Most of us will know what back pain feels like and almost every employer will be affected because of it. According to research by the HSE, in 2021/22 in the UK over 7 million working days were lost due to work-related muscle and joint conditions. Of these, nearly half were due to back problems.
With numbers like this, we are only too pleased to lend our support to the annual Back Awareness Week run by Back Care (the National Back Pain Association), this year taking place from October 3rd to 7th. The week is all about raising awareness about back issues and how to manage back pain.
In this article we will cover the impact of back pain, share tips to prevent injuries in the workplace and look at employer’s obligations.
The impact of back pain at work
The numbers say it all – back conditions are creating in the region of c.3 million lost working days – and possibly a lot more. Figures from the trade union UNISON suggest that the HSE figures could be on the low side. They say that back pain is one of the biggest causes of work absences, accounting for more than 12 million days lost every year.
We tend to think about back pain as impacting on mobility, but poor back health can impact general wellbeing too. As well as limiting employee productivity, the mental health impact of what can be on-going pain increases the likelihood of extended time off work.
Part of the problem is that we tend to take our backs for granted, even to the point of abusing them. We often decide for ourselves that we can move that cupboard or desk without any idea as to whether our backs can cope. It’s only when we cause an injury by ‘putting our backs out’ that we take notice – and that may be after we’ve caused what should have been a perfectly preventable long-term injury.
What leads to back pain?
Most people would probably cite lifting a heavy weight as the most likely cause of back pain. While it can certainly have an immediate impact in terms of pain, it’s just one of a number of causes. As one of the objectives of Back Awareness Week is about prevention, it’s worth remembering that what can cause back pain in the long term isn’t always obvious. The injuries that many of us suffer – as many as four out of five of us at some point will get a back injury – can start gradually.
Posture and inactivity are good examples of this. We may feel comfortable at our desks or on our sofas – but we could be putting the health of our backs at risk by poor posture. If you spend a lot of time sat at a desk or travelling for work your back may gradually become weak. Other causes can be our car seats, the beds we sleep in and levels of stress that can impact on our muscles and backs.
According to the NHS, very rarely back pain can be a sign of a serious problem such as a broken bone, cancer or an infection. As such, the NHS suggests you should consider seeing your GP if back pain does not improve after treating it at home for a few weeks with painkillers and exercise, the pain is stopping you doing your day-to-day activities or is getting worse over time.
Tips for preventing back pain
Don’t take risks with weight: If you are unsure whether you should risk lifting a heavy object – don’t. Ask colleagues for help. If you do carry out a lift, avoid twisting your back and keep your head up once you have the load secure.
Regular exercise – but with care: As part of your general health regular exercise is an effective way of preventing back pain. Walking and swimming help strengthen muscles in your back without putting any strain on it. This tip does come with a warning – you can also injure your back through too much exercise. Sometimes the most seemingly lightweight and repetitive actions can cause an injury, particularly if you are overusing the same muscles. It’s good to mix high and low impact exercise activity.
Respect your personal wellbeing: Your body needs to be nurtured with good sleep and low levels of stress. People with anxiety and depression, whether caused at work or not, can report more aches and pains. So, look after your own wellbeing and look out for signs of stress and burnout in others. Employers could consider running on-site clinics with advice on posture, sleep, diet and nutrition as well as emotional resilience consultations.
Control your diet: The more weight we carry, the more pressure on our joints which includes our back. As the population and the workforce ages, maintaining a healthy weight through good dietary awareness and exercise can help to reduce the strain.
Ergonomic support: The HSE runs training for employers and employees to understand what good posture looks like when using display screen equipment at home or in the workplace. We would also advise employers to consider the suitability and condition of vehicle seating. This page contains a number of tips for good posture. https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/good-posture.htm
Back care – the employer’s responsibility
It’s inevitable that employment carries the risk of back injury. Whether this is through lifting and twisting, driving or just spending too long in the same posture, employers have certain responsibilities.
In general common law, an employer is under a duty to take reasonable care of the health and safety of its employees in all the circumstances so as not to expose them to an unnecessary risk. This duty of care extends to the employee’s physical and mental health which of course includes the welfare and safety of the back.
According to guidance from UNISON, an employer is responsible for preventing or minimising the risk of suffering back injuries, particularly as a result of manually lifting or moving objects at work. What’s more, there are strict laws covering employers’ responsibilities and each employer should have a written policy as part of their safety policy.
Where manual handling can’t be avoided, employers must do what they can to reduce the risk of injury “to the lowest level reasonably practicable”. Employer’s responsibilities extend to wherever their employees work, off-site or in a variety of locations.
For further information, please see: https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/knowledge/health-and-safety/back-pain/#
The HSE also carries extensive guidance for employers in the protection of workers exposure to back pain. They say that, as an employer, you must protect workers from the risks of developing back pain caused by work.
In particular, employers must:
- Avoid work activities that can cause back pain, where reasonably practicable.
- Where the activity can’t be avoided, assess it to see what can be done to reduce the risk of back pain.
- Apply the control measures and monitor and review them to make sure they are working.
- Consult your workers and, if they have health and safety concerns, do something about them.
For further information, please see: https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/backpain/index.htm
In conclusion
The momentum behind Back Care Awareness week has been running since 1968 which gives some indication of the impact of back injury and the need to manage and mitigate risks. As employers, it’s not only the right thing to do in terms of protecting employee safety and good for productivity, it’s also a legal requirement. Although mainly associated with pressure on the back through lifting and twisting, other issues impact the back and support for back care should be included within wider employee welfare initiatives.
Further reading:
Back Care Awareness Programme: https://backcare.org.uk/i-have-back-or-neck-pain/back-care-awareness-programme/
The NHS Back Pain Guide https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/
