Health and Safety Executive

Table BACKSIZE2 - 2004/05

Estimated prevalence and rates (%) of self-reported musculoskeletal disorders mainly affecting the back caused or made worse by current or most recent job, for small, medium and large workplaces, for people working in the last 12 months, 2004/05 and 2003/04

Workplace size + Illness ascribed to their current/most recent job
Sample cases Estimated prevalence (thousands) Rate per 100 employed in the last 12 months
central 95% C.I. central 95% C.I.
lower upper lower upper
Small (less than 50 employees) # 194 102 88 117 0.66 0.56 0.75
Medium (50-249 employees) 79 40 31 49 0.68 0.53 0.83
Large (250+ employees) 101 54 43 65 0.85 0.68 1.0
Missing/unknown 14 .. .. .. .. .. ..
All persons 388 205 184 226 0.70 0.63 0.78

Notes:

  • Definitions and data reliability
  • .. Not applicable
  • # Includes those who are self employed on their own or with partners who have no employees
  • + Relates to the number of people at their workplace, which is not necessarily the same as the number of people working for the company.
  • Individuals who gave the response 'Don't know but between 50 and 499' have been coded as missing/unknown.
  • See section 2.7 and Appendix 3.2 in the 'Self-reported work-related illness in 2004/05' (SWI04/05) report for more details on prevalence estimates and rates.
  • The estimates in this table take account of revisions made to the Great Britain population estimates following the 2001 Census.

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Updated 12.05.08