780

Notes:

.. Not applicable

+ Relates to the number of people at their workplace, which is not necessarily the same as the number of people working for the company.

~ Includes those who are self employed on their own or with partners who have no employees.

# 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.

Individuals who gave the response 'Don't know but between 50 and 499' have been coded as missing/unknown.


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Updated 14.09.09